Written Answers of 28 October 1981

ENERGY

  Pressurised Water Reactor (Sizewell)
  Mr. Ennals
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will take steps to publish the pressurised water reactor safety documents in relation to the Sizewell public inquiry.

  Mr. John Moore:
  The then Secretary of State told the House—[18 December 1979, c. 291.] —that the principal documentation on safety will be made available to the public inquiry. I understand that the Central Electricity Generating Board and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate intend to publish reports as soon as practicable and well in advance of the public inquiry.

  Fuel Charges
  Mr. Arthur Lewis
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in view of Her Majesty's Government's announcement of a 4 per cent. salary and wage increase limit in the public sector, he will take action to limit any increases in fuel charges for coal, gas and electricity to 4 per cent.

  Mr. Lawson:
  No: the financial and economic considerations involved are different. In any even, the 4 per cent. pay factor announced on 15 September is a broad measure of what the Government think reasonable and can be afforded as a general allowance for increases in public services pay at the present stage of planning public expenditure: it does not imply that all public service pay increases will or should be 4 per cent.—some may be less and some may be more.

  Gas Appliances
  Mr. Greville Janner
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is satisfied with the standards and frequency of inspection of gas appliances and with the standard of their installation.

  Mr. John Moore:
  The installation of gas appliances is dealt with in the Gas Safety Regulations 1972. A person installing a gas appliance has to be "a competent person" and has to comply with those regulations. Any person failing to comply with the regulations is liable to prosecution. After installation the responsibility for ensuring that appliances are inspected and serviced rests with the consumer. Any person who knowingly uses or permits the use of an unsafe appliance also commits an offence against those regulations.

  Under the Gas Safety (Rights of Entry) Regulations 1976 authorised officers of the British Gas Corporation have a right to enter customers' premises to examine gas appliances for the purpose of ensuring that the Gas Safety Regulations have been complied with, and, subject to a right of appeal, such an officer may disconnect an
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  appliance if he considers it necessary to do so to avert danger to life or property. Except in an emergency, this right of entry is only exercisable with the consent of the customer or pursuant to a magistrate's warrant, the issue of which could only be justified if public safety were at risk. I believe that the above procedures are satisfactory.

  Paraffin
  Mr. Skinner
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the rise in the cost of paraffin and introduce a subsidy for those who use paraffin as a main source of heating.

  Mr. Gray:
  Increases in premium paraffin wholesale prices since 1979 have largely reflected increased sterling crude oil costs. In addition, there have been increased unit supply costs as sales have fallen; certain cost increases specific to paraffin production and supply; and normal cost inflation. Paraffin retail prices are set by the retailers concerned, who must have regard to increases in the wholesale price and in their own unit supply costs.

  The four United Kingdom manufacturers of premium paraffin gave assurances in 1979 that future wholesale prices would reflect no more than the additional cost of supply compared with the cost of supplying the regular grade. I am satisfied that these assurances have been honoured.

  Assistance towards meeting fuel costs—including paraffin costs—is already available through the social security system.

  Coal Deposits (South Warwickshire)
  Mr. Pawsey
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is now in a position to make a statement about the National Coal Board's intentions in South Warwickshire, in the light of the substantial deposits of coal existing in this area; what is the scale of the deposits; and whether they can be exploited from existing coalfields.

  Mr. John Moore:
  This is a matter for the National Coal Board which is, I understand, currently evaluating the results of exploration work in South Warwickshire.

  Natural Gas (Definition)
  Mr. Skeet
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he proposes to re-define natural gas for the purpose of the proposed legislation to cover specification gas only.

  Mr. John Moore:
  No.

  British Gas Corporation
  Mr. Arnold
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy, further to his statement of 19 October, Official Report, column 21, when he intends to seek powers to require the British Gas Corporation to proceed with the sale of its showrooms.

  Mr. John Moore:
  I have nothing further to add to my reply of 19 October to my hon. Friend the Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers).

  Electricity Generation
  Mr. Cook
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total amount of electricity in megawatt-hours generated to date by (a) Calder Hall and (b) Chapelcross power stations.

  Mr. Mellor:
  By the end of September 1981 Calder Hall and Chapelcross power stations had generated totals of 37,261 and 37,645 thousand megawatt hours respectively.

  Mr. Cook
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total amount of electricity generated in megawatt-hours to date by all the United Kingdom's Magnox stations, other than Calder Hall and Chapelcross.

  Mr. Mellor:
  The total was 415,777 thousand megawatt hours to the end of September 1981.

  Domestic Gas Supply
  Mr. Gwilym Roberts
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy what figures are available for the numbers and proportions of households in the United Kingdom not connected to a gas supply; if he will take steps to enable the British Gas Corporation to make gas available to more households; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Moore:
  The British Gas Corporation has no statutory duties in respect of Northern Ireland. Of an estimated total of just over 20 million households in Great Britain, approximately 5 million do not have a gas supply. The British Gas Corporation has a statutory obligation to supply up to 25,000 therms of gas a year to any premises situated within 25 yards of a suitable main and it is already empowered to make connections outside that limit where it is economic to do so. The total number of new connections to domestic premises in 1980–81 was 236,000. I have no plans to extend the corporation's obligation to supply.

  Heat and Power Schemes
  Mr. Allen McKay
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the present position of Government plans to effect the installation of combined heat and power schemes.

  Mr. Mellor:
  Work is progressing with the market and engineering surveys for the CHP/DH feasibility programme announced by my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State on 23 June. These surveys will assist the lead consultant, W. S. Atkins and Partners, in making comparisons between the nine locations being studied in detail and in preparing recommendations to the Government about the next stage of the programme. W. S. Atkins and Partners now expects to present its report by February 1982.

PALACE OF WESTMINISTER

  State Opening of Parliament
  Mr. Garel-Jones
  asked the Lord President of the Council whether the State opening of Parliament on 4 November 1981 will be televised.

  Mr. Pym:
  Following previous precedents, arrangements are being made for the opening ceremony on 4
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  November 1981 to be televised. In addition, authority has been given for the ceremony to be filmed for newsreel purposes.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members (Redundancy Pay)
  Mr. Arthur Lewis
  asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will take steps to improve the redundancy or severance pay of hon. Members using a rate similar to the scheme currently operating for dockers.

  Mr. Pym:
  No. As I told the hon. Member on 22 January, the House decided on the appropriate level of severance pay for hon. Members when it voted for the existing arrangements on 4 March 1980.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Capital Gains Tax
  Mr. Charles Irving
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost of collecting capital gains tax; and how much is produced by capital gains tax in a full year.

  Mr. Proctor
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present yield from capital gains tax; and what is the cost of its collection.

  Mr. Ridley:
  The figures for 1980–81, the last full year for which information is available, are as follows:
  Net yield £508 million;
  Estimated cost of collection £l3.1 million.

  Mortgages (Tax Relief)
  Mr. Proctor
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost to the Treasury of tax relief on mortgages and the cost of the Exchequer subsidy on council houses; and by what amount the basic rate of tax would be reduced if both were abolished.

  Mr. Ridley:
  The latest year for which estimates of both items are available is 1980–81, when the cost of tax relief on mortgage interest was put at £1,960 million, and the cost of housing subsidies—subsidies to local authority and new town housing, excluding rent rebates, but including option mortgage subsidy—at £2,200 million. On the basis of these estimates, the basic rate of income tax could be reduced by 4½p.

  VCB(4), Customs and Excise
  Mr. Kilroy-Silk
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek to replace work being lost to VCB(4) of Customs and Excise by transferring other work to Bootle.

  Mr. Bruce-Gardyne:
  The reduction of work in VCB(4) is part of a continual process of increasing the efficiency of the administration of value added tax. In 1981–82 this will lead to a loss of eight posts, slightly less than a strict pro rata share of the reduction for the whole of VAT control division B, over two-thirds of which is located at Southend. Customs and Excise will continue to consider Bootle as the location for new headquarters work provided that this can be done without impairing the operational efficiency of the department.

  Value Added Tax Headquarters (Liverpool)
  Mr. Kilroy-Silk
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of the value added tax headquarters in Liverpool and the 320 jobs involved.

  Mr. Bruce-Gardyne:
  As I have indicated in my reply to the previous question, that part of the Customs and Excise headquarters which is located in Liverpool is not under threat. However, as with any other part of the Civil Service, it cannot be exempted from the search for increased efficiency and must expect to bear its share of any savings that are made.

  Stamp Duty
  Mr. Adley
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of domestic property transactions were eligible for payment of stamp duty by individual purchasers in 1980; and what was the relevant percentage in 1950, 1960 and 1970.

  Mr. Ridley:
  I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

  Mr. Adley
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what price level stamp duty was payable on domestic property transactions when it was first introduced; and what would be the qualifying figure now if full account were taken for inflation since the date of introduction.

  Mr. Ridley:
  The stamp duty thresholds apply to transfers of all property other than stocks and shares, and transfers of residential property are not treated distinctively. Stamp duty was payable on all levels of value until August 1958 when an exemption threshold of £3,500 was introduced. The minimum chargeable value has changed several times since then. The various exemption limits, together with their current values after adjusting for inflation by reference to the most recent figures available for the movement in (a) the retail prices index and (b) the Building Societies Association's figures of average house prices, are as follows:

  Original Threshold

  Revalorised (a) RPI

  Threshold (b) House Prices

  £

  £

  £

  August 1958

  3,500

  21,920

  36,030

  August 1963

  4,500

  25,220

  35,000

  August 1967

  5,500

  26,710

  32,720

  August 1972

  10,000

  34,880

  31,170

  May 1974

  15,000

  41,960

  34,330

  May 1980

  20,000

  22,870

  21,530

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. McQuarrie
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire East of 23 October on the payment of value added tax by the Spastics Society, if he will consider granting relief to all charitable organisations which are engaged in working with the disabled.

  Mr. Bruce-Gardyne:
  I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

  "Public Money"
  Mr. Ian Lloyd
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table giving a detailed breakdown of the item "subsidies and grants£38.6 billion" given in
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  table 2 of the article "Public Money" in Issue No. 137 of the Treasury economic progress report, classifying individually any item over £5 million to any single recipient, under the following headings: local authorities, nationalised industries—by industry—other partly of wholly owned public authorities or organisations, private organisations or companies in which the State has less than 50 per cent. of the issued share or debenture capital, other organisations, individuals and bodies.

  Mr. Brittan
  [pursuant to his reply, 22 October 1981, c. I69]: Information on current grants and subsidies by individual recipients is not held centrally. The following table gives more detail of the items concerned.

  £ billion

  Social security

  27.0

  Housing subsidies (including rent rebates and allowances, and option mortgages)

  2.6

  Grants to universities etc.

  1.2

  Student grants

  1.0

  Subsidy to British Rail

  0.8

  Other transport subsidies

  0.7

  Overseas aid

  0.7

  Agricultural subsidies

  0.6

  European Community contribution

  0.5

  Special employment measures

  0.5

  Redundancy fund, maternity fund benefits

  0.4

  Manpower Services Commission

  0.4

  Other

  2.2

  Total

  38.6

WALES

  Housing Development (Harlech)
  Mr. Ray Powell
  asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will review his decision to allow the housing development for Harlech to go ahead.

  Mr. Michael Roberts:
  No. I see no reason to do so.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Home Transfers (Salary Advances)
  Mr. Forman
  asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether she will make a statement about the limits imposed on the advance of salary available to civil servants who have to move their homes as a result of being transferred in the public interest to a new place of work which is not within travelling distance of their old home.

  Mr. Hayhoe:
  A civil servant who is obliged to move home on transfer in the public interest to a new place of work may be eligible for an advance of salary if the net proceeds of the sale of the existing property, if any, and the maximum mortgage available from commercial sources is not sufficient to cover the cost of a suitable property at the new station. The maximum advance payable within upper and lower limits is six months' pay, and this remains unchanged. The limits are adjusted from time to time in line with salary and house price movements. The upper limit will be revised to £9,500 with a further £1,000 for tranfers into London. The lower figure will be £3,375 plus an additional £1,000 for transfers into London.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Food Aid
  Mr. Hooley
  asked the Lord Privy Seal what was the total value of the European Economic Community food aid programme in each of the years 1975 to 1980 at current prices expressed in £ sterling.

