Written Answers of 16 July 1987

PRIME MINISTER

  Scottish Parliamentary Business
  Dr. Godman
  asked the Prime Minister what plans she has to reconsider the present basis for treatment of Scottish business in the House.

  The Lord Privy Seal
  I have been asked to reply.

  The arrangements for Scottish business are being handled in the usual way.

  Foreign Policy (Office Staff)
  Mr. Dalyell
  asked the Prime Minister how many officials in No. 10 Downing street had responsibility for foreign policy issues in (a) May 1979, (b) June 1983 and (c) June 1987.

  The Prime Minister
  On each of the dates there was one official in No. 10 Downing street with responsibility for foreign policy issues. In addition, there was one special adviser in June 1983 and June 1987 with responsibility for advising on foreign policy issues.

  Isle of Thanet
  Mr. Gale
  asked the Prime Minister when she expects to receive the report of the joint committee studying the economic development of the Isle of Thanet.

  The Prime Minister
  The joint committee is due to report by the end of September.

  Scottish Devolution
  Mr. David Marshall
  asked the Prime Minister if she plans to take any steps to seek to ascertain the extent of demand for devolution in Scotland.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government have no plans to do so.

  Bradford, South
  Mr. Cryer
  asked the Prime Minister when she next intends to visit Bradford, South.

  The Prime Minister
  I have at present no plans to do so.

  Social background

  All

  Non-Manual

  Manual

  Unclassified1

  Professional

  Other

  Skilled

  Semi-skilled

  Unskilled

  Percentage from each social background

  100

  15

  14

  41

  12

  3

  15

  Percentage within each social background who in Spring 1986 were:

  in full-time education

  39

  62

  54

  33

  29

  26

  27

  in full-time employment

  22

  19

  18

  25

  24

  21

  20

  Armed Forces (Pay)
  Mr. Leigh
  asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about the pay of medical and dental officers in the armed forces.

  The Prime Minister
  The Armed Forces Pay Review Body has submitted to me a supplementary report on the pay of medical and dental officers in the armed forces. It recommends increases of between 5·5 and 7·6 per cent. according to rank with effect from 1 April 1987.

  These awards are derived as usual from those to civilian doctors and dentists that I announced in the House on 23 April 1987, at column 655, and the Government have decided to accept them in full.

  The report has been published as Command 176 and copies are available in the Vote Office.

  Engagements
  Mr. John Mark Taylor
  asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 16 July.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 16 July.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, before departing for Washington this evening.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Post-School) Activity
  Mr. Frank Field
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the post-school activity, by social class, in terms of full-time employment, unemployment or YTS, full-time further education and other activities by number and percentage for each social class, in the latest available year; and what were the corresponding figures for 1980.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information from the youth cohort study, a series of longitudinal surveys of young people aged 16 to 18, jointly sponsored by the Manpower Services Commission, the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Employment, is shown in the table. The percentages are of a sample of 14,000 young people in spring 1986 who had reached school leaving age in maintained schools in England and Wales in the academic year 1984–85.
  563

  Social background

  All

  Non-Manual

  Manual

  Unclassified (1)

  Professional

  Other

  Skilled

  Semi-skilled

  Unskilled

  in YTS

  28

  15

  21

  32

  33

  34

  33

  out of work

  10

  3

  5

  9

  12

  15

  19

  other

  1

  1

  1

  2

  2

  3

  1

  TOTAL

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  1 The unclassified category includes those reporting a miscellaneous group of occupations, and those who did not state their parental background or who gave an incomplete response.

  Corresponding information of the participation of young people analysed by social class is not available for 1980. Estimates of the numbers of young people in 1986 in the categories shown above could be derived from the percentages quoted but the sampling and other errors would give rise to large margins of uncertainty.

  Schools (Reorganisation)
  Mr. Colvin
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will publish details of the scheme for schools opting out of their local authority education system.

  Mr. Dunn
  The Government intend to issue shortly a consultative document which will give details of the possible shape and nature of the scheme.

  Mr. Colvin
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the scheme for schools to opt out of their local education authority system will be applicable to primary schools with fewer than 100 pupils.

  Mr. Dunn
  The Government intend that initially the scheme should apply to secondary schools and to primary schools with more than 300 pupils. We shall be prepared to consider its possible extension to smaller primary schools at a later date.

  School Defects
  Mr. Cryer
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which Ministers have visited Bradford to examine school defects; if he will list the schools and the dates of the visits since 1983; whether officials have submitted reports on the state of Bradford schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  The previous holder of my right hon. Friend's office visited Bradford on 20 and 21 September 1984 as part of his general programme of visits to local education authorities. In the course of that engagement he visited the following schools on 21 September 1984:

  Waverley Middle School

  Grange Upper School—Skills Foundation Centre

  Tong and Yorkshire Martyrs comprehensive Schools—TVEI Unit

  Whetley First School

  Expenditure supported through Education Support Grants

  (a) in 1986–87

  Knowsley

  Liverpool

  St. Helens

  Sefton

  Wirral

  Total

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  Teaching of Mathematics in Schools

  37·5

  91·0

  40·6

  52·7

  53·9

  275·7

  Teaching of Science in Primary Schools

  53·2

  42·2

  13·1

  31·0

  65·7

  205·2

  Micros for Children with Special Needs

  —

  —

  0·7

  —

  0·4

  1·1

  Urban Primary Schools

  59·1

  105·2

  —

  —

  —

  164·3

  Needs of Ethnic Minorities

  —

  16·4

  —

  —

  —

  16·4

  Updating Courses for Adults

  —

  —

  19·0

  15·7

  32·0

  66·7

  Educational Needs of Unemployed

  —

  39·4

  21·4

  —

  75·8

  136·6

  Midday Supervision

  149·5

  370·1

  114·7

  —

  187·3

  821·6

  564
  In addition, I visited the following Bradford schools on 16 October 1986 at the invitation of the constituency Member:

  Wellington First School

  Pollard Park Middle School

  Thornbury First School

  Bradford Moor First School

  Lapage Middle School

  Records of those visits, of visits by officials and material submitted by the Bradford local education authority are available to my right hon. Friend.

  Welsh Language Teaching
  Dr. Marek
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place in the Library a copy of the University Grants Committee's formula and the special recognition made therein for Welsh medium teaching referred to by the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Rumbold) on 30 April, Official Report, column 469.

  Mr. Jackson
  The UGC's current resources allocation process is described in circular letters of 19 November 1985 and 20 May 1986. Copies of both are in the Library. The UGC takes account of the cost of Welsh-medium teaching as a special factor but does not identify this as a separate element in the block grant for each relevant university institution. In addition, a separate block grant allocation is made for the University of Wales registry.

  Merseyside
  Mr. Ron Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the sums allocated under each education support grant heading to the local education authorities on Merseyside for 1986–87 and 1987–88.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The information requested is given in the following tables:
  565

  Knowsley

  Liverpool

  St. Helens

  Sefton

  Wirral

  Total

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  Information Technology in Non-Advanced FE

  6·3

  12·5

  26·2

  88·7

  3·1

  136·8

  Data Processing Equipment in FE

  —

  12·5

  10·5

  —

  —

  23·0

  Initial Training for School Governors

  10·5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  10·5

  Teaching of Under 5s with Special Needs

  29·3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  29·3

  Computers for FE Students with Special Needs

  11·0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  11·0

  College Employer Link Projects

  20·9

  —

  —

  —

  —

  20·9

  Action to Combat Drug Misuse

  12·2

  23·0

  20·9

  21·7

  16·4

  94·2

  GCSE

  57·2

  157·6

  65·0

  91·6

  102·7

  474·1

  Total

  446·7

  869·9

  332·1

  301·4

  537·3

  2,487·4

  (b) in 1987–88

  Knowsley

  Liverpool

  St. Helens

  Sefton

  Wirral

  Total

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  Teaching of Mathematics in Schools

  41·1

  99·8

  37·5

  57·8

  59·1

  295·3

  Teaching of Science in Primary Schools

  59·7

  46·7

  20·7

  61·3

  86·3

  274·7

  Urban Primary Schools

  64·8

  118·9

  —

  —

  —

  183·7

  Updating Courses for Adults

  25·9

  23·9

  7·8

  13·0

  21·7

  92·3

  Educational Needs of Unemployed

  —

  51·9

  43·0

  —

  61·6

  156·5

  Midday Supervision

  147·8

  438·7

  169·3

  —

  248·9

  1,004·7

  Information Technology in Non-Advanced FE

  2·1

  4·2

  37·6

  —

  44·6

  88·5

  Initial Training for School Governors

  15·7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  15·7

  Teaching of Under 5s with Special Needs

  31·6

  —

  33·5

  —

  —

  65·1

  College Employer Link Projects

  21·4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  21·4

  Action to Combat Drug Misuse

  25·3

  28·6

  23·0

  23·8

  31·0

  131·7

  GCSE

  40·6

  111·9

  46·1

  65·0

  72·8

  336·4

  Promoting Social Responsibility

  57·8

  —

  —

  —

  —

  57·8

  FE Management Information Systems

  —

  20·0

  40·0

  —

  —

  60·0

  Micros for FE Handicapped

  —

  —

  —

  —

  10·4

  10·4

  Total

  533·8

  944·6

  458·5

  220·9

  636·4

  2,794·2

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Social Security Commissioner (Wales)
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  asked the Attorney-General when the Lord Chancellor intends to appoint a successor to Mr. Roderic Browne QC as social security commissioner for Wales.

  The Attorney-General
  On 22 July 1986 the Lord Chancellor announced, at columns 120–23, the closure of the Cardiff office of the social security commissioners. I understand from my noble and learned Friend that between 1 April 1986 and 31 March 1987 commissioners sat only 17 days on oral hearings of appeals in Cardiff, and that he has no plans at present to appoint a social security commissioner resident in Wales. Oral hearings will continue to take place in Cardiff.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. McWilliam
  asked the Attorney-General if he will list the total sum expended on legal aid from each of the area offices over the last five years, together with the figure this represents per 10,000 of population for each area.

  The Attorney-General
  The total sums expended on legal advice and assistance (the green form scheme), "Assistance by Way of Representation", criminal legal aid in the magistrates' courts, the court duty solicitor scheme and the 24-hour duty solicitor scheme are as follows, by area office, together with the figure this represents per 10,000 of the population for each area. The magistrates' court duty solicitor scheme started in October 1983 and sums expended on it are included from 1984–85 onwards. The 24-hour duty solicitor scheme started in January 1986 566
  and sums expended on it are included from 1985–86 onwards. Information is not obtainable without disproportionate cost for civil legal aid or for criminal legal aid in the higher courts.