  Mr. Neil Marten
  [pursuant to the reply, 21 October 1981, c. 136]: The cost of the European Community food aid programmes in each of the years 1975 to 1980 was as follows:

  Year

  £ million

  1975

  97

  1976

  73

  1977

  120

  1978

  163

  1979

  143

  1980

  188

  Mr. Hooley
  asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the aggregate value of contracts for food aid under the EEC food aid programme secured by each member State of the EEC in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981 so far.

  Mr. Neil Marten
  [pursuant to the reply, 21 October 1981, c. 136.]: The Information is not available in the form requested. The Court of Auditors of the European Communities has published details of expenditure on food aid as follows:

  Country

  1978

  1979

  MEUA

  £ million

  MEUA

  £ million

  Belgium

  64.1

  42.56

  108.9

  7.04

  Denmark

  0.1

  0.07

  17.7

  11.44

  France

  129.4

  85.92

  100.2

  64.77

  Germany

  192.0

  127.49

  219.0

  14.16

  Ireland

  17.9

  11.89

  21.9

  14.16

  Italy

  43.5

  28.9

  21.4

  13.83

  Luxembourg

  0.9

  0.6

  6.8

  4.4

  Netherlands

  67.6

  44.89

  42.4

  27.41

  United Kingdom

  3.5

  2.32

  3.6

  2.33

  Information for 1980 and 1981 is not yet available.

  Mr. Hooley
  asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) what contracts for the supply of food have been secured by British suppliers under the EEC food aid programme in 1979, 1980 and 1981 so far;

  (2) what are the main foodstuffs supplied by British producers under the EEC food aid programme in each of the years 1979, 1980 and 1981 so far.

  Mr. Neil Marten
  [pursuant to the reply, 21 October 1981, c. 136]: The information is as follows:

  Year†

  Commodity

  ‡No. of Contracts

  **Total Value of Contracts

  £

  1979

  Butter

  1

  1,530

  Skimmed Milk Powder

  3

  ,172,564

  1980

  Butter

  1

  904,999

  Butteroil

  1

  462,800

  Skimmed Milk Powder

  9

  1,945,702

  1981*

  Butter

  1

  765,450

  Skimmed Milk Powder

  7

  4,619,450

  Wheat

  2

  1,366,743

  Wheat Flour

  3

  350

  * To 9 October 1981.

  † Years relate to the calendar year in which expenditure was incurred by the United Kingdom Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce.

  ‡ No information is available about contracts awarded to British suppliers by intervention agencies in other member States.

  ** Commodities bought on the Community market are valued at world market prices; i.e. net of export refunds; but no value is attributed to commodities removed from intervention.

TRADE

  Non-strategic Exports
  Mr. Lyell
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress has been made in obtaining United States agreement to the export to China, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Warsaw Pact countries of nonstrategic high technology products manufactured in the United Kingdom and other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Rees:
  Exports of high technology products are subject to restriction only when considered strategically sensitive. Such restrictions are operated in concert with our allies and are the subject of continuing discussion. A major review is due in autumn 1982. Since the invasion of Afghanistan, controls on exports to the Soviet Union have been tightened.

  One-day Markets
  Mr. Speller
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will seek powers to ban the one-day markets that sell goods which do not conform to fair trading legislation and whose vendors have disappeared by the time the customer seeks restitution.

  Mrs. Sally Oppenheim:
  No. The existing law already provides a number of ways of tackling abuse. The Director General of Fair Trading, for example, is required to collect evidence of practices which may adversely affect the interests of consumers and has certain powers to initiate action in relation to such practices. Local trading standards departments have powers to prosecute traders who commit offences under the Trade Descriptions Act, the Mock Auctions Act and certain other consumer protection legislation.

  I can assure my hon. Friend that I share his concern. I know that the Director General is aware of the problems which arose at one-day markets in my hon. Friend's constituency and elsewhere in Devon this summer and of the prosecutions which ensued. He is keeping a close watch on the situation but does not consider that any new legislation would be justified at this stage. He has already recommended the adoption of local codes of practice by those hiring out premises where one-day sales present local problems and has indicated to me that he will be prepared to use his powers to the full where evidence justifies action against individual traders.

  Electrical Appliances (Imports)
  Mr. Gregor MacKenzie
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has received from manufacturers of domestic electrical appliances concerning imports of such goods; and what response he has given.

  Mr. Peter Rees:
  I shall reply to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Cars (Prices)
  Mr. Grist
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will refer to the Director General of Fair Trading the differences in retail prices charged for cars reimported to the United Kingdom from other EEC countries compared with the recommended retail price charged for the same cars sold in the United Kingdom without having been reimported;

  (2) if he will refer to the Director General of Fair Trading the differences in retail prices charged for cars imported into the United Kingdom from other EEC countries compared with those charged for the same cars elsewhere in the Community.

  Mr. Peter Rees:
  I have no plans at present to refer these prices to the Director General of Fair Trading for investigation under section 13 of the Competition Act 1980.

  Mr. Grist
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade why new British-made cars are sold cheaper in other countries of the EEC than in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Rees:
  Car prices in particular markets are essentially a matter for the commercial judgment of the companies concerned. I should be concerned if there were any evidence of unfair trading practices lying behind price differentials. International comparisons are always subject to the exchange rates, which can change markedly.

  Mr. Grist
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether the prices of British car exports to the European Economic Community have led any other member country to make representations on the basis of dumping.

  Mr. Peter Rees:
  I am not aware of any such representations.

  Printing Equipment (Imports)
  Mr. Proctor
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the cost of equipment imported for the United Kingdom printing industry.
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  Mr. Peter Rees:
  I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

  Commercial Road Vehicles (Non-tariff Barriers)
  Mr. Grist
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade what non-tariff barriers are placed in the way of imports and reimports of commercial road vehicles to the United Kingdom from other EEC countries: and to what extent these barriers relate to the prices to be charged in the United Kingdom market.

  Mr. Peter Rees:
  National type approval for commercial vehicles, which is shortly to be introduced, is intended to improve road safety standards. The Government are looking towards the harmonisation of all vehicle regulations within the Community. It is not clear whether remaining differences between standards for commercial vehicles in individual European Community countries have a bearing on prices in force.

  British Ships (Registration)
  Mr. Adley
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress has been made on the review of the legislation relating to the registration of British ships.

  Mr. Sproat:
  A consultative document was issued on 5 October 1981. A copy of that document is available in the Library.

  Exports (Sudan)
  Mr. Lyell
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has received concerning risks to the continuance of the export trade by United Kingdom pharmaceutical manufacturers and other export trades to the Sudan as a result of the proposed withdrawal by the Export Credits Guarantee Department of cover other than in cases where business is covered by confirmed irrevocable letter of credit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Rees:
  I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisoners (Escapes)
  Dr. Summerskill
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted prisoners have escaped from (i) police and (ii) prison custody during 1980 and 1981.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  The information in respect of escapes from police custody is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. As to the escapes from prison custody, the information is not readily available in precisely the form requested, but figures for the total number of prisoners who escaped during 1980 and the first nine months of 1981 are given in the following table.

  1980

  1981

  Escapes from

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Closed establishments for adults or young prisoners

  74

  —

  49

  1

  Open establishments for adults or young prisoners

  385

  88

  263

  31

  Closed establishments for young offenders

  105

  —

  79

  —

  Open establishments for young offenders

  1,095

  53

  728

  5

  Escapes from escorts and supervised working parties

  108

  5

  135

  2

  The figures include absconding from open establishments and from supervised working parties.

  Prisoners (Sentence Statistics)
  Mr. Knox
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of persons at present serving prison sentences of (a) up to 6 months, (b) 6 to 12 months, (c) 1 to 3 years, (d) 3 to 10 years, (e) 10 to 20 years and (f) 20 to 30 years.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  The information requested is given in the following table:

  Population of persons under sentence* of imprisonment in prison department establishments in England and Wales on 31 August 1981: by length of sentence

  Length of sentence

  Estimated number of persons†

  Up to and including 6 months

  5,500

  Over 6 months up to and including 12 months

  4,500

  Over 12 months up to and including 3 years

  10,900

  Over 3 years up to and including 10 years

  5,600

  Over 10 years up to and including 20 years

  400

  Over 20 years up to and including 30 years

  **

  Over 30 years‡

  1,700

  Total

  28,500

  * Includes persons imprisoned in default of payment of a fine; excludes those sentenced to borstal training or given a detention center order.

  † Rounded estimates. Components do not add to the total because they have been rounded independently.

  ‡ Including life sentences and those prisoners detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure.

  ** About 10 people only in this group.

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  Mr. Proctor
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons are in prison having committed offences which involve fraud in claiming supplementary benefit or other abuses; and what is the cost of these persons' imprisonment.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  The information collected centrally does not distinguish between different types of offences of fraud. The numbers in prison department establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1980 who had been sentenced for offences of fraud is published in table 1.5 of "Prison statistics, England and Wales", Cmnd. 8372. Information on the average cost of maintaining an inmate in custody in the financial year 1979–80 is published in paragraphs 101–2 and appendix No. 6 of the "Report on the work of Prison Department 1980", Cmnd. 8228; average costs are not available separately for different categories of prisoner.

  Local Authorities (Emergency Planning Staff)
  Mr. Pawsey
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which, if any, local authorities have increased their emergency planning staff and by how many as a result of the increased funding now made available.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  During the current financial year approval has so far been given for the following increases in local authority emergency planning staff:

  Local Authority

  Additional No. of Staff

  Bedfordshire

  3

  Berkshire

  1

  Cheshire

  4

  Cornwall

  4

  Derbyshire

  6

  Devon

  3

  Dorset

  3

  GLC

  8

  Hampshire

  1

  Hertfordshire

  5

  Humberside

  4

  Isle of Wight

  1

  Leicestershire

  3

  Lincolnshire

  4

  Greater Manchester

  5

  Merseyside

  5

  Northamptonshire

  3

  Northumberland

  2

  Shropshire

  3

  Somerset

  2

  Sussex (East)

  4

  Surrey

  5

  Wiltshire

  2

  Yorkshire (North)

  4

  Civil Defence
  Mr. Pawsey
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities have said they will not take part in civil defence exercises; and what steps he proposes to take to provide civil defence for these areas.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  Local authorities are not required to notify the Home Office if they decide not to participate in local civil defence exercises. Cleveland, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire county councils have declined to take part in "Hard Rock 82", a national civil and military home defence exercise which will take place from 29 September to 5 October 1982.
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  Failure to participate in exercises does not mean that no civil defence planning takes place in that authority.

  Glue Sniffing
  Mr. Greenway
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek powers to ban the sale of those glues which have an intoxicating effect, to all persons below the age of 18 years.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  No. My right hon. Friend considers that the disadvantages of such a course, including the possibility of the users turning towards even more dangerous substances, outweigh any advantage there might be.

  Prisoners (Clothing)
  Mr. Grist
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether prisoners in prisons in Great Britain will be permitted to wear their own clothes.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  Remand prisoners and female prisoners in England and Wales are allowed to wear their own clothes. There are no plans to extend these arrangements.

  Exorcism and Black Magic
  Mr. Cartwright
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will seek powers to regulate the activities of organisations or individuals claiming to offer an exorcism service to the public;

  (2) if he will seek powers to control the activities of organisations or individuals seeking to involve members of the public in black magic or witchcraft.

  Mr. Raison:
  We have received no recent representations about the practices referred to by the hon. Member and are not aware of any evidence that would justify the introduction of legislation of the kind he envisages.

  Prisoners (Suicides)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East, Official Report, 28 July, column 388, if he is yet able to make a statement on changes in the guidance issued to prison staff about suicides and attempted suicides.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  A circular instruction was issued to staff in August. A copy is in the Library of the House and I sent the hon. Member a copy on 4 September.

  Police and Fire Services (Pay)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the current salaries for (a) a police recruit and (b) an 18 year-old in the fire service; and how this compares with each of the last three years.

  Mr. Whitelaw:
  I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Data Protection
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had calling for an independent data protection authority; and what is his policy towards the setting up of such an authority.

  Mr. Whitelaw:
  I announced the Government's proposals for legislation on data protection in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr.
  356
  Proctor) on 19 March. I have since received a number of representations in favour of the establishment of a data protection authority. I hope shortly to be in a position to publish a White Paper setting out the Government's proposals in more detail.

  Prisoners (Statistics)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to collect detailed statistics about the ethnic origins of people in prison; if so, for what purpose and to what use they will be put; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  Subject to a satisfactory outcome of a feasibility study to be carried out shortly, my right hon. Friend hopes to start in 1982 the central collection of information on the ethnic origins of those received into Prison Department establishments. This would make it possible for example to assess the implications for the regimes of the various establishments of the ethnic origins of prisoners.

  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details about the proportion of prisoners from ethnic minorities currently in each prison in England and Wales.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  This information is not at present collected centrally.

  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison at the latest available date; and how many he estimates will be in prison in April 1982.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  The number of inmates in prison department establishments in England and Wales on 23 October was about 44,000. The latest available projections, which were made at the end of 1980 and do not take account of changes in policy or practice since 1980, were given in reply to the hon. Member for Bolton, East (Mr. Young) on 23 July.—[Vol. 9, c. 206.] It is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the population to be expected in April 1982 or any other specific date.

  Young Offender System (Black Persons)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to publish his study on black people in the young offender system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  The report of a study on ethnic minorities in borstals is currently being prepared for printing and we hope that copies will be available through the Home Office library by the end of the year.

  Parole
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will instruct the Parole Board to give its reasons for refusal to grant parole; and if he will introduce opportunities for prisoners to appeal against refusal.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  No. My right hon. Friend agrees with the Parole Board that the giving of reasons would be incompatible with the present parole scheme. I would refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 72 to 81 and apprendix M in the "Review of Parole in England and Wales" published by the Home Office in May.
  357
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any new proposals to extend parole to prisoners on shorter sentences.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  The review of parole made clear the difficulties in the way of applying parole as such to those serving shorter sentences, and for this reason canvassed an alternative possibility.

  Sentencing Policy
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the evidence available to him indicates that longer sentences are more effective in reducing further offences than short ones.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  The available evidence does not suggest that longer sentences are more effective in reducing reoffending than shorter sentences.

  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to reduce the number of offenders sentenced to imprisonment and the length of sentences.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  As I made clear during Question Time on 22 October we are considering measures designed to reduce the prison population by reinforcing the move towards shorter sentences, information on which is to be found in chapter 7 of "Criminal Statistics for England and Wales 1980" Cmnd. 8367.

  Short-term Prisoners
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce automatic release on licence for short-term prisoners.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  We are considering the comments we have received to the proposal for a scheme on these lines canvassed in the review of parole earlier this year.

  Amusement machines
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to control the introduction of prizes machines into specified premises and to prohibit amusement arcades in certain areas where local authorities consider these to be detrimental to the interests of the area and its inhabitants.

  Mr. Whitelaw:
  Local authorities already have power under the Gaming Act 1968 to refuse to grant or renew permits for amusements with prizes machines in specified classes of premises. This power does not extend to premises used wholly or mainly for the provision of amusements, but under the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 local authorities have power in certain circumstances to refuse to grant or renew permits for such places. I have no present plans for changes in the law in this area.

  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to regulate the installation and use of electronic amusement machines in premises open to the public.

  Mr. Whitelaw
  Electronic amusement machines which do not give prizes do not fall within the ambit of the gaming laws. I do not consider that it would be appropriate to extend this legislation outside the field of gambling.

  Drugs
  Mr. Charles R. Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of people registered as drug addicts for the years 1978, 1979 and 1980.

  Mr. Whitelaw:
  The numbers of narcotic drug addicts known to the Home Office are published in Home Office statistical bulletin 15/81, "Statistics of the misuse of drugs in the United Kingdom, 1980". There were 2,402, 2,666 and 2,846 respectively at 31 December 1978, 1979 and 1980.

  Mr. Charles R. Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage increase in known drug abuse in the Greater Manchester area for the years 1978, 1979 and 1980.

  Mr. Whitelaw:
  I shall write to the right hon. Member.

  Mr. Charles R. Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were found guilty of offences involving controlled drugs in the years 1978, 1979 and 1980.

  Mr. Whitelaw:
  The number of persons found guilty of offences involving controlled drugs are published in Home Office statistical bulletin, 15/81, "Statistics of the misuse of drugs in the United Kingdom, 1980". There were 13,394, 14,054 and 16,919 respectively in the years 1978, 1979 and 1980.

  Mr. Charles R. Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the figures for deaths from drug addiction during the years 1978, 1979 and 1980.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  I have been asked to reply.

  The numbers of deaths assigned to drug dependence (International Classification of Diseases [ICD] No. 304) in England and Wales were as follows:

  1978

  106

  1979

  111

  1980

  89

  A revision of the ICD operated from 1979 and, consequently, the 1979 and 1980 figures are not strictly comparable with 1978. Indications are that they are ten per cent. lower because of the classification change.

  Heroin
  Mr. Charles R. Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many kilogrammes of heroin were seized by Customs officials during the years 1978, 1979 and 1980.

  Mr. Whitelaw:
  The quantities of heroin seized by officers of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise during the years 1978, 1979 and 1980 were 59kg, 43kg and 36kg respectively.

  Criminal Law Act 1977 (Sentencing)
  Mr. Dubs
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the effect on the prison population of the implementation of section 47 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

  Mr. Mayhew:
  The effect of bringing into force section 47 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 depends on the extent to which courts impose partly suspended sentences as an

  359
  alternative to immediate imprisonment rather than fully suspended sentences of imprisonment or non-custodial penalties. On the most favourable assumptions the effect could be a reduction in the prison population of up to 4,000.

INDUSTRY

  Carpet Industry (Financial Support)
  Mr. Bulmer
  asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much money has been given by his Department in

  Section 7: Offers of regional selective assistance

  Section 8: Offers of selective financial assistance

  Number of offers

  Assistance offered £'000

  Number of offers

  Assistance offered £'00

  North-West

  1

  131

  —

  —

  North-West

  12

  990

  11

  46

  Yorkshire-Hmberside

  12

  1,177

  10

  18

  South-West

  —

  —

  4

  30

  London and South-East

  —

  —

  1

  240

  Wales

  *3

  *1,006

  —

  —

  Scotland

  *

  *

  7

  18

  *28

  *3,304

  33

  352

  * Assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act to companies in Wales and Scotland is the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for Wales and Scotland respectively.

  Details of Scottish assistance are given in the answer to the question answered by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, the Member for Edinburgh, North (Mr. Fletcher).

  Information relating to regional development grants given to companies in the carpet industry is not readily available and cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.

  Industry Act 1972 (Assistance)
  Mr. Mason
  asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the number of applications for Industry Act 1972 section 7 assistance received by his Department from the Barnsley borough council area in 1979, 1980 and 1981, the sums of money involved with each successful application and the dates on which the payments were made.

  Mr. MacGregor:
  Information on individual offers of selective financial assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 is treated as commercially confidential until the first payment of grant is made when details are published in "British Business" in accordance with arrangements announced by the then Secretary of State for Industry on 31 July 1974. Payments are made singly or in tranches over several years.

  The total number of application and the value of offers in the Barnsley travel to work area—the nearest definable area for which information is available—were as follows:
  360
  financial support to the carpet industry since 1 January 1975; what form this assistance has taken and under which schemes it has been given; and if he will divide the amounts to show how much has been spent in (a) the North of England, (b) the South of England, (c) the West Midlands, (d) Wales and (e) Scotland.

  Mr. MacGregor:
  Selective financial assistance in the form of grants has been made available to companies in the carpet industry under sections 7 and 8 of the Industry Act 1972 for the period 1 January 1975 to 31 August 1981 as follows:

  Number of Applications

  Value of Offers £million

  1979

  9 (8 successful, 1 withdrawn

  1.6

  1980

  1 (withdrawn)

  —

  1981–31 August

  2 (under consideration)

  —

  Loan Guarantee Scheme
  Mr. Beith
  asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make arrangements to ensure that his Department is informed of the total number of applications for the loan guarantee scheme received, and refused by the banks concerned.

  Mr. MacGregor:
  No. A key part of the scheme is that the lending appraisal and the decision to lend are taken by the banks in each case. The scheme enables the banks to grant loans which would not have been given in the absence of the scheme, but the reasons for a refusal are a matter for them.

  Cars (Prices)
  Mr. Grist
  asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will take steps to ensure that British car consumers pay prices comparable to those paid by other EEC consumers for the same make and model of car.

  Mr. Wakeham:
  No. Car prices in particular markets are a matter for the commercial judgment of the companies concerned.

  Steel
  Mr. Allen McKay
  asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total import of steel each year from 1977 to date, by category and tonnage; from which country the steel was imported by category and tonnage; and what is his estimate of job loss in the steel industry caused by steel imports.

  Mr. Wakeham:
  A summary analysis giving annual information in respect of 21 finished steel products and 42 countries or groups of countries is prepared by the Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau—ISSB—from the detailed overseas trade statistics. The information is given in the appropriate ISSB publication "Iron and Steel Industry: Annual Statistics for the United Kingdom", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  On the final part of the question, the information requested is not available.

  Liverpool-Belfast Ferry
  Mr. Parry
  asked the Secretary of State for Industry what representations he has received concerning the proposed closure of the Liverpool to Belfast ferry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [pursuant to his reply, 27 October 1981]: My right hon. Friend has received one letter from an hon. Member, which has been transferred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, as he has responsibility for this matter.

SCOTLAND

  Unemployed Persons
  Mr. Gregor MacKenzie
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the percentage figures for male and female unemployed in the Glasgow travel-to-work area as at June 1979 and similar information for the latest convenient date.

  Mr. Younger:
  The information is set out in the following table:

  Percentage rate of registered unemployed in the Glasgow travel-to-work area

  Males

  Females

  June 1979

  11.0

  6.5

  October 1981

  19.9

  10.8

  Note: Figures are not seasonally adjusted.

  Mr. Gregor MacKenzie
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many men, women and young persons were registered as unemployed in Rutherglen and Cambuslang, respectively, in June 1979; what are the comparable figures in these two areas at the latest convenient date; and how many of the three groups have been unemployed for more than six months.

  Mr. Younger:
  Information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table gives the number of males and females registered as unemployed in Rutherglen and Cambuslang in June 1979 and October 1981.
  362

  Rutherglen

  Cambuslang

  June 1979

  October 1981

  June 1979

  October 1981

  Males

  2,471

  4,981

  693

  1,368

  Females

  1,075

  2,061

  289

  609

  The following table gives details of unemployment analysed by age and duration in July 1979, the nearest date to June 1979 for which information is available, and in July 1981, the latest date for which information is available.

  Rutherglen

  Cambuslang

  Total Unemployed

  Unemployed for 6 months or more

  Total Unemployed

  Unemployed for 6 months or more

  July 1979

  Adult Males

  2,096

  1,088

  612

  349

  Adult Females

  843

  347

  256

  71

  Young Persons (Under 18)

  256

  63

  340

  21

  July 1981

  Adult Males

  4,316

  2,736

  1,238

  819

  Adult Females

  1,679

  858

  554

  296

  Young Persons (Under 18)

  380

  110

  315

  26

  Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries
  Mr. George Robertson
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (l) how many organisations were invited to submit views on the consultation on the review of the present law and administration on salmon and freshwater fisheries; and how many of them were in the categories of salmon fishing and freshwater angling;

  (2) when he expects to complete his consultation on the review of the present law and administration in salmon and freshwater fisheries; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) how many representations he has received on his consultative document on the review on the present law and administration of freshwater fisheries; from whom they have been received; and what has been the balance of views.

  Mr. Younger:
  The Government's intention to review the administration of and legislation on salmon and freshwater fisheries was announced in November 1979. A consultation paper was issued in December 1979 to bodies in Scotland with either a direct or indirect interest in salmon and freshwater fisheries. The review has not been rushed and it has been made quite clear that anyone with an interest in the subject matter could offer comments. The document has received a good deal of interest in fishery and angling circles and has been made freely available to anyone who asked for a copy.

  I have so far received 54 written comments from national, regional and district organisations, local clubs and individuals representing a comprehensive range of those concerned with salmon and freshwater fish or related matters.

  The review is not yet complete, but it has revealed widely differing views. Some have broadly endorsed the proposals for change though in some cases subject to a number of qualifications—for example, on the number and composition of area boards. Others, notably a number of

  363
  the freshwater and angling interests, have indicated strong resistance to the concept of both area boards and rod licences.

DEFENCE

  Combat Aircraft
  Mrs. Knight
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he estimates that her Majesty's Government and the Governments of France and West Germany will be able to work out common specifications for the future combat aircraft; whether an agreement on the specifications of this aircraft is imminent; and whether the extension of European co-operation to other types of aircraft, including helicopters and a transport aircraft, is being considered.