  1982–83

  Area

  Total expenditure

  Population 10,000's

  £ per 10,000

  1. London (South)

  6,155,322

  313

  19,666

  2. South Eastern

  4,816,028

  384

  12,542

  3. Southern

  7,008,055

  404

  17,347

  4. South Western

  6,848,133

  379

  18,069

  5. South Wales

  5,164,321

  213

  24,246

  6. West Midland

  9,306,032

  412

  22,587

  7. North Western

  8,096,845

  351

  23,068

  8. Northern

  5,626,708

  324

  17,366

  9. North Eastern

  8,335,960

  431

  19,341

  10. East Midland

  7,548,279

  414

  18,233

  11. Eastern

  7,537,509

  488

  15,446

  12. Chester and Wales

  4,047,655

  267

  15,160

  13. London (East)

  5,448,183

  172

  31,675

  14. London (West)

  5,267,325

  192

  27,434

  15. Merseyside

  5,291,838

  216

  24,499

  1983–84

  Area

  Total expenditure

  Population 10,000's

  £ per 10,000

  1. London (South)

  7,145,498

  312

  22,902

  2. South Eastern

  5,447,269

  385

  14,149

  3. Southern

  7,637,113

  407

  18,764

  4. South Western

  8,138,771

  382

  21,306

  5. South Wales

  5,259,322

  213

  24,692

  6. West Midland

  11,218,821

  412

  27,230

  7. North Western

  8,519,963

  350

  24,343

  8. Northern

  6,222,006

  324

  19,204

  9. North Eastern

  9,747,036

  431

  22,615

  10. East Midland

  9,082,353

  415

  21,885

  567

  Area

  Total expenditure

  Population 10,000s

  £ per 10,000

  11. Eastern

  8,368,420

  490

  17,078

  12. Chester and Wales

  4,862,813

  269

  18,077

  13. London (East)

  6,135,012

  172

  35,669

  14. London (West)

  5,836,403

  192

  30,398

  15. Merseyside

  6,030,819

  215

  28,050

  1984–85

  Area

  Total expenditure

  Population 10,000's

  £ per 10,000

  1. London (South)

  9,268,138

  312

  29,706

  2. South Eastern

  6,181,541

  387

  15,973

  3. Southern

  8,209,863

  411

  19,975

  4. South Western

  8,994,899

  384

  23,424

  5. South Wales

  5,788,089

  213

  27,174

  6. West Midland

  12,546,811

  411

  30,528

  7. North Western

  9,664,731

  349

  27,693

  8. Northern

  8,070,291

  324

  24,908

  9. North Eastern

  11,378,987

  430

  26,463

  10. East Midland

  11,114,030

  417

  26,652

  11. Eastern

  10,409,640

  493

  21,115

  12. Chester and Wales

  5,191,835

  268

  19,373

  13. London (East)

  6,508,194

  172

  37,838

  14. London (West)

  6,201,744

  192

  32,301

  15. Merseyside

  7,222,111

  214

  33,748

  1985–86

  Area

  Total expenditure

  Population 10,000's

  £ per 10,000

  1. London (South)

  10,495,305

  312

  33,639

  2. South Eastern

  7,492,869

  388

  19,312

  3. Southern

  10,195,141

  417

  24,449

  4. South Western

  10,935,382

  387

  28,257

  5. South Wales

  7,254,871

  213

  34,060

  6. West Midland

  15,314,359

  412

  37,171

  7. North Western

  11,782,510

  349

  33,761

  8. Northern

  10,313,757

  323

  31,931

  9. North Eastern

  13,300,473

  430

  30,931

  10. East Midland

  11,104,972

  419

  26,504

  11. Eastern

  10,957,240

  497

  22,047

  12. Chester and Wales

  6,664,018

  269

  24,773

  13. London (East)

  8,565,114

  173

  49,509

  14. London (West)

  8,902,115

  192

  46,365

  15. Merseyside

  7,930,809

  213

  37,236

  1986–87

  Area

  Total expenditure

  Population 10,000's

  £ per 10,000

  1. London (South)

  12,388,629

  312

  39,707

  2. South Eastern

  8,880,938

  390

  22,772

  3. Southern

  11,486,445

  421

  27,284

  4. South Western

  12,821,069

  390

  32,875

  5. South Wales

  7,941,202

  214

  37,108

  6. West Midland

  17,376,655

  412

  42,176

  7. North Western

  14,508,296

  348

  41,691

  8. Northern

  11,037,238

  322

  34,277

  9. North Eastern

  14,035,028

  429

  32,716

  10. East Midland

  14,348,671

  421

  34,082

  11. Eastern

  13,020,061

  501

  25,988

  12. Chester and Wales

  8,028,926

  270

  29,737

  13. London (East)

  8,486,941

  173

  49,057

  14. London (West)

  8,792,853

  192

  45,796

  15. Merseyside

  9,315,996

  212

  43,943

WALES

  Museums and Libraries
  Mr. Fisher
  asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the expenditure since 1976–77 (a) on museums and
  568
  galleries in Wales, (b) on the Council for Museums in Wales and (c) any other expenditure on museums in Wales.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Expenditure on the Council of Museums in Wales from 1976–77 to 1986–87 was £1,403,000. Information about expenditure on museums and galleries in Wales (other than the National Museum of Wales) is not held centrally.

  Mr. Fisher
  asked the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure has been made since 1976–77 on (a) the national museum of Wales, and (b) the national library of Wales, in respect of capital expenditure, revenue costs and purchase grants.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Expenditure on the National Museum of Wales and the National Library of Wales between 1976–77 and 1986–87 was as follows:

  National Museum

  National Library

  £

  £

  Net salaries/general administrative expenditure

  44,030,000

  17,000,000

  Purchase grants

  7,109,000

  3,267,000

  Capital

  7,347,000

  5,215,000

  Total

  58,486,000

  25,482,000

  Note:

  Outturn in 1986–87 is provisional.

  Higher Education
  Dr. Marek
  asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the present membership and period of office of the committee of the Welsh advisory body for local authority higher education.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The committee of the Wales advisory body for local authority higher education consists of four members nominated by the Welsh Counties Committee and four members nominated by the Welsh joint education committee. It is chaired by myself. Members are not appointed for a specific period of office. The current membership is as follows:

  Nominated by the Welsh Counties Committee:

  Councillor E. Currie Jones CBE

  Councillor J. Griffiths

  Councillor J. A. Harries

  CBE Councillor J. E. Roberts

  Nominated by the Welsh Joint Education Committee:

  Councillor G. Jenkins

  Councillor W. A. Jones

  Councillor F. J. Kingdom

  Councillor P. Squire CBE

  Dr. Marek
  asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the dates for 1987 of the proposed meetings of the committee of the Welsh advisory body for local authority higher education.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The committee is due to meet on 6 November 1987 and 11 December 1987.

  Milk
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will consider exempting the first 200,000

  569
  litres per annum of themilk for milk producers in Wales from controls on production; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  No. The problems of small producers have already been recognised by restoring them to their base year production levels.

SCOTLAND

  Charities (Rate Relief)
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make provision for preserving the existing rate relief for charities in the form of a discount from collective community charges; what estimates he has of the effects of the community charge proposals on churches and charities in Scotland; and what representations he has received on this matter.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 6 July to the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Etrrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Steel) at columns 28–29.

  My right hon. and learned Friend has made no estimate of the effects of the community charge proposals on churches and charities in Scotland. He has received 32 representations from church organisations and individual churches, and some 50 further representations from other charities, about the implications for them of the community charge proposals.

  Police (Lothian and Borders)
  Mr. Steel
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Lothian and Borders police board on the level of the establishment of the Lothian and Borders police force.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The board wrote to my Department on 1 June indicating that it had in mind to submit an application for an increase in the force establishment in due course. The application has not yet been received.

  Mr. Steel
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the level of establishment of the Lothian and Borders police force in each year since 1975.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The establishment of the Lothian and Borders police force since 1975 is as follows:

  31 March

  Police Establishment

  19751

  2,368

  1976

  2,368

  1977

  2,368

  1978

  2,361

  1979

  2,361

  1980

  2,361

  1981

  2,362

  1982

  2,362

  1983

  2,362

  1984

  2,386

  1985

  2,395

  1986

  2,395

  1987

  2,393

  1 The 1975 figure is at 30 June, following reorganisation.

  Although the police establishment has increased by only 25 officers since 1975, a civilisation programme has released a further 85 officers for operational duties.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. John Mark Taylor
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Forestry Commission to discuss tree-planting policy.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend meets the chairman of the Forestry Commission from time to time, but he has no plans at present to meet him to discuss this subject.

  Cold Water Fibrosis
  Mr. Charles Morrison
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the threat to Scottish rivers from the salmon disease cold water fibrosis in the light of damage already caused to Norwegian rivers.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My information is that although this disease has led to mortalities in farmed salmon in Norway it has not affected wild stocks.

  Although there have been two outbreaks in Scotland affecting farmed salmon the disease is very restricted and there is no immediate cause for concern to wild or farmed stocks. The marine laboratory at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland is continuing. however, to monitor the situation.

  The Diseases of Fish Act 1937 prohibits the import into Great Britain of live salmon and trout and this safeguards against the more obvious risks of disease being introduced to native stocks.