  Mr. Pattie:
  We are continuing discussions with potential partners on future combat aircraft, but it is too early to say what the outcome will be. Opportunities for European collaboration on future weapon systems, including helicopters and, in the much longer term, for transport aircraft, are under constant review.

  Missile Siting
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement regarding his discussions with his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation colleagues on the siting of United States missiles in Europe.

  Mr. Nott:
  At the meeting of the NATO nuclear planning group at Gleneagles on 20 and 21 October, Ministers noted with concern that the imbalance in favour of the Soviet Union in long-range theatre nuclear forces has not only continued but worsened. Against this background they emphasised that NATO will continue to move ahead with the December 1979 two-track decision to modernise the Alliance's long-range theatre nuclear forces while seeking arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union on theatre nuclear forces. The full text of the final communiqué has been placed in the Library of the House.

  United Arab Emirates (Aircraft Sales)
  Sir Timothy Kitson
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the sale of 30 British Aerospace Hawks to the United Arab Emirates announced by the Prime Minister on 23 April 1981; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Pattie:
  Negotiations continue on the detail of the contract.

  Commissioned Officers (Social Representation)
  Mr. Gwilym Roberts
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what study he has made of the evidence supplied
  364
  to him indicating 82 per cent. of officers passing out from Sandhurst come from independent schools and over 34 per cent. from 14 particular public schools; if he will take steps to ensure that commissioned officers in the Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force are more socially representative; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wiggin:
  No such evidence has been supplied to me. Applications for commissions are encouraged from suitable candidates from schools of all types and acceptance depends entirely upon their ability to meet the high standards of an officer. No distinction is made between applicants from the State and independent sectors.

  Western European Union
  Mrs. Knight
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that the present structure of West European Union meets the requirements of the modified Brussels Treaty; or, if not, whether any adaptation to new requirements is proposed.

  Mr. Humphrey Atkins:
  I have been asked to reply.

  Her Majesty's Government continue to attach importance to Western European Union and have no plans to seek amendment of the modified Brussels Treaty. The Government have, however, noted the Assembly's view, as expressed in its recommendation 365, that resources of the individual organs of Western European Union should be redeployed to adapt the latter to present conditions, and are giving careful consideration to this recommendation.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Scottish Universities (Statistics)
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of academic staff posts in Scottish universities are held by women; and what is the corresponding percentage for heads of department.

  Mr. Waldegrave:
  In 1979–80, the latest year for which figures are available, 9.6 per cent. of academic staff posts—comprising professors, readers, lecturers and assistant lecturers and others—in Scottish universities were held by women. No comparable information exists in respect of heads of departments. However 1.8 per cent. of professors in Scottish universities were women.

  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the numbers of both men and women (a) applying for and (b) accepting places at Scottish universities in each of the past five years; and if he will express these figures in percentage terms.

  Mr. Waldegrave:
  The numbers of United Kingdom domiciled men and women applying for and being accepted for places at Scottish universities through the Universities Central Council on Admissions in each of the past five years, are shown in the following table:

  Applicants

  Acceptances

  Per cent.

  Applicants

  Acceptances

  Per cent.

  1976–77

  7,503

  3,365

  44.8

  5,082

  2,374

  46.7

  1977–78

  7,862

  3,653

  46.5

  5,256

  2,545

  48.4

  1978–79

  7,419

  3,697

  49.8

  4,926

  2,654

  53.9

  1979–80

  7,466

  3,659

  49.0

  5,412

  2,643

  48.8

  1980–81

  7,841

  3,816

  48.7

  5,860

  2,886

  49.2

  365
  The figures do not cover all home applications or acceptances as some Scottish universities do not participate fully in the UCCA scheme.

  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide a percentage breakdown by sex of the number of postgraduates at Scottish universities in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Waldegrave:
  The information in the following table relates to all postgraduates, both full and part-time, at Scottish universities:

  Men Per cent.

  Women Per cent

  Total number

  1976–77

  75

  25

  7,782

  1977–78

  75

  25

  7,816

  1978–79

  74

  26

  7,848

  1979–80

  73

  27

  7,680

  1980–81

  72

  28

  7,842

  Computing Science
  Mr. Beith
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students were admitted to the departments of computing science in the British universities in (a) 1980 and (b) 1981; and how many students studied or will study computing science as a subsidiary subject in British universities in (a) 1980 and (b)

  Mr. Waldegrave:
  In the academic year 1980–81, the latest year for which figures are available, 1,912 students were admitted to courses in computer science in United Kingdom universities. No information is available on numbers of students taking computing science as a subsidiary subject.

  University Graduates
  Mr. Knox
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of university graduates in the United Kingdom found first-time employment in industry in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many in the previous five years.

  Mr. Waldegrave:
  For graduates of United Kingdom universities in the academic year 1979–80, 27 per cent. of first degree, and 10 per cent. of higher degree graduates were known to have found permanent home employment in industry and commerce by 31 December 1980. These graduates made up 61 per cent. and 39 per cent. respectively of all who entered permanent home employment. Other graduates may take up further education or training, return to their home country overseas, enter temporary employment or be unemployed. Information for earlier years may be found in the annual publication of the University Grants Committee "Details of First Destinations of University Graduates", copies of which are in the Library.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Russell Johnston
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what rate of reduction in staffing in his Department is proposed for the three years August 1981 to August 1984.

  Sir Keith Joseph:
  The manpower target for the Department of Education and Science for 1 April 1984 is
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  2,230 staff in post. No further reduction has been planned for beyond that date. The number of staff in post on 1 August was 2,521.

  School Leavers (International Comparisons)
  Mr. Colvin
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing the percentage of 18-year-olds in higher education in the latest year for which figures are available for the following countries: Sweden, the United States of America, Japan, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, West Germany, and the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Waldegrave:
  The following table shows the percentage of 18-year-olds in higher education in 1976—the latest available year—in the selected countries, as published by the OECD in "Education Statistics in OECD Countries, 1981". Differences in the usual age at which young people enter higher education and the educational systems of the countries underlie the wide range of ratios shown.

  per cent.

  Sweden

  0.3*

  United States of America

  32.2††

  Japan

  40.1

  Belgium

  not available

  France

  10.9†

  Italy

  4.4*‡

  Netherlands

  6.0**

  West Germany

  1.0

  United Kingdom

  7.3††

  * 1975

  † Excludes agricultural education

  ‡ Universities only

  ** Non-universities only

  †† Full-time and part-time

  Schools Council
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total cost to public funds per annum of the Schools Council.

  Dr. Boyson:
  In 1980–81, the Schools Council received £1,677,000 as a grant in aid from the Department of Education and Science. It also received £1,615,000 from the local authorities, paid as a deduction from rate support grant under the terms of section 56(9) of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the members of the Schools Council and their respective salaries.

  Dr. Boyson:
  The chairman of the Schools Council and members of its various committees are listed in the council's annual report, which is available in the Library. None receives a salary in respect of service with the Schools Council.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the reports that have been issued by the Schools Council; and what action has been taken as a result.

  Dr. Boyson:
  The Schools Council's annual reports list the many reports which have been issued by the council or on its behalf. The findings of a study on the impact of

  367
  the council's work form an appendix to the recently published report on the review of the Schools Council by Mrs. N. K. Trenaman.

  British School of Osteopathy
  Mr. Grist
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to recognise the qualifications of the British School of Osteopathy for the purpose of making possible local authority discretionary student grants.

  Mr. Waldegrave:
  It is already possible for local education authorities to make discretionary grants to students on courses provided by the British School of Osteopathy, but I cannot at present reconsider the designation of such courses for mandatory awards purposes.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Constant Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Knox
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people currently receive constant attendance allowance.

  Mr. Rossi:
  There were about 8,400 recipients of constant attendance allowance under the war pensions and industrial injuries schemes on 30 September 1979. My hon. Friend may have in mind also the attendance allowance under the general scheme in respect of which the most recent estimate is that there were 295,000 people in receipt of it on 30 September 1980.

  One-Parent Families
  Mr. Pendry
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde, Official Report, 28 November 1980, columns 297–98, he will provide more details of his Department's working calculations of the 900,000 one-parent families in Great Britain, including breakdowns of one-parent families created in the following ways (a) single parenthood, (b) death of a parent, (c) separation and (d) imprisonment of a parent, giving features for the female and male heads of households and dependent children involved in each category.

  Mrs. Chalker:
  I refer the hon. Member to the latest available estimates (referring to mid-1979) of the number of one-parent families by marital status, given in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington (Sir B. Rhys Williams) on 23 July 1981—[Vol. 9, c. 224–225].

  I would also refer to the final table in my reply to the hon. Member for Barking (Miss Richardson) on 23 July 1981 —[Vol. 9, c. 221–224] giving the average numbers of dependent children in one-parent families according to the marital status of the parent. These figures are based on analyses of general household survey data for the years 1978–80.

  Families in which the parents are separated by temporary cirmcustances (such as imprisonment) are not included in the OPCS estimates for numbers of one-parent families.

  Retirement Pensioners (Earnings Rule)
  Mr Proctor
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost to the Exchequer of abolishing the earnings rule for retirement pensioners.

  Mr. Rossi:
  The last estimate, made in August 1980, was that the net cost to public funds was about £45 million—at 1979 prices. I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Rochester and Chatham (Mrs. Fenner) on 7 August 1980—[Vol. 990, c. 283]. A new estimate on the most up-to-date assumptions is in the course of preparation and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available.

  Social Security Benefits
  Mr. Ray Powell
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to exclude social security benefits from any further reduction in Government expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rossi:
  The Government will continue to review the future level of expenditure on social security, along with all other public expenditure programmes, in the light of the prevailing economic circumstances.

  Rickets and Osteomalacia (Asian Community)
  Mr. Alton
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the recrudescence of rickets and osteomalacia within the Asian community and take measures to publicise the dangers of vitamin D deficiency.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  Rickets and osteomalacia among the general population were virtually eradicated in this country in the 1940s and 1950s. The present occurrence of these diseases in Britain is largely confined to relatively small and well defined groups of the population, namely women and children of Asian origin, and the elderly (of all races) who are confined indoors. A health education campaign to combat these diseases in the Asian community was launched nationally in February this year. The campaign which publicises the importance of exposure to sunlight, a balanced diet, and the use of vitamin D supplements in "at risk" groups, has been promoted by the DHSS in partnership with representatives from Asian organisations and the Save the Children Fund, and relies on close collaboration between health authorities and local Asian communities. The local campaign in Merseyside is due to be launched on 1 November and I wish it every success.

  Chase Hospital, Cannock
  Mr. Gwilym Roberts
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will study the problems at the Chase hospital, Cannock, created by a pooled system of clothing for many geriatric long-term patients; if he will take steps to ensure that patients have individual clothing; if he will ensure that similar systems of pooling clothes are not used in other hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  The Department has encouraged health authorities to provide a personal clothing service for patients in long-stay hospitals although, of course, it is for individual authorities to decide how and when to introduce such a service, bearing

  369
  in mind local priorities. I understand that the Staffordshire area health authority plans to open a laundrette at the Chase hospital, Cannock, in the very near future and that a full personal clothing service will be developed there as soon as staff are available.

  Byssinosis
  Mr. James Lamond
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cotton workers or former cotton workers are in receipt of disablement benefit for byssinosis.

  Mr. Rossi:
  At 30 September 1979, the latest date for which information is available, there were 3,070 people receiving industrial injuries disablement pension for byssinosis.

  Supplementary Benefit (Fraudulent Claims)
  Mr. Hooley
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley, Official Report, 1 June 1981, c. 257, if he will tabulate the benefit irregularities found in the 507 cases of single mothers investigated in the special inquiry in one region between February 1980 and February 1981; and how many of these cases led to withdrawal of benefit or prosecution.

  Mrs. Chalker:
  Records were not maintained to show the nature of the irregularities brought to light in the 507 cases in question. It is known that the majority related to women who, although claiming benefit as single mothers living alone, were not in fact in this category, but were living either with legal husbands or as the wives of other men. Most, if not all, other irregularities were connected with undisclosed work.

  In 421 of the cases, benefit was either terminated or reduced. In the remainder, it was found that benefit had been withdrawn improperly, but the irregularity had terminated and the women were currently entitled to benefit.

  The number of prosecutions arising from these cases, if any, is not known.

  Warrington General Hospital
  Mr. Hoyle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when he expects the ophthalmic ward at Warrington general hospital to be opened;

  what was the estimated budget required for fully utilising Warrington general hospital when it opened; how many staff were required overall; what was the staffing and the numbers required in each category; what is the present staffing in each category; and what will be the staffing in each category when the proposed cuts have taken place;

  what is the reduction in the budget at Warrington general hospital; what staff cuts this will involve; what is the reduction in the nursing services budget at Warrington general hospital; and what reduction in the number of nurses this will involve;

  what effect the reduction in staff will have on ward staffing at Warrington general hospital; whether the closure of any wards is proposed; and what will be the effect on services offered to the public;

  370

  whether there are any plans to deploy staff made redundant at Warrington general hospital in any other sector of the National Health Service; and, if so, where.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  This information is not held centrally. It is held by the Cheshire area health authority, which has been asked to contact the hon. Member direct.

  Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis
  Mr. Wigley
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an assurance that any change in the definition of industrial disease to include emphysema and chronic bronchitis, when contracted by persons employed in coal mining, will be extended to include those similarly suffering as a result of working as slate quarrymen.

  Mr. Rossi:
  I have no plans to add emphysema or chronic bronchitis to the schedule of diseases prescribed for industrial injuries purposes.

  Industrial Deafness
  Mr. Welsh
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims his Department has received for industrial deafness; and how many were successful from 1979–80, 1980–81 and from 1981 to the present.

  Mr. Rossi:
  The information requested is set out in the table below. The occupational deafness scheme was amended on 3 September 1979. The periods selected show the situation since then.

  Period

  Claims made

  Claims allowed

  12 months ending 2 September 1980

  5,253

  838

  12 months ending 1 September 1981

  4,931

  943

  2 September 1981 to 29 September 1981

  327

  69

  Social Security Assistance
  Mrs. Knight
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what rules operate for social security assistance to British citizens arriving in the United Kingdom who possess assets which are frozen in another country and therefore not available to support them.

  Mrs. Chalker:
  The rules regarding the treatment of resources of British citizens arriving in the United Kingdom are the same as those for people who are ordinarily resident in this country. Assets which they possess which are frozen in another country and not therefore available to them would not be taken into account in determining supplementary benefit entitlement. Decisions on individual claims are of course the responsibility of the independent adjudicating authorities, the supplementary benefit officer in the first instance. If my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind and would like to let me have the details, I should be pleased to arrange for it to be looked into.

  Public Service Employees (Pay)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which groups of public service employees will not necessarily be subject to the 4 per cent. pay norm in the coming pay round.

  Mr. Fowler:
  As was made clear in my right hon. and learned Friend's statement on 15 September, the pay and

  371
  prices factors mentioned in the statement provide a framework for further ministerial decisions to be taken later.

  Invalidity Pensions (Married Women)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 6 July, Official Report, c. 32, if the review of the household duties test for non-contributory invalidity pension for married women is yet complete; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rossi:
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield and Tamworth (Mr. Heddle), on 26 October 1981.

  Dental Therapists
  Mr. George Cunningham
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what recommendations concerning the future of the dental therapists service were made by the Court report of 1976, the Royal Commission of 1979 and the Nuffield report of 1980.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  The Court report recommended the establishment in the provinces of two new training schools, similar in size and approach to the School for Dental Auxiliaries, New Cross.

  The Royal Commission on the National Health Service endorsed the recommendation of the Court committee for an expansion of training facilities for dental auxiliaries.

  The Nuffield report made no specific recommendation on dental therapists but anticipated that changes in their duties would occur to permit them to become even more useful members of the dental team in all branches of the dental services, playing a part in providing routine care for adults as well as children.

  Basic Salary Scales—related to a 37½ hour week from 1 April 1980, and to a 40 hour week prior to that date.

  Incremental Points

  Grade and Operative date

  Min

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  Staff Nurse

  1 April 1978

  2,775

  2,906

  2,969

  3,142

  3.265

  3,385

  —

  1 April 1979

  3,020

  3,151

  3,285

  3,418

  3,552

  3,683

  —

  1 April 1980

  4,198

  4,382

  4,566

  4,751

  4,935

  5,119

  —

  1 April 1981

  4,450

  4,645

  4,840

  5,036

  5,231

  5,426

  —

  State Enrolled Nurse

  1 April 1978

  2,500

  2,587

  2,671

  2,758

  2,845

  2,932

  3,016

  1 April 1979

  2,720

  2,815

  2,909

  3,001

  3,095

  3,190

  3,281

  1 April 1980

  3,781

  3,911

  4,041

  4,171

  4,301

  4,431

  4,561

  1 April 1981

  4,008

  4,146

  4,283

  4,421

  4,559

  4,697

  4,835

  Nursing Auxiliary

  1 April 1978

  2,209

  2,272

  2,332

  2,395

  2,458

  2,521

  2,584

  1 April 1979

  2,403

  2,472

  2,540

  2,609

  2,678

  2,746

  2,811

  1 April 1980

  2,965

  3,097

  3,230

  3,362

  3,494

  3,626

  3,790

  1 April 1981

  3,143

  3,283

  3,424

  3,564

  3,704

  3,844

  4,017

  Benefits
  Mr. Rooker
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the letter sent to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr by the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for
  372
  Mr. George Cunningham
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what indications have been given concerning the possible date for closure of New Cross school for dental therapists.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  No decision has been taken on the recommendation of the Dental Strategy Review Group that the school for dental therapists should be closed.

  Mr. George Cunningham
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why so little time has been allowed for comments on the proposal in the Dental Strategy Review Group report circulated last month concerning the closure of New Cross school for dental therapists; and if he will give an assurance that no final decision will be taken on this matter until responses to the report have been circulated to interested hon. Members and to the Select Committee on Social Services.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  Comments were requested by the end of October in order that they could be taken into consideration before recruitment started for an intake of students in 1982. Numerous letters are being received and I expect to reach a decision on closure before the end of the year since there would be serious disadvantage in prolonging the period of uncertainty.

  Nurses (Pay)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current salary of (a) a staff nurse, (b) a State enrolled nurse and (c) an auxiliary nurse; and how this compares with each of the last three years.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  The information requested is shown in the table below. It should be noted that the figures quoted relate to basic salary scales and do not include such allowances as payment for work done during unsocial hours.

  Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker), dated 8 April 1981 about the Prime Minister's pledge on shortfall of social security benefits; and what percentage of the social security budget is made up by the various benefits itemised in the letter before and after the uprating due on 23 November.
  373
  Mrs. Chalker:
  The text of my letter of 8 April 1981 is set out below. The benefits to which it refers account for 63 per cent. of expenditure on social security benefits in 1981–82 and this percentage is not changed by the uprating on 23 November.
  "In the Standing Committee on 26 March I undertook to write to you about the social security benefits covered by the Prime Minister's pledge on shortfall (Standing Committee G, c. 291).This Government is committed to compensate pensioners fully for price increases over the lifetime of this Parliament. This was the pledge repeated by the Prime Minister of 25 February (Vol. 999, c. 371). Pensioners include, in addition to those receiving national insurance retirement pensions, recipients of the following benefits: Widow's pension (including widowed mothers allowance and widow's allowance); industrial death benefit paid by way of a widow's or widower's pension; war disablement pension and industrial injury disablement pension; war widow's pension; attendance allowance, invalid care allowance and non-contributory invalidity pension. Supplementary pension, now aligned with retirement pension, will be similarly protected.Invalidity benefit and unemployability supplement have of course had their uprating abated in 1980 but part of the abatement is to be made good at the 1981 uprating (IVA and its equivalent) and we have given an assurance that the benefits will be restored to the rate of retirement pension when they are brought into tax. The abated rates, transitionally, and the unabated rates thereafter, will be price protected.I am copying this letter to the other members who were on Standing Committee G."

  Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the requirements of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act are being met in the London borough of Croydon; what consideration he is giving, in this context, to the higher charges imposed by the council for home helps and to the proposals for further increasing the price of meals on wheels, for making the disabled pay for their bus permits and for charging elderly and disabled people for interviews with social workers; whether the higher charges for home helps are being imposed on disabled people in the borough who are in receipt of supplementary benefit; and, if so, whether any disabled person has had to cancel a home help, or has had the service withdrawn through inability to pay.

  Mr. Rossi:
  My right hon. Friend has received no representations that the London borough of Croydon is not meeting the requirements of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act. As the right hon. Member knows, local authorities have power to recover charges for services provided under Section 2 of that Act. I regret that information about the provision of service in individual cases is not held centrally.

  Ambulance Travel (Outpatients)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether revisions are to be made to the grounds on which outpatients are allowed ambulance travel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  My right hon. Friend has received the report of the National Health Service working party on patient transport services which was published by the Trent regional health authority last month. Decisions on the working party's recommendations will be taken in the light of the views of those we have consulted about the report.

  Birth and Marriage Certificates
  Mr. Speller
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce measures to allow registrars, recording details of births or marriages, to accept that the past employment of anyone may be entered even if that person currently is unemployed.

  Mr. Rossi:
  The Registrar General's instructions to registration officers require information on occupations to be recorded in birth and marriage registers in accordance with the wishes of the birth informant or the parties married. If a person is currently unemployed, registration officers are advised to ascertain the last previous occupation: they are instructed not to enter the term "unemployed".

  Overseas Visitors (Medical Charges)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will list the hospitals required to carry out pilot schemes on the introduction of charges to overseas visitors using the National Health Service.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Brent, South (Mr. Pavitt) on 26 October 1981.

  War Pensions Welfare Service
  Mr. Terry Davis
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the current reorganisation of the regional offices of the Department of Health and Social Security and the consequent reduction in their number from 12 to seven will have any effect on the war pensions welfare service.

  Mr. Rossi:
  The reorganisation of regional social security offices is basically designed to devolve more responsibility to local offices. This will have no adverse effect on the war pensioners welfare service.

  Mr. Terry Davis
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will consult war pensions committees and ex-Service organisations before making any changes in the organisation and administration of the war pensions welfare service.

  Mr. Rossi:
  The service has been in existence for over 30 years, and from time to time we look at it to ensure that it adapts to changing circumstances and makes the best use of the resources available, particularly in view of the work done for war pensioners by the war pensions committees and the voluntary organisations. We are asking the central advisory committee whether there are any changes that could be made, and of course no changes will be put in hand without the fullest consultation with all interested parties, notably the war pensions committees and the voluntary organisations.

  Drug Addicts
  Mr. Charles R. Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications were received by drug addicts for admission into rehabilitation houses; and, out of that group, how many were actually admitted during the years 1978, 1979, and 1980.

  Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:
  Rehabilitation houses for drug misusers are run by voluntary organisations and the information requested is not available centrally.

TRANSPORT

  Automotive Industry (Type Approval)
  Mr. Gordon Wilson
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has considered the need for type approval regulations in the automotive industry; and what action he will take.

  Mr. David Howell:
  A compulsory scheme of national type approval for cars has been in operation in Great Britain since 1978. I recently signed regulations which will apply similar arrangements to goods vehicles manufactured after October next year.

  Petrol (Lead Content)
  Mr. Gwilym Roberts
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to require suppliers to make available to motorists as quickly as possible a choice between lead-free and reduced-lead petrol; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Howell:
  I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 8 June 1981.—[Vol. 6, c. 56.]

EMPLOYMENT

  Postal Services (Vacancies)
  Mr. Arthur Lewis
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment what efforts are being made through the agencies of his Department to fill the 2,000 estimated vacancies within the postal services; and what has been done to secure the filling of those vacancies with unemployed persons.

  Mr. Peter Morrison:
  The Manpower Services Commission co-operates closely with the Post Office on recruitment matters. I understand that the Post Office is not aware of difficulties in filling its vacancies at present. When the Post Office notifies vacancies to the Manpower Services Commission's jobcenters and local offices they are brought rapidly to the attention of unemployed people who might be suitable.