  Road Accident Statistics
  Dr. Godman
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what statistical information he has, on an annual basis, covering the number of drivers and passengers killed in motor vehicle accidents where consumption of alcohol by one or more of the drivers is shown to be a significant factor;

  (2) what statistical information he has, on an annual basis, regarding the number of pedestrians killed or injured by motor vehicles where consumption of alcohol by a driver is shown to be a significant factor;

  (3) what statistical information he has, on an annual basis, regarding the number of cyclists killed or injured by motor vehicles where consumption of alcohol by a driver is shown to be a significant factor;

  (4) what information he has regarding the periods of the day in Scotland when road accidents in which alcohol is a contributory factor are most likely to occur.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Statistics of road users killed or injured in accidents in which alcohol was a significant factor are not available. However, the results of breath tests which motor vehicle drivers or riders may be required to undertake after being involved in an injury road accident are included in standard statistical returns held centrally. The table shows casualties associated with accidents in which at least one driver or rider failed a breath test in 1986:

  Severity of Injury

  Casualties

  Fatal

  Serious

  Slight

  Total

  Motor vehicle drivers/riders

  7

  250

  594

  851

  Motor vehicle passengers

  16

  221

  421

  658

  571

  Severity of Injury

  Casualties

  Fatal

  Serious

  Slight

  Total

  Pedestrians

  11

  63

  74

  148

  Pedal cyclists

  0

  1

  3

  4

  TOTAL

  34

  535

  1,092

  1,661

  The number of drivers and riders involved in injury road accidents, the number breath-tested, and the number of failures at different times of the day are given in table 15 of "Road Accidents, Scotland 1986", published today by the Government Statistical Service.

  Information about the blood alcohol concentrations of a limited number of road users aged 16 or more who died within 12 hours of involvement in a road accident is also available: and inferences from these statistics as regards the numbers of deaths of car travellers and pedestrians in which alcohol was a factor are to be found in paragraphs 5.4 and 5.5 of "Road Accidents, Scotland 1986".

  Labour Statistics
  Dr. Godman
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish figures showing unemployment by age group in Greenock and Port Glasgow.

  Mr. Lang
  On 9 April 1987 (the latest date for which information is available) the number of unemployed claimants by age group in the Greenock and Port Glasgow parliamentary constituency was as shown in the table.

  Age Group

  Unemployed Claimants

  Under 17

  154

  Aged 17

  275

  18

  379

  19

  339

  20–24

  1,703

  25–29

  1,230

  30–34

  932

  35–39

  791

  40–44

  746

  45–49

  714

  50–54

  626

  55–59

  603

  60 and over

  84

  TOTAL

  8,567

  This information is available in the Library.

  Electricity Industry (Privatisation)
  Mr. Salmond
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the reasons for the deadline for the submission of tenders from merchant banks to handle the privatisation of the Scottish electricity boards and the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board.

  Mr. Lang
  In bringing forward proposals for the privatisation of the electricity supply industry in Scotland many complex issues arise on which expert financial advice is required at the earliest possible stage.

  Gualin National Nature Reserve
  Dr. David Clark
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to whether the agreement between the Nature Conservancy Council and the owners of Gualin national nature reserve permits vehicular access through the reserve for the purposes of letting fishing to third parties.
  572
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I understand that the agreement between the Nature Conservancy Council and the owners of Gualin national nature reserve does not expressly provide for, or on the other hand prohibit, vehicular access through the reserve for fishing purposes.

  AIDS
  Mr. Bill Walker
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Government have any plans for the setting up of AIDS units in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  We have decided to set aside funds within the health programme to enable hospital units to be established in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee to care for AIDS patients. The health boards concerned are being asked to submit detailed plans, including costings, as soon as possible and we shall he making specific allocations to meet additional capital and running costs in 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91 of 15-bed units in Edinburgh and Glasgow and a 10-bed unit in Dundee.

  In reaching the view that these units should be set up, we have taken account of the recommendations of the working party under the general manager of Lothian health board which we set up last November to examine the health service implications of HIV infection in Scotland. The Government's response to the report has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and is being sent to all health boards asking them to take account of the recommendations in their forward planning for AIDS and HIV infection.

  Sheep Annual Premium
  Sir Hector Monro
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any progress has been made in obtaining the agreement of the European Community to the payment to Scottish crofters and farmers of sheep annual premium on untupped shearlings.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I am pleased that the Government's persistence has been rewarded by the agreement at a recent meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers of the European Community that crofters and farmers who keep untupped shearlings of specified breeds in certain areas of north and north west Scotland should in future be eligible to claim sheep annual premium on these animals. This decision will come as welcome news to the producers concerned, who farm in a very harsh environment.

  Scottish Development Agency (Grant Aid)
  Mr. Dewar
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the total numbers of applications for grant-aid made to the Scottish Development Agency in each year since 1979 and the number and percentage of these which were accepted in each year.

  Mr. Rifkind
  [pursuant to his reply, 6 July 1987, c. 33]Applications for grant-aid under the development of rural area workshops, programme for rural initiatives and developments and the local enterprise grants for urban projects (the agency's current recognised schemes of grant assistance), together with development grants to, for example, enterprise trusts, the training and employment grant scheme and better business scheme, are as set out in
  573
  the table. Details of applications before 1983–84, prior to the inception of the grant schemes, are not available, but it is understood these were few in number.

  Approved

  Year

  Applications

  Number

  per cent.

  1983–84

  1,169

  208

  17·8

  1984–85

  1,611

  276

  17·1

  1985–86

  7,857

  2,120

  27·0

  1986–87

  11,671

  3,455

  29·6

  The apparent high percentage rate of applications refused is accounted for by the large number of inquiries for assistance under TEGS which do not result in formal applications because they do not meet the geographical, unemployment or age criteria. A number are also turned down because the firm is unable to provide training of the desired quality or is already in receipt of public sector assistance.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Evennett
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what percentage of local government expenditure in England and Wales is represented by spending on education other than the payment of teachers' salaries;

  (2) what percentage of local government expenditure in England and Wales is represented by the payment of teachers' salaries.

  Mr. Chope
  In 1985–86 local government expenditure in England and Wales on teachers' salaries amounted to 22 per cent. of local authority gross spending on the rate fund revenue account. On education other than the payment of teachers' salaries and excluding school meals and milk it amounted to 21 per cent.

  Mr. Evennett
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of local government income in England and Wales comprises funds provided by central Government.

  Mr. Chope
  In 1985–86 Government grants and subsidies accounted for 43 per cent. of local government gross income from all accounts, in England and Wales.

  Professional Boxers
  Mr. Hayward
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has made to the British Boxing Board of Control regarding the board's powers over professional boxers licensed by the board.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have drawn to the British Boxing Board of Control's attention my concern over apparent mismatches in bouts involving British boxers. The board shares my concern. All boxers licensed in Britain have to reach very high standards of all round fitness and their licences are subject to annual re-examination. Every effort is made by the board to ensure that opponents are fairly matched. This is a matter for constant review by the board, which is now conducting a survey of the standard of foreign boxers being allowed to compete in Britain.

  British boxers must seek written permission from the board before taking part in a contest overseas. The record of the intended opponent is checked before permission is
  574
  granted and a number of requests by British boxers to compete abroad have been turned down in recent months. In addition, the board has decided that if in the future it is concerned that an intended opponent for a British boxer is not of a sufficiently high standard it will convey that concern to the commission under whose jurisdiction the contest is taking place.

  Every British boxer travelling abroad must have the international licence which has been developed by the World Boxing Council, largely at the instigation of the British board. I share the board's hope that this licence will become accepted worldwide and that all countries will adopt safety standards in line with those applied in Britain.

  Nottingham
  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by classification those projects approved and rejected for the Nottingham inner area programme for 1987–88.

  Mr. Trippier
  A list of newly-approved and rejected projects is as follows, classified by the four main urban programme objectives. In addition, projects deferred for further consideration are listed.

  New Approved Projects Nottingham Inner Area Programme 1987–88

  Project Title

  £(000)

  Economic Regeneration

  CODA

  23·7

  Pathway Hi-Tech

  23·9

  Business Support Fund

  75·0

  Sheltered Employment Scheme

  23·4

  Advance Business Centre: Training Support

  25·0

  Community Accounting Support Unit

  27·2

  City House Business Bureau

  23·9

  Business Development Officer

  5·3

  Nottingham Fashion Centre

  87·3

  Black Business Enterprise Agency

  49·5

  Clothing and Textile Workshops, Phase 2

  187·4

  Palin Court Phase 2

  158·0

  Glaisdale Park Advance Factory Units, Phase 2

  600·0

  Environmental Improvements

  Nottingham and Beeston Canal (Extension)

  20·0

  Lace Market Environmentals (Extension)

  10·0

  Mansfield Road/North Sherwood Street (Extension)

  30·0

  Trent Riverside (Extension)

  20·0

  Forest Fields POS (Extension)

  20·0

  Disabled Persons Conservation Project

  13·0

  Inner City Conservation Project

  38·0

  Goosegate Environment Improvements

  49·5

  Berridge Road Junction Improvements

  36·0

  Sneinton District Plan Revised Costs

  50·0

  Housing Support

  Arboretum Environmental (Extension)

  15·0

  Lenton District Plan (Extension)

  15·0

  Burns Street Area (Extension)

  35·0

  Lenton Sands (Extension)

  25·0

  Retaining Walls Work

  110·0

  Birkin Avenue/Belper Road HAAs

  25·0

  Age Concern Staying Put Scheme

  13·1

  Women's Aid Refuge

  14·6

  Transferable Support Scheme

  14·7

  Social

  Cavaliers

  34·5

  Highbury Vale Community Centre

  190·0

  Veitnamese Community Project

  53·0

  Nottingham Asian Women's Support Group

  16·3

  Forest Fields Playcentre Project

  24·0

  Madni Masjid and Muslim Education Centre

  10·0

  575

  Project Title

  £(000)

  Dial-A-Ride

  30·1

  Lenton Muslim Centre

  20·0

  Bestwood Estate Play Area

  30·0

  Radford Youth and Community Centre

  83·4

  Association of Musicians and Artists

  8·3

  Holiday Projects

  20·0

  Nottingham Furniture Service

  30·4

  New Basford Community Centre

  12·3

  Joint and Extended Use of Community Buildings

  20·0

  African Information, Cultural, Education, & Social Centre

  20·0

  Matsimela

  5·0

  Community Health Promotion Project Extension

  48·4

  Victoria Health Information Assistant

  12·0

  Sickle Cell Anaemia Community Screening

  19·5

  South and West Mental Health Ethnic Minority Worker

  10·7

  Ethnic Minority Diabetic Service

  9·8

  Deprived Sick Children Project

  13·7

  Rosebery House Day Centre Alterations

  18·7

  Community Link Worker Interpretation Scheme

  20·7

  Organisation for Sickle Cell Anaemia Research

  38·7

  Asian Women's Interpreting Scheme

  10·6

  Sherwood Rise Health Centre

  140·0

  Inner Area Programme Management

  74·7

  Nottingham

    Nottingham IAP 1987–88
    DEFERRED

    Economic

    Black Business Enterprise Workshops

    Crocus Place Industrial Units

    Social

    Meadows Muslim Centre

    CHROMA

    AIDS Information Project

    REJECTED

    Economic

    Nottingham Outworkers Support Scheme

    Basford Employment Scheme

    Social

    Inner City Executive

    Afro Caribbean and Asian Forum

    Lesbian Community Centre

    Translation and Interpretation Unit

    Jinnah Neighbourhood Centre

    Supplementary Education

    Patient Council Support Group
    Mr. Allen
    asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the rate support grant for each of the years from 1979 in constant prices for the city of Nottingham.

    Mr. Chope
    The figures requested are provided in the table:

    £ million

    1979–80

    29·157

    1980–81

    27·055

    1981–82

    14·953

    1982–83

    14·805

    1983–84

    16·018

    1984–85

    15·021

    1985–86

    16·404

    1986–87

    15·361

    1987–88

    15·852

    Notes:

    i. For 1979–80 and 1980–81, rate support grant comprised needs and resources elements and domestic rate relief grant, and was not paid on a basis comparable with later years.

    ii. From 1981–82 onwards, rate support grant comprises block grant and domestic rate relief grant.

    iii. The rate support grant figures for the years 1979–80 to 1982–83
    576
    are final entitlements. The domestic rate relief grant elements for 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1985–86 are also final entitlements; those for 1986–87 and 1987–88 are first estimates. The block grant elements for 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1985–86 are entitlements after holdback based upon provisional outturn; those for 1986–87 and 1987–88 are entitlements based on budgets.

    iv. The figures are expressed in 1987–88 prices using the GDP

  Beechdale Engineering, Nottingham
  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in favour of an urban development grant to assist Beechdale Engineering, Nottingham to relocate to the Blenheim industrial estate, Bulwell.

  Mr. Trippier
  None.

  Empty Houses (London)
  Mr. John Marshall
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council-owned houses and flats are vacant in each of the London boroughs.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The latest available information is for 1 April 1986 and was provided by London boroughs in their 1986 housing investment programme returns. The figures for each authority's vacant dwellings within its own area, including any awaiting demolition, appear in columns A99 and A97, respectively, of the "HIP1 (1986) All items print" which is in the Library.

  Rent Arrears (London)
  Mr. John Marshall
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of rent arrears in each of the London boroughs.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The latest information available to this Department on rent arrears is for 1 April 1986 and it was supplied in local authorities housing subsidy claim forms. The figures for individual London boroughs are in the tables of "Local authority rent arrears (England) at April 1986", which were placed in the Library on 10 December 1986.

  Rating Reform
  Ms. Quin
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations the Government have had with local authorities in England and Wales concerning the introduction of the community charge.

  Mr. Howard
  454 local authorities and associated bodies in England responded to the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714). There have been discussions with the local authority associations in the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance and in a working group of officials set up under the auspices of CCLGF. My Department also has frequent contacts with individual local authorities, at both ministerial and official level, about the community charge.

  I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales has conducted similar consultations with Welsh local authorities.

  Council House Purchase, Southwark
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the reasons for

  577
  delay in the purchase by Mr. and Mrs. Hunt of their council home at 16 Harfield gardens, Grove lane, S.E.5; and when he now expects Southwark council to complete the transaction.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Mr. and Mrs. Hunt's purchase was originally held up by a dispute over their discount entitlement and then was further delayed while the council obtained counsel's opinion on the terms of the lease. I understand that a completion date of 17 August is now proposed.