  Employment Office Staff (Kirklees and Oldham)
  Mr. Richard Wainwright
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff were employed in each employment office within the Kirklees metropolitan district area and the Oldham metropolitan district area for each year since 1975; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Morrison:
  The number of staff employed in each jobcenter-employment office in the Kirklees metropolitan district area and the Oldham metropolitan district area for each year since 1975 is as follows:

  Jobcenter-Employment Office Staffing Levels Kirkless Metropolitan District Area

  Jobcenter-employment office

  Dewsbury

  Batley

  Spen Valley

  Huddersfield

  1 April 1975

  12

  5½

  6

  30½

  1 April 1976

  12

  5½

  7

  31½

  1 April 1977

  13

  5½

  7

  31½

  1 April 1978

  13

  5½

  7½

  32½

  1 April 1979

  14

  6½

  8

  33½

  1 April 1980

  14

  5½

  8

  31½

  1 April 1981

  16

  7

  8

  31½

  376

  Oldham Metropolitan District Area

  Jobcenter-employment office

  Oldham

  Failsworth

  Royton

  1 April 1975

  28

  6

  4½

  1 April 1976

  25

  6½

  5

  1 April 1977

  26

  6½

  5

  1 April 1978

  27

  7

  5

  1 April 1979

  26½

  7

  5

  1 April 1980

  27

  7

  5

  1 April 1981

  28

  7

  5

  Staffing levels in jobcenters and employment offices are reviewed at least annually.

  Temporary Employment Subsidy
  Mr. Cyril Smith
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average waiting time in the Manchester region between claims being received from companies for refund of temporary employment subsidy and payment being made; how many staff are employed on this work; and if there are any plans to speed up the payment of these arrears.

  Mr. Peter Morrison:
  The average time between receipt of a claim under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme and despatch of payment in the North-West region is about 12 weeks. There are 21 staff involved on the work, and new staff have recently been drafted in to help clear the backlog.

  Redundancy Payments
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average redundancy payment paid to employees in the private sector during 1980 and the comparable figure for the employees in the public sector.

  Mr. Peter Morrison:
  The information requested is not available.

  Age Statistics
  Mr. Greenway
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were of working age in each year from and including 1945.

  Mr. Peter Morrison:
  The numbers of people of working age in Great Britain in the years for which information is readily available are given in the following table below:

  Population of Working Age*, Great Britain

  millions

  1951

  31.2

  1961

  32.0

  1962

  32.4

  1963

  32.5

  1964

  32.6

  1965

  32.6

  1966

  32.6

  1967

  32.6

  1968

  32.5

  1969

  32.4

  1970

  32.4

  1971

  32.4

  1972

  32.4

  1973

  31.6

  1974

  31.7

  377

  1975

  31.7

  1976

  31.8

  1977

  32.0

  1978

  322

  1979

  32.4

  1980

  32.5

  1981

  32.7

  * Males aged 15 to 64 and females aged 15 to 59 to 1972 and those aged 16 to 64 and 16 to 59 respectively from 1973 when the school-leaving age was raised.

  Wages Inspectorate
  Mr. Ray Powell
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the Wages Inspectorates is adequately staffed to deter unscrupulous organisations from undercutting the wage rates.

  Mr. Alison:
  I regard the present level of inspection, which includes the investigation of all complaints, to be a sufficient deterrent.

  Overtime Working
  Mr. Ray Powell
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he proposes to introduce any measures to curb the amount of overtime being worked in industry to provide work for the unemployed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Morrison:
  It is for individual employers in consultation with their employees to decide whether a reduction in overtime suits their circumstances. In doing

  A precise breakdown of the applications disallowed is not available, but they include between 500 and 550 from the cotton industry, about 75 slate and about 75 pottery. Most of the remainder were applications from or in respect of

  persons not determined by a pneumoconiosis or silicosis medical board to be suffering from any of the diseases covered by the Act;

  coal miners who are covered by the National Coal Board's pneumoconiosis compensation scheme.

  The payments made under the Act by 2 October totalled £20,828,705.

  West Midlands (Statistics)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many persons aged (a) 16 to 18 years, (b) 18 to 25 years, (c) 25 to 40 years and (d) 40 to 65 years were unemployed in (i) Wolverhampton and (ii) the West Midlands at the latest available date;
  378
  so they will need to consider the consequences for efficiency and productivity as well as the effect on the number they employ.

  Hoover Ltd. (UK)
  Mr. Greenway
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to assist any work force displaced from the Perivale works of Hoover Limited (UK).

  Mr. Peter Morrison:
  I understand that the Manpower Services Commission's local jobcenter manager has already been in touch with the company about the possible closure of Hoover's Perivale factory. The Commission assures me that all its facilities will be made available to help workers currently employed there who lose their jobs.

  Pneumoconiosis (Compensation)
  Mr. James Lamond
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many applications have been received for compensation under the Pneumoconiosis, &c. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979, at the latest available date for each category of dust-induced industrial disease, both as respects the sufferers and dependants;

  (2) if he will give the numbers of claims granted, refused and pending for each category of dust-induced diseases under the Pneumoconiosis &c. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 at the latest available date, together with the total value of the compensation paid under the scheme as a whole.

  Mr. Waddington:
  Up to 2 October, a total of 5,111 applications had been received, of which 3,802 were from sufferers and 1,309 from dependants of deceased sufferers. The available breakdown of those applications is as follows:

  Payments made

  Applications outstanding

  Applications disallowed

  Sufferers

  Dependants

  Sufferers

  Dependants

  Sufferers

  Dependants

  Byssinosis (Cotton industry)

  1,792

  223

  42

  4

  Pneumoconiosis

  Slate

  386

  381

  5

  3

  Pottery

  279

  105

  33

  24

  Other

  163

  142

  9

  7

  Diffuse Mesothelima

  2

  45

  1

  —

  TOTAL

  2,622

  896

  90

  38

  1,090

  365

  (2) if he will provide a breakdown of those unemployed in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Wolverhampton by standard industrial classification at the latest convenient date.

  Mr. Peter Morrison:
  I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Industrial Training Boards
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is yet able to make a statement about the future of the industrial training boards.

  Mr. Peter Morrison:
  My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to make a statement early in the new Session.

  Health and Safety Inspectors (Overseas Secondment)
  Mr. Cryer
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many health and safety inspectors are seconded abroad; under what terms; to which countries; for how long; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  [pursuant to his reply, 23 October 1981, c. 215.]: There are three health and safety inspectors seconded abroad. All are on loan: one in the Solomon Islands for two years, one in Bahrain for two years, and one is serving in the British embassy in Rome, initially for two years but since extended to four years. None of these is a charge on the Health and Safety Executive's budget. The HSE inspector at the British embassy in Rome is on detached duty to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, filling a permanent post as Labour Attaché in Rome. The HSE inspector in Bahrain is paid by the Government of Bahrain. The HSE inspector in the Solomon Islands is seconded to the service of the Government of the Solomon Islands under the overseas service aid scheme. The Department of Employment group continues to pay his salary but is reimbursed in full by the Overseas Development Administration.

  Unemployment Costs
  Sir David Price
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will bring up to date the figures quoted by the MSC in its report entitled "Review of Service for the Unemployed" that each additional 100,000 registered unemployed cost about £300 million per annum at 1979–80 prices in transfer payments and revenues forgone.

  Mr. Alison
  [pursuant to his reply, 22 October 1981, c. 14]: The Manpower Services Commission estimates that each additional 100,000 registered unemployed cost £438 million per annum at 1981–82 prices in transfer payments and revenues forgone.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Less Favoured Areas
  Mr. Ross
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the survey into the less favoured areas of England and Wales has yet been completed; and when he now expects to put a case for the extension of the United Kingdom less favoured areas to the European Economic Community.

  Mrs. Fenner:
  We have now completed the first part of the survey in which we identified areas of marginal land in England and Wales which met the criterion of land quality in European Community Directive 75/268. We are now testing the areas so identified to see whether they satisfy the economic and demographic criteria in the directive. We still hope to be able to put a case for an extension of the United Kingdom's less favoured areas to the European Commission by the turn of the year.

  Pesticides (Policy)
  Mr. Grist
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take to implement his policy of a continued cut in the use of DDT and dieldrin and a resumed cut in the use of endrin and other organochlorine pesticides.
  380
  Mrs. Fenner:
  Since 1969, clearances for specific uses of persistent organochlorine pesticides, including DDT, dieldrin and endrin, have been withdrawn as and when suitable less persistent alternatives become available for such uses. By 1 January 1981, clearances for agricultural and horticultural purposes for all uses of dieldrin and most remaining uses of the other persistent organochlorines, including DDT and endrin, had been withdrawn. The few remaining clearances will be kept under review and withdrawn when suitable alternatives become available. Meantime, my hon. Friend will appreciate that annual usage for these remaining purposes necessarily fluctuates with the seasonal incidence of the pests concerned.

  Battery Hen Production
  Mr. Allen McKay
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the EEC Ministers failing to agree to enlarge battery hen cages to 77 square inches, he will take a unilateral decision for this to be put into effect in the United Kingdom with a view to replacing battery hen production with a more acceptable method.

  Mrs. Fenner:
  No. We consider it important that we secure improvements in the welfare of laying hens in the European Community as a whole. I remain optimistic that this can be achieved.

  Experimental centers
  Mr. Trippier
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans for reducing the number of experimental centers belonging to his Ministry.

  Mr. Peter Walker:
  As part of its task of keeping under review the services it provides to agriculture to ensure that resources are used effectively MAFF has reviewed the resources committed to research and development at its experimental centers. It has been decided that Great House experimental husbandry farm at Helmshore, Rossendale, Lancashire will be closed as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made.

  The changing research and development requirements of the industry in Lancashire and of upland farmers generally will be met by the Ministry's other experimental husbandry farms. Three of these have dairy herds and that at Trawscoed will be expanded to take on dairying experimental work now done at Great House. Experimental programmes on upland sheep will be expanded at Trawscoed, Redesdale and Liscombe and work will continue with lowland sheep at Rosemaund and Drayton, and with the hill flock at Pwllpeiran. These changes will make better use of the Ministry's resources for research and development in these sectors.

  The advisory needs of local farmers will continue to be met by ADAS officers stationed in the region.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Carpet Industry
  Mr. Bulmer
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been given in financial support to the carpet industry since 1 January 1975; what form this assistance has taken; and under which schemes, including the schemes to promote employment, it has been given.
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  Mr. Adam Butler:
  Since 1 January 1975 a total of £6,313,132 has been paid to the carpet industry by the Northern Ireland Department of Commerce, in the form of grants—including grants towards capital expenditure—and loans, under schemes to promote investment and the creation and maintenance of jobs. A further sum, totalling £3,786,253 has been paid to the industry by the Northern Ireland Department of Manpower Services, in the form of grants under the temporary employment subsidy and temporary short-time working compensation schemes, selective employment premium, and grants under schemes to promote industrial training.

  De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd.
  Mr. Concannon
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are currently employed by the De Lorean motor company at the Dunmurry factory in County Antrim; how many were employed there at this time in 1980; and what is the projected increase in recruitment for the next 12 months.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  I am informed by the company that at 26 October 1981 De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd. had 2,557 direct employees on its payroll; in addition, 76 jobs are provided on site at Dunmurry by contracted canteen and security companies. At 31 October 1980 De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd. had 440 direct employees. I understand that the company's current plan calls for recruitment of 138 further employees but, as many of these are specialist jobs, availability will dictate the dates of recruitment.

  Mr. Concannon
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the Official Report the names and location of companies in the United Kingdom which supply parts, materials and services to the De Lorean motor company in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  I am informed by the company that more than 2,000 companies located in the United Kingdom supply materials, components and services to De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd. It would be impracticable to list all of them in the Official Report but I am informed that the principal suppliers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland are:

  Belfast Tool & Gauge Co. Ltd.

  Belfast

  British Steel Corporation

  Sheffield

  CP Trim Ltd.

  Belfast

  GKN Sankey Ltd.

  Bilston

  Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Co. (GB) Ltd.

  Wolverhampton

  General Motors Ltd.

  Milton Keynes

  Industrial Plating Engineering Ltd.

  Newtownabbey

  International Paint Co. Ltd.

  London

  Lucas Girling Ltd.

  Birmingham

  Modern Tool & Equipment Co. Ltd.

  Belfast

  Norton Villiers Triumph Ltd.

  Birmingham

  Plastic Coatings Ltd.

  Guildford

  Smiths Industries

  London

  Stewarts Industrial Services Ltd.

  Belfast

  Tenneco Walker (UK) Ltd.

  Burnley and Belfast

  Wilmot Breeden (Holdings) Ltd.

  Birmingham

  Mr. Concannon
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current wages bill of the De Lorean motor company.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  I am informed by the company that the annualised gross wages and salaries bill for the present labour force is estimated to be about £17 million, based on current average earnings.