  Local Authority Housing (Midlands)
  Mr. Nellist
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a list of the number of local authority homes in each local authority in the east and west midlands which were considered to be in need of repair in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Information is not available in the form requested. The numbers of local authority dwellings which are unfit, fit but lacking basic amenities, and others needing major renovation are provided by local authorities in their annual housing investment programme returns. Figures appear in columns A31, A41, and A51 of the "HIP All items print" for 1984, 1985, and 1986, which are in the Library. For earlier years the corresponding figures appear in authorities' individual HIP returns, which are also in the Library.

  Water Authorities (Privatisation)
  Mr. Heddle
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how the Government intend to proceed with their proposals for the restructuring and privatisation of the water authorities in England and Wales.

  Mr. Ridley
  I have today published, together with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Wales and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food a policy and consultation paper entitled "The National Rivers Authority—a public regulatory body in a privatised water industry." This paper sets out our revised proposals for the restructuring of the water authorities, under which their utility functions of water supply, sewerage and sewage treatment and disposal, will be transferred to public limited companies, which will be offered for sale to the public; and their regulatory and river management functions will remain in the public sector and be given to a new National Rivers Authority. We consider that creating a regulatory body responsible for these functions and answerable to the Government will provide clear and comprehensible framework for the private sector operation of the utility functions which represent by far the largest part of water authorities' business.

  The proposals set out in the paper published today are the result of much careful consideration, but there are a number of aspects on which we are keen to receive comment from interested parties. These include of course the water authorities themselves, and we shall consult them closely in taking the policy forward. We intend to make rapid progress in our consultations so that we can draw up and introduce the necessary legislation as soon as practicable.

  Meanwhile, we are today introducing a Bill which will clarify the powers of the water authorities to prepare for
  578
  the restructuring and privatisation which we propose for the industry, and also to facilitate the carrying-out of domestic metering trials.

  I have arranged for copies of the policy arid consultation paper to be deposited in the Library of the House.

  Live Turtles
  Dr. David Clark
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields on 13 July about the implementation of CITES conferences resolution 2.12, how many live turtles have been imported into Grand Cayman from Nicaragua since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I shall answer this question shortly.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Inner City Task Forces
  Ms. Armstrong
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has for the future of the inner city task forces.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I announced an expansion of the inner cities initiative to 16 task forces on 27 April 1987, at column 31. Leaders and other staff of the task forces are now being appointed and premises found in the city areas they cover. Task forces are intended to promote local initiative and to improve the targeting of Government programmes in the chosen area. We are not committed to 16—task forces will be ended when they have completed their work, and new ones formed in areas which appear promising for this kind of pilot initiative.

  Rolls-Royce and British Airports Authority
  Mr. John David
  Taylor asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the titles of those newspapers in which advertisements for the offers of sale of shares in Rolls-Royce and British Airports Authority were placed.

  Mr. Butcher
  Public application forms for the sale of shares in Rolls-Royce plc were available in the following newspapers:

  Rolls-Royce plc

  Daily Mail

  The Daily Telegraph

  Financial Times Guardian

  The Independent

  The Times

  London Evening Standard

  Glasgow Herald

  The Scotsman

  Mail on Sunday

  Observer

  Sunday Telegraph

  The Sunday Times

  Birmingham Post

  Coventry Evening Telegraph

  Derby Evening Telegraph

  Lancashire Evening Telegraph

  Leicester Mercury

  Liverpool Post

  Manchester Evening News

  Nottingham Evening Post

  Sunderland Echo

  Western Daily Press

  Yorkshire Post

  579
  The sale of shares in BAA plc was the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.

  Research Funding
  Mr. Wilkinson
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the comparison of gross domestic product at 1987 prices between (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the United States of America, (c) Japan, (d) West Germany and (e) France, of the amount allocated by each country to military research.

  Mr. Butcher
  The available information relates to Government funding of research and development for defence purposes in 1985 and is given in the table. For countries other than the United Kingdom the information is obtained from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

  Government funding of R and D for defence purposes as a percentage of gross domestic product:

  Sources of funding of expenditure on research and development performed in higher education as a percentage of gross domestic product

  1United Kingdom

  United States of America

  2Japan

  West Germany

  France

  Source:

  Public Finance

  0·21

  0·31

  0·23

  0·38

  0·33

  Business Enterprise Sector

  0·01

  0·01

  0·01

  0·02

  30·00

  1 Relates to 1985, excludes social science and humanities.

  2 Data adjusted by OECD.

  3 Less than 0·005.

  Mr. Wilkinson
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the comparisons, as a percentage of gross domestic product by 1987 prices, between (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the United States of America, (c) Japan, (d) West Germany and (e) France of the total amounts spent by central Government and private industry on research funding.

  Sources of funding of gross expenditure on research and development as a percentage of gross domestic product

  United Kingdom

  United States of America

  1Japan

  West Germany

  1France

  Sources:

  Public Sector

  1·0

  1·4

  0·6

  1·0

  1·2

  Business Enterprise Sector

  1·1

  1·3

  1·7

  1·6

  0·9

  1 1984.

  Textiles (US Trade Bill)
  Mr. Latham
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has made to the Department of Commerce of the United States of America regarding the threat to the United Kingdom textile industry posed by the Textile and Apparel Trade Bill, currently before the Congress; and what reply he has received.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  When he was in Washington in March, the previous Secretary of State for Trade and Industry made clear to the United States Administration and to Members of Congress the United Kingdom Government's
  580

  Per cent.

  United Kingdom

  0·7

  United States of America

  0·9

  Japan1

  0·0

  West Germany

  0·1

  France

  0·5

  1 Less than 0·05 in 1983 the latest available year.

  Mr. Wilkinson
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the comparisons, as a percentage of gross domestic product at 1987 prices between (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the United States of America, (c) Japan, (d) West Germany and (e) France, for research funding in academic institutions by central Government and private industry.

  Mr. Butcher
  The available information for countries other than the United Kingdom relates to 1983 and is obtained from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The data are shown in the table.

  Mr. Butcher
  The available information relates to 1985 and is given in the table. For countries other than the United Kingdom it is obtained from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

  strong opposition to the Textile and Apparel Trade Bill. The United States Administration are also opposed to the Bill.

  Mr. Rupert Murdoch
  Mr. Fisher
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what occasions during the past 12 months the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has met Mr. Rupert Murdoch.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  My right hon. and noble Friend has met the proprietors of all the major newspaper publishing companies during the last 12 months. He last
  581
  met Mr. Murdoch on 21 May 1987 at Wapping, when he was Secretary of State for Employment. This was their only meeting during the period.

  News International Ltd.
  Mr. Fisher
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what occasions during the past 12 months the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has visited News International Ltd. at Wapping.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  My right hon. and Noble Friend has visited the News International plant at Wapping on only one occasion, when he was Secretary of State for Employment. This was on 21 May 1987.

  Textiles (Statistics)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will publish as a table in the Official Report the United Kingdom imports and exports of textiles and clothing from and to (a) other individual European Community countries, (b) the rest of the world and (c) the European Community for each year since 1970;

  (2) what are the figures for imports and exports of textiles and clothing between the United Kingdom and, separately, the European Community and the rest of the world in real terms for each year since 1975.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what information he has regarding average unit labour costs in the textile and clothing industries of each country involved in the multi-fibre arrangement;

  (2) if he will publish as a table in the Official Report the average hourly labour costs within the textile industries of Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, West Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United States of America, Italy, Japan, France, Austria, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Macao and Thailand for the latest year for which figures are available, showing the costs in £ sterling and as an index with the United Kingdom as 100.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  This information is not collected by the Department and I can not readily identify a published source of the information to which the hon. Gentleman could be referred.

  Toxic Household Goods (Safety)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what regulations control the packaging of bleaches, weedkiller, drain cleaners and other toxic household goods to ensure the safety of children.

  Mr. Maude
  The Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Dangerous Substances Regulations 1984, which came into operation on 12 December 1984, set out 582
  packaging and labelling requirements for hazardous household chemicals to warn parents to keep them away from small children. The Child Resistant Packaging (Safety) Regulations 1986, which come into force on 1 December this year, prescribe child resistant packaging for the more hazardous household chemicals, including weedkiller, drain cleaner, oven cleaner, white spirit and paint stripper. Whilst ordinary household bleach is only classified as an "irritant" and child resistant containers are not therefore mandatory, I understand that many suppliers are now using them of their own volition. I welcome this responsible action.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Facsimile Machines
  Mr. Heddle
  asked the Lord Privy Seal if he has any plans to introduce further facsimile machines for the use of right hon. and hon. Members.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No. Right hon. and hon. Members may make use of the facsimile transmission machine in the Central Lobby Post Office on repayment or, alternatively, they may purchase machines for their personal use from their secretarial allowance.

  Ministers' Pay
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  asked the Lord Privy Seal, if he will make a statement about Ministers' pay.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The salaries of Ministers and other paid office holders were last increased from 1 January 1987 under the terms of the Ministerial and Other Salaries Order 1983, and will remain at these levels until they are superseded by a new order. The Government have considered possible changes to ministerial salaries against the background of the 21·9 per cent. increase in the salaries of Members of Parliament that will take place on 1 January 1988 if the House decides to confirm the resolution of 26 July 1983 linking the parliamentary salary to a Civil Service pay scale. The Government do not consider that a similar percentage increase in the salaries. of Ministers and other office holders would be justified. Instead, they propose that all Ministers and office holders should receive the same cash increase of £4,048 as Members of Parliament are due to receive from I January 1988. Ministers and other office holders in the House of Commons will receive an increase of £3,036 in their parliamentary salaries from 1 January 1988 under the terms of the resolution of 26 July 1983. It is proposed to award them cash increases of £1,012 in their ministerial salaries to bring their overall increase up to £4,048. The salaries of Ministers and other office holders in the House of Lords will also be increased by £4,048. The details are set out in the table. I have today laid the draft Ministerial and Other Salaries Order 1987 to implement these changes.
  583

  Ministers and Other Paid Office Holders

  Office

  Current official salary

  January 1988 official salary

  Percentage increase

  Current salary (including Parliamentary salary)

  January 1988 (including Parliamentary salary)

  Percentage increase

  Prime Minister

  44,775

  45,787

  2·3

  58,650

  62,698

  6·9

  Mr. Speaker

  34,875

  35,887

  2·9

  48,750

  52,798

  8·3

  Cabinet Minister (C)

  33,145

  34,157

  3·1

  47,020

  51,068

  8·6

  Cabinet Minister (L)

  36,390

  40,438

  11·1

  Minister of State (C)

  22,875

  23,887

  4·4

  36,750

  40,798

  11·0

  Minister of State (L)

  30,640

  34,688

  13·2

  Parliamentary Secretary (C)

  16,885

  17,897

  6·0

  30,760

  34,808

  13·2

  Parliamentary Secretary (L)

  24,640

  28,688

  16·4

  Attorney General

  35,345

  36,357

  2·9

  49,220

  53,268

  8·2

  Solicitor General

  28,625

  29,637

  3·5

  42,500

  46,548

  9·5

  Lord Advocate

  36,460

  40,508

  11·1

  Solicitor-General for Scotland

  24,085

  34,956

  45·1

  House of Commons

  Leader of the Opposition

  30,225

  31,237

  3·3

  44,100

  48,148

  9·2

  Chief Whip

  27,255

  28,267

  3·7

  41,130

  45,178

  9·8

  Deputy Chief Whip

  22,875

  23,887

  4·4

  36,750

  40,798

  11·0

  Opposition Chief Whip

  22,875

  23,887

  4·4

  36,750

  40,798

  11·0

  Government Whip

  13,815

  14,827

  7·3

  27,690

  31,738

  14·6

  Assistant Opposition Whip

  13,815

  14,827

  7·3

  27,690

  31,738

  14·6

  Chairman, Ways and Means

  22,875

  23,887

  4·4

  36,750

  40,798

  11·0

  Deputy Chairman, Ways and Means

  19,865

  20,877

  5·1

  33,740

  37,788

  12·0

  House of Lords

  Chief Whip

  30,640

  34,688

  13·2

  Deputy Chief Whip

  24,640

  28,688

  16·4

  Government Whip

  21,570

  25,618

  18·8

  Opposition Leader

  24,640

  28,688

  16·4

  Opposition Chief Whip

  21,570

  25,618

  18·8

  Chairman of Committees

  30,640

  34,688

  13·2

  Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees

  27,530

  31,578

  14·7

  Members of Parliament

  18,500

  22,548

  21·9

  Notes:

  (a) The Prime Minister has elected to receive the same salary as a Cabinet Minister in the House of Commons.

  (b) The Lord Chancellor's salary is governed by the Lord Chancellor's Salary Order 1987 and is not affected by this order. (He receives £82,690 rising to £83,000 from 1 October 1987).

  (c) The Solicitor-General for Scotland's salary has been adjusted because the holder of the office is no longer a Member of the House of Commons. His previous ministerial salary has been increased by the difference between the ministerial salaries of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General for England and Wales. Prior to 1981 the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General for England and Wales received the same salary. However, from 1981 the Lord Advocate, who was no longer a Member of the Commons, benefited from the higher ministerial salary that Ministers in the Lords receive compared with their Commons counterparts. Now that the Solicitor-General for Scotland is not a Member of the House of Commons his previous ministerial salary will be increased by the differential between the ministerial salaries of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General for England and Wales. If the holder of the office of Solicitor-General for Scotland were again to be a Member of the House of Commons this arrangement would lapse.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  2,4,5-T
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what restrictions apply to use of the weedkiller 2,4,5-T in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Products containing 2,4,5-T are approved for professional use for the control of weeds in pastures, on non-edible crops, as a pre-sowing, pre-planting or post-crop emergence herbicide on any edible crop, as a control of scrub in forestry and plantations and for the control of heather and woody weeds in coniferous plantations. Only dilute formulations are approved for amateur use.