  Mr. Concannon
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total tax and national
  382
  insurance bill of the work force at De Lorean and of the De Lorean motor company of Dunmurry, County Amtrim, Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  I am informed by the company that the annualised total amount which would be payable in respect of employers and employees National Health Insurance contributions and PAYE tax is estimated at £6.3 million based on current numbers employed and existing rates of remuneration.

  Mr. Concannon
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the current daily and weekly production figures of the De Lorean motor car.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  I am informed by the company that the average daily and weekly production figures are approximately 80 cars and 400 cars respectively.

  Employment Statistics
  Mr. Concannon
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the Official Report the numbers and the percentage of the total Northern Ireland work force in full-time employment at the following dates; September 1981, January 1981, July 1980, January 1980, July 1979, January 1979, July 1978, January 1978 and July 1977.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  The information is not available in the form required as the last census of employment was conducted in June 1978 and statistics of the self-employed do not distinguish between full and part-time work.

  The table below gives a breakdown of the Northern Ireland work force for June 1978, the only date since July 1977 for which information is available on full-time employment:

  Number

  Self-employed (full-time and part-time)

  75,895

  Employees in employment (full-time)

  415,081

  Employees in employment (part-time)

  88,130

  Unemployed

  64,658

  643,764

  Figures are not yet available from the census of employment being carried out to September 1981.

  Unemployed Persons
  Mr. Concannon
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are presently out of work in Northern Ireland; and what proportion of the total working population that unemployment figure represents.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  A total of 112,224 people were registered as unemployed on 8 October 1981, the latest date for which figures are available. This represents 17.2 per cent. of the total working population, which comprises the employees in employment, the unemployed and the self-employed.

  However, unemployment rates are normally calculated by taking the registered unemployed as a percentage of employees in employment plus the unemployed. On this basis the unemployment rate on 8 October 1981 stood at 19.5 per cent.

  Mr. Concannon
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report the annual percentage rate of unemployment in Northern

  383
  Ireland for each of the years 1975 to 1980 inclusive, and add to that table the available quarterly unemployment percentages for 1981.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  The information is as follows:

  Year

  Percentage

  1975

  7.8

  1976

  10.0

  1977

  11.0

  1978

  11.5

  1979

  11.3

  1980

  13.7

  1981 1st quarter

  17.3

  2nd quarter

  17.6

  3rd quarter

  19.2

  Departmental Manpower (Savings)
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the manpower savings that have already been made in each of the Northern Ireland Departments; and if he will provide an estimate of the further savings which he intends to make during the forthcoming financial year.

  Mr. John Patten:
  The manpower savings that have been made in each of the Northern Ireland Departments since May 1979 are as follows:

  Manpower savings

  Agriculture

  287

  Civil Service

  -7

  Commerce

  55

  Education

  81

  Environment

  742

  Finance

  226

  Health and Social Services

  -86

  Manpower Services

  160

  PCC/PCA

  1

  E & AD

  -11

  Total

  1,448

  (The minus figures represent net increases in staff which some Departments have been allowed to make in response to specific demands).
  Because of the planned reorganisation affecting some Northern Ireland Departments it is not possible to provide a breakdown of estimated Departmental savings in 1982–83. Overall savings of about 700 are expected. The savings achieved so far are in line with the manpower targets for 1 April 1984, which are based on comparability with United Kingdom Departments that exercise similar functions.

  In addition, there have been savings of almost 1,800 staff employed by the Departments of Agriculture and Environment as part of the urban and rural improvement campaign.

  Public Spending
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has consulted the Northern Ireland Economic Council about the possibility of reducing public expenditure in the Province.

  Mr. Prior:
  No. However, when I met the council for the first time on 9 October 1981 I specifically welcomed its work in the public expenditure field.

  Benefits (Exchequer Cost)
  Mr. Concannon
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated cost to the Exchequer, in gross terms, of social security, unemployment and related benefit payments made to people living in Northern Ireland during the financial year 1980–81.

  Mr. John Patten:
  Social security payments made to people living in Northern Ireland during the financial year 1980ߝ81 totalled £671.2 million. Of this sums, £404.8 million was paid out of the Northern Ireland national insurance fund and £266.4 million was met from moneys voted by Parliament.

  Within these totals, payment of unemployment benefit from the national insurance fund amounted to £47.8 million and supplementary benefit payments to the unemployed which were met in full from voted moneys amounted to £58.3 million.

  Public Debt
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total of public debt in Northern Ireland for rent, rates, gas and electricity; and by what amount this debt has either increased or decreased since May 1979.

  Mr. John Patten:
  Details of the public debt at 31 March 1979 and 30 June 1981 are as follows:

  31 March 1979 (£ million)

  30 June 1981(£ million)

  Increase Decrease (£ million)

  Rent

  8.7

  13.9

  +5.2

  Rates

  3.9

  5.0*

  +1.1

  Gas

  3.7

  3.6

  -0.1

  Electricity

  12.0

  13.2

  +1.2

  Total

  28.3

  35.7

  +7.4

  * The rate debts figures are not wholly comparable because those for June 1981 do not include any debt arising in the current financial year. This will not have been assessed until 31 March 1982. Accordingly, the debt figure at 31 March 1981 has been included in the table above.

  Less Favoured Areas (Extension)
  Mr. Wm. Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he now expects to seek an extension of the less favoured areas in Northern Ireland; and when he intends to pursue the matter with the EEC.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  The survey of marginal land throughout the United Kingdom is now complete and work is progressing on the preparation of a case for extension of the less favoured areas. I understand that my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, hopes to submit this case, which will cover Northern Ireland, to the EC Commission around the turn of the year.

  Dogs (Control)
  Mr. Wm. Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made since 1 August on legislation to control dogs in Northern Ireland; and when he now expects to publish his proposals.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave the hon. Gentleman on 31 July.—[Vol. 9, c. 372.]

  Energy Policy
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he intends to enter into negotiations with the Government of the Republic of Ireland with a view to establishing a common energy policy for the whole of Ireland.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  I am anxious that any opportunities for practical co-operation on energy matters between Northern Ireland and the Republic should be fully pursued. Discussions have taken place on matters of mutual interest relating to both electricity and gas.

  It is hoped to announce shortly the conclusions of the Government's evaluation of a possible supply to Northern Ireland of natural gas from the Kinsale field.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on energy in the Province.

  Mr. Adam Butler
  Within the context of energy policy for the United Kingdom as a whole the Government will continue to seek opportunities to improve energy supply arrangements in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland electricity tariffs have been brought more closely into line with tariffs in England and Wales. The Northern Ireland Electricity Service is undertaking, at Government's request, a series of studies of the longer term options for reducing its dependence on oil for generation. We shall continue to seek opportunities in the energy field for practical co-operation with the Republic of Ireland. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question on that subject today.

  Economic Council
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times he has met the Northern Ireland Economic Council since he took office.

  Mr. Prior:
  I have had one meeting with the Northern Ireland Economic Council, which took place on 9 October 1981.

  Industrial Disputes (Working Days Lost)
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many working days were lost in Northern Ireland through industrial disputes for each year over the last five years.

  Mr. Adam Butler:
  The information is as follows:

  Calendar year

  Days lost through industrial dispute

  Working days lost per 1,000 employees in employment

  1976

  45,100

  91

  1977

  146,200

  296

  1978

  263,500

  524

  1979

  730,100

  1,421

  1980

  49,400

  99

  Maze Prison (Visits)
  Mr. Wigley
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what rules govern the use of the Irish language during prison visits at Her Majesty's prison Maze.

  Mr. John Patten
  [pursuant to his reply, 27 October 1981]: Northern Ireland prison standing orders require
  386
  conversations between prisoners and their visitors to be in English unless they are not capable of conversing adequately in English.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Arms Supplies
  Mrs. Knight
  asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will take steps to promote the harmonisation of the policies of the members of the Atlantic Alliance towards supplies of arms to countries in areas where clear threats to peace exist.

  Mr. Hurd:
  Her Majesty's Government, in common with most of their allies, already take careful account of the impact of each arms sales proposal on the stability of the region in question before authorisation is given. I doubt whether harmonisation of policy within NATO is feasible. NATO and EC countries do, of course, observe United Nations arms embargoes.

  Spain (Attacks on British Tourists)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  asked the Lord Privy Seal how many incidents have been reported to him of British citizens being the victims of violent attacks while travelling in Spain; how many of these incidents have led to successful prosecutions in Spanish courts; and whether he is satisfied that the Spanish authorities are able to provide adequate protection to British citizens visiting Spain.

  Mr. Humphrey Atkins:
  Seventy-one, all tourists, out of some 3.5 million this year. We know of only two prosecutions: in one the defendant was discharged, the second case is still pending. We would normally only be notified of prosecutions when the assailant was also a United Kingdom citizen.

  Where the incidence of assaults on United Kingdom citizens has caused concern in an area of Spain we have brought this to the attention of the Spanish authorities, whose interest in preventing attacks is clearly as deep as ours.

  Greece (NATO and the European Community)
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Lord Privy Seal what discussions he has had with the Greek ambassador regarding the new Greek Government's proposals to withdraw from NATO and the EEC.

  Mr. Humphrey Atkins:
  None.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Sir Anthony Meyer
  asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council on 26 and 27 October.

  Mr. Humphrey Atkins:
  My right hon. and noble Friend chaired the Council. I represented Her Majesty's Government and my hon. Friend the Minister of State and my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Trade attended.

  Ministers completed a heavy agenda and reached satisfactory conclusions on a number of important questions.
  387
  The Council considered the enlargement negotiations with Portugal and Spain and reached agreement on Community positions on a number of important issues. Negotiating meetings were then held with both applicants at ministerial level at which statements were made by both sides on a wide range of subjects.

  The Council discussed the Community's approach to negotiation with Cyprus on a trade regime for 1982 and 1983, which are due to take place before the end of this year. Further discussion will be necessary.

  On 27 October there was a meeting at ministerial level of the EC/Cyprus Association Council to review progress under the 1972 EC/Cyprus Association Agreement. The Cypriot delegation was led by the Foreign Minister, Mr. Rolandis. The Cypriot delegation made clear its preoccupation with the lack of progress in the association with the Community in recent years.

  The Council agreed on an adjustment to the Community levy which should enable Yugoslavia to export its allotted quota of baby beef to the Community. Over the past 12 months Yugoslavia's exports to the European Community of this speciality product have fallen markedly. The reduction in the levy now agreed should enable a satisfactory resumption of exports.

  Ministers gave assent to an article 56.2. ECSC conversion loan of £3.7 million for Sony (UK) Ltd. which plans to expand its plant at Bridgend. It was also agreed that the informal meeting of Community industry Ministers on 10 December should discuss overseas investment in the Community.

  The Council confirmed the position adopted by the Agriculture Council on 19 October that the Commission should resume negotiations with the African Caribbean and Pacific States on the question of the guaranteed price for African Caribbean and Pacific sugar for 1981–82.

  The Foreign Affairs Council discussed North-South issues and proposals for further food aid. My right hon. and noble Friend reported on the outcome of the Cancun summit. General support was expressed for proposals from the Commission and the Italian Government on hunger in the world. The Development Council will give further consideration to these proposals on 3 November.

  The Council spent a full afternoon reviewing progress in the negotiations on the 30 May Mandate in the light of a report from the special group set up to assist in taking this work forward. There was a full exchange of views on the three elements of the negotiation—development of policies other than agriculture, common agricultural policy reform, and the problem of excessive net contributions. It was agreed that the mandate group should work with urgency in order that appropriate conclusions might be reached at the European Council on 26–27 November in London.

  The Council discussed Commission proposals on low cost textiles including renewal of the multi-fibree arrangement but was unable to reach agreement. An additional meeting of the Council will now be held on 10 November in order to consider this question further.

  Finally, the Council agreed that the Commission should open discussions with the International Sugar Organisation, with a view to possible accession by the Community to an improved International Sugar Agreement. This is an important decision, which we made one of the priorities of our Presidency and one which we expect tp be welcomed by existing members of the
  388
  International Sugar Organisation, in particular those developing country producers which are heavily dependent on sugar exports.

  Council of Ministers
  Viscount Cranborne
  asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Minister.

  Mr. Humphrey Atkins:
  At present seven meetings of the Council of Ministers are planned for November. Heads of State and Government will meet in the European Council in London on 26–27 November. The ususal written forecast was deposited in the House on 23 October.

  The Development Council is expected to meet on 3 November to discuss development issues arising out of the North-South dialogue; a report on stocktaking of Community aid in the agriculture and food production sector, a proposal for improval procedures for emergency aid and draft guidelines for the programme of financial and technical aid to non-associated developing countries in 1982. Ministers are also expected to consider Commission proposals on hunger in the world and may in addition have some preliminary discussion on proposals on food aid; on further work required on the energy needs of developing countries, on trade promotion policies and on the role of women in development.

  The Finance Council is expected to meet on 9 November to continue its consideration of the draft insurance services directive. Ministers may also discuss a Working group report on oil subsidies and petroleum taxation that was commissioned by the Council in September, and may consider the economic situation in preparation for the next European Council.

  The Research Council is expected to meet on 9 November to discuss a Commission paper on the current state of Community research and development activity and a strategy for the 1980s.

  The Agriculture Council is expected to meet on 16–17 November to discuss the finalisation of GATT import quotas for 1982 on frozen beef and veal, buffalo meat and high quality beef (Hilton) and to consider proposals on the welfare of laying hens in battery cages and on the consolidation of the main agri-monetary regulations.

  The Foreign Affairs Council is expected to meet on 16–17 November to discuss preparations for the European Council at which the main topic for discussion will be the 30 May mandate.

  The Budget Council is expected to meet on 24 November to consider the amendments and modifications to the 1982 draft budget which will have been adopted by the European Parliament on 6 November. The Council will also meet a delegation from the European Parliament to discus budgetary questions which arise in the inter-institutional dialogue.

  The Fisheries Council is expected to meet on 30 November and 1 December with the aim of reaching agreement on proposals for a revised common fisheries policy.

  Middle East
  Mrs. Knight
  asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will propose that the steps taken by the 10 member countries

  389
  of the European Community to promote peace in the Middle East should be extended to the Gulf area in order to assure countries in that area of Europe's support for any measures they may take to ensure their collective security.

  Mr. Hurd:
  At the Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels last month Foreign Ministers of the Ten welcomed the increased co-operation among the six member States of the newly formed Gulf Co-operation Council, with all of whom the Ten have close and friendly relations. They also agreed to establish informal contacts with the Gulf Co-operation Council in order to consider the scope for possible co-operation between the Gulf Co-operation Council and the Ten.

  We have also welcomed the valuable contribution that the formation of the Gulf Co-operation Council will make towards enhancing regional stability and security. We believe that it should be primarily for the Gulf States to determine their own security needs, and have expressed willingness in principle to help should the States of the region ask us to do so.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  13. Mr. Myles
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has published his consultation document on alternative methods of local government finance.

  22. Mr. Renton
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to produce the consultative document on reform of the rating system.

  Mr. Heseltine:
  A Green Paper on alternatives to domestic rates will be published very shortly.

  National Parks (Representations)
  Mr. Knox
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied that the changes which are being made concerning the statutory right of district councils to representation on national park boards and committees are adequate.

  Mr. Macfarlane:
  Yes.

  Local Authorities (Expenditure)
  Mr. Adley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has published his proposals for dealing with overspending by local authorities.

  Mr. Heseltine:
  A technical memorandum on the proposed new rating procedures for 1982–83 was issued on 30 September. Copies have been placed in the Library. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs) and to my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Mr. Alexander).

  Mr. Durant
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which authorities have increased their spending plans since he requested them to revise their budgets.

  Mr. Heseltine:
  51 English local authorities have increased their spending plans this year, though the majority of these increases are very minor, and 28 are in
  390
  authorities which are still within their volume targets. The vast bulk of the planned increase has taken place in three large Socialist authorities: the GLC, Merseyside, and the West Midlands.

  Sea Defences (Amble)
  Mr. Beith
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance he plans to give to the repair of the sea defences at Amble, Northumberland.

  Mr. Giles Shaw:
  The Alnwick district council is already receiving grant towards the cost of reconstructing the south pier breakwater at Amble. With regard to the reconstruction of the north pier breakwater the council is carrying out an economic appraisal of this scheme to establish the beneficiaries. When this appraisal is received the scheme will be assessed and, if approved, the application for grant will be determined.

  Local Authority Housing
  Mr. Dixon
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authority housing starts there have been so far in the current year.

  Sir George Young:
  Local authorities in England started an estimated 13,360 dwellings in the first eight months of this year.

  Mr. Pavitt
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the fact that in the London borough of Brent of 11,000 families on the waiting list for housing only 167 earned enough to be eligible for a mortgage, he will now change his previous policy of withholding funds for council housing schemes in the belief that the loss of council houses could be compensated for by an increase in home ownership.

  Sir George Young:
  I do not accept that description of Government policy. I believe that the figures quoted by the hon. Gentleman do not accurately reflect the scope we have created for extending low-cost home ownership. As regards Brent's housing investment programme allocation, I would refer to the reply I gave to the hon. Gentleman yesterday.

  Housing Policies
  Mr. Douglas-Mann
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will reply to the third report of the Select Committee on the Environment on the housing policies of his Department.

  Mr. Heseltine:
  I shall do so as soon as possible.

  New Towns (House Transfers)
  Mr. Newens
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any further representations from local authorities with claims under section 10 of the New Towns Act 1976 for a settlement to be made to enable urgent work to be carried out on houses transferred to them from new town development corporations.

  Sir George Young:
  Yes.

  Disabled Persons (Housing)
  Mr. Hardy
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take action to remove the risk of reduction of the stock of council housing designated for the disabled.

  Sir George Young:
  Council housing which is substantially different from ordinary housing because it has been designed or adapted for the use of physically disabled is already excluded from the right to buy.

  Liverpool (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Kenneth Lewis
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to pay another visit to Liverpool.

  Mr. Heseltine:
  I visited Merseyside on 20 and 21, and on 26 and 27 October. I have held meetings with local authorities, representatives of local companies, academic institutions, community enterprise projects, and the regional water authority. I discussed the progress being made on the initiatives I announced on 5 August, and how best to carry forward the work of my task force. As well as Liverpool, I have visited Ellesmere Port, Skelmersdale and Halton to see examples of successes in improving the local economy and local environment as will as some of the problems. I intend to visit Merseyside frequently.

  Rented Accommodation (Service Charges)
  Mr. Iain Mills
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to legislate to limit annual increases in service charges made on rented accommodation.

  Mr. Stanley:
  Schedule 19 to the Housing Act 1980 already imposes limitations on the amount of a variable service charge payable by the tenant of a flat. The service charges provisions of schedule 19 are described in the Department's booklet "Service Charges in Flats" a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total cost per annum of the Government regional car service and if he has any plans to reduce this.

  Sir George Young:
  The budgeted cost for the current financial year is £450,000. This compares with £710,000 in 1979–80 and £530,000 in 1980–81 (at outturn prices).

  I do not plan to make any further substantial reductions in the size of the regional Government car service.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for the environment how many Government cars are used by civil servants in the London area; and if he has any plans to reduce this number.

  Sir George Young:
  The Government car service in London has 47 cars available for use by civil servants of which 32 are in a pool which is also used by Ministers. In addition my Department provides 12 self-drive cars for the use of London-based civil servants. I do not propose to make any further reductions in these fleets.
  392
  Mr. Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many members of her Majesty's Opposition are presently using the Government car service; and what is the cost of this service.

  Sir George Young:
  Five, at an estimated cost of about £86,000 a year.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hon. Members of Parliament other than Government Ministers or members of Her Majesty's Official Opposition are presently using the Government car service; what are the rules and regulations for this use; and what is the cost to public funds per annum.

  Sir George Young:
  Two, who have the use of the Government car service on advice from the security authorities. The annual estimated cost is £21,000.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many Government cars are used by civil servants in the regions; and whether he has any plans to reduce this number.

  Sir George Young:
  My Department provides a total of 43 self-drive cars for the exclusive use of civil servants in the regions compared with 67 in April 1980. In addition the regional Government car service provides 37 cars in pools serving both Ministers and senior civil servants, compared with 57 in April 1980. I do not plan to make any further substantial reductions in the size of these fleets.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which civil servants in the London area are able to use the Government car service; what is the total cost to public funds; and whether he has any plans to reduce this use.

  Sir George Young:
  I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly.

  Mr. Speaker's House (Renovation)
  Mr. Greville Janner
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much he estimates it would cost to clean, restore and renovate the stonework of Mr. Speaker's House.

  Sir George Young:
  Cleaning, restoring and renovating the stonework of the Speaker's Tower, which includes Mr. Speaker's House, is estimated to cost £30,000 at January 1981 prices.

  London Dockland Development Corporation
  Mr. Spearing
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made by the London Dockland Development Corporation since 1 July.

  Mr. Heseltine:
  Ten members have now been appointed to the corporation, including the leaders of the three constituent boroughs. It has acquired more than 500 acres of land and is planning a wide range of projects, some of which are already under way.

  Rate Rebates
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of ratepayers received rate rebates (a) in Great Britain and (b) in Greater London in

  393
  May 1979 and at the latest date for which figures are available; and what was the overall total paid in rebates in each case.

  Mr. Tom King:
  The available information is as follows:

  Domestic ratepayers receiving rate rebates per cent.

  Amount of rate rebates £ million

  Great Britain

  1979–80

  14.9

  200

  Greater London

  1979–80

  12.1

  27.5

  1980–81*

  13.8

  38.8

  * Provisional.

  Plymouth (Water Supplies)
  Miss Fookes
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will announce his decision regarding the siting of a reservoir in Devon to supply additional water to Plymouth and other areas.

  Mr. Giles Shaw:
  My right hon. Friend hopes to resolve this matter very soon.

  Black Magic (Retail Premises)
  Mr. Cartwright
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to prevent the use of retail shopping premises for the propagation of black magic rituals, witchcraft ceremonies and exorcism.

  Mr. Giles Shaw:
  No. I do not think this is an appropriate matter for town planning legislation, since planning powers can be used only for landuse planning purposes. Matters of religion and morality fall outside the scope of the planning system. I am not aware of any other powers open to my right hon. Friend to control occult shops, nor of any environmental justification for taking such powers.

  Unfit Housing
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate of the number of houses unfit for human habitation; and how this compares with the figures for each of the past three years.

  Sir George Young:
  An estimate of 794,000 unfit dwellings in England was made from the 1976 English
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  house condition survey, and the results of the 1981 survey will be available next year. Estimates are not made by my Department for the intervening years.

  Basildon (Council House Sales)
  Mr. Proctor
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses and flats were sold by the Basildon development corporation, the Basildon district council and the London borough of Waltham Forest Council to sitting tenants in the Basildon constituency between May 1979 and September 1981.

  Sir George Young:
  Sales by the Basildon district council and Basildon Development Corporation in the period April 1979 to June 1981 totalled 2,381; 1,864 by Basildon Development Corporation and 517 by the district council; almost all of these would have been to sitting tenants. Information is not available to the Department on the number of sales by the London borough of Waltham Forest of its properties within the Basildon constituency.

  Radiological Pollution (French Nuclear Installations)
  Mr. David Atkinson
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an assessment of the level of risk of radiological pollution of the Dorset coast from nuclear power stations on the French coast.

  Mr. Buchanan-Smith:
  I have been asked to reply.

  It is already a requirement of the Euratom treaty that member States submit information on their plans for the disposal of radioactive waste from new nuclear facilities so that the Commission can determine whether these plans would adversely affect other member States. This information has been submitted for the nuclear power station at Gravelines, although not yet for the other two power stations being built by France on the Channel coast. The Commission, on the basis of expert advice, concluded that normal operations at Gravelines would have no significant effect on the United Kingdom. Special bilateral arrangements which would apply in the case of a serious incident are under discussion; my own experts, however, advise that it is highly unlikely that any release of radioactivity from Gravelines would have radiological implications for the Dorset coast. The routine monitoring carried out by this Department in the area would, of course, detect any sudden increase in levels of radioactivity.

  BETTING DUTY: 1981–82 RECEIPTS
  BETTING DUTY: 1981–82 RECEIPTS
  WALTON MERE: PROPOSED MARINA
  WALTON MERE: PROPOSED MARINA
  INDIA: SPECIAL VOUCHER APPLICATIONS
  INDIA: SPECIAL VOUCHER APPLICATIONS
  CEREALS: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN SCOTLAND
  CEREALS: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN SCOTLAND
  MoD, TIDWORTH HOUSING: MAINTENANCE COST
  MoD, TIDWORTH HOUSING: MAINTENANCE COST
  US MISSILES IN UK: RELEASE PROCEDURES
  US MISSILES IN UK: RELEASE PROCEDURES