  Only those products containing 2,4,5-T which have specific approval from Ministers may be used. From 1 January 1988 users must comply with the conditions of
  584
  approval related to use, which are concerned with areas of use, protective clothing, application rates and precautions. These are specified on product labels.

  Saithe Catch Quotas
  Mr. Randall
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to compensate those companies which did not exceed the saithe catch quotas allocated to them for area six before the closure of this fishery; and what corresponding action he will take with those companies which exceeded their quotas in this area.

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

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. John
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will set out the amounts of common agricultural policy surplus production held in each of the stores used for that purpose in the United Kingdom;
  585
  (2) what is the location, by town, of the stores used for the storage of common agricultural policy surpluses in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [pursuant to his reply, 14 July 1987]: At 31 March 1987 intervention stocks at each location in the United Kingdom were:

  Cereals

  Location

  Tonnes

  England

  Alford

  7,412

  Ancaster

  4,172

  Avonmouth

  4,141

  Banbury

  22,298

  Bardney

  16,806

  Belford

  6,567

  Birmingham

  78,378

  Boston

  330

  Braintree

  15,096

  Bressingham

  18,997

  Bury St. Edmunds

  47,338

  Chipping Warden

  12,273

  Christchurch

  14,384

  Cleveland

  25,754

  Colnbrook

  20,394

  Colsterworth

  9,478

  Corby

  94

  Coventry

  22,996

  Dagenham

  837

  Diss

  11,972

  Doncaster

  37,336

  Downham Market

  11,426

  Driffield

  6,920

  Droitwich

  1,945

  Dudley

  1,596

  Ely

  86,934

  Elsworth

  10,338

  Fakenham

  775

  Felixstowe

  41,365

  Finmere

  10,164

  Foulsham

  16,533

  Fulbourn

  4,223

  Gainsborough

  9,698

  Gloucester

  54,413

  Grantham

  57,684

  Grimsby

  3,142

  Hadleigh

  4,450

  Halesworth

  75,732

  Haresfield

  18,466

  Hartlebury

  48,714

  Hayes

  4,495

  Heighington

  5,119

  Hemswell

  74,485

  Holton Le Clay

  14,493

  Honeybourne

  22,613

  Hoveringham

  15,762

  Hull

  30,765

  Huntingdon

  25,216

  Ipswich

  35,080

  Kings Lynn

  59,026

  Lincoln

  77,192

  Linton

  13

  Long Eaton

  26

  Luton

  27,875

  Lutterworth

  27,586

  Lympne

  9,760

  Maldon

  38,074

  Manby

  26,809

  Market Marborough

  6,843

  Market Rasen

  10,717

  Melmerby

  25,912

  Membury

  13,531

  Misson

  25,610

  Mistley

  3,065

  Newmarket

  43,046

  Norwich

  21,233

  586

  Location

  Tonnes

  Oldbury

  13,587

  Owmby

  9,005

  Pebmarsh

  6,442

  Prees Heath

  35,194

  Ray don

  9,113

  Retford

  18,783

  Royston

  19,719

  Salisbury

  65,049

  Sawston

  14,776

  Scunthorpe

  57,800

  Selby

  7,174

  Skegness

  1,266

  Sleaford

  8,866

  Snetterton

  36,285

  Southampton

  6,672

  South Wigston

  1,328

  Spalding

  8,235

  Staughton

  16,237

  Stoke Ferry

  9,048

  Stowmarket

  36,370

  Stretham

  12,875

  Sudbury

  2,980

  Swinderby

  7,199

  Swindon

  21,798

  Tangmere

  9,641

  Telford

  767

  Thetford

  8,271

  Tuxford

  8,586

  Uttoxeter

  415

  Watford

  60,506

  Wednesbury

  17,954

  Wellingborough

  178

  Westbury

  8,517

  West Hallam

  27,342

  Whtttlesford

  22,258

  Wimblington

  15,407

  Wingham

  64

  Wisbech

  42,161

  Witney

  10,067

  Woodbridge

  79

  Wroughton

  30,567

  Wymeswold

  13

  Yatesbury

  17,412

  York

  35,843

  Scotland

  Airdrie

  19,483

  Duns

  89,681

  Dysart

  35,829

  Glenrothes

  23,655

  Granton

  17

  Keith

  31,882

  Kirkcaldy

  14,408

  Kirknewton

  17,507

  Locharbriggs

  40,886

  Newmarchar

  4,149

  Ormiston

  65,241

  Penicuik

  9,989

  Stracathro

  52,596

  Tranent

  20,603

  Turrif

  41,122

  Wales

  Monmouth

  19,303

  Skimmed Milk Powder

  Location

  MT

  England

  Billingham

  354

  Bridgwater

  83

  Chard

  600

  Cockermouth

  80

  Exeter

  3,333

  Great Torrington

  240

  High Ercall

  1,530

  587

  Location

  MT

  Knockin Heath

  480

  Market Drayton

  280

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  240

  Newton Abbot

  10

  Nuneaton

  30

  Oswestry

  120

  Penrith

  360

  Plymouth

  40

  Stonehouse (Gloucester)

  200

  Whitchurch (Shropshire)

  1,200

  Scotland

  Cumbernauld

  321

  Wales

  Grymych

  1,520

  Llanelli

  835

  St. Clease

  10

  Northern Ireland

  Bambridge

  5,026

  Coleraine

  512

  Moneymore

  246

  Strabane

  1,356

  Northern Ireland sub-total

  7,140

  GRAND TOTAL

  19,006

  Beef

  Location

  Tonnes

  England

  Avonmouth (2)

  463

  Bishop's Stortford

  7

  Blackburn

  1,358

  Bourne

  7

  Bury St. Edmunds

  438

  Cambridge

  9

  Cannock

  252

  Colnbrook

  307

  Cullompton

  58

  Dagenham

  29

  Doncaster

  18

  Droitwich

  110

  Eastleigh

  88

  Exeter

  129

  Felixstowe

  37

  Fleetwood

  81

  Frome

  128

  Gateshead

  75

  Gillingham

  332

  Grantham (2)

  4,938

  Hertford

  75

  Hull (4)

  5,341

  Kings Lynn (2)

  1,306

  Leeds (3)

  760

  Leicester

  33

  Liverpool (4)

  144

  London (3)

  820

  Lowestoft

  14

  Maidstone (2)

  69

  Manchester

  172

  Northallerton

  11

  Northampton

  88

  Nottingham

  56

  Oswestry

  25

  Paddock Wood

  129

  Peterborough (2)

  1,529

  Plymouth

  10

  Pontefract

  707

  Reading

  29

  St. Helens

  9

  Salford

  290

  Sherborne

  77

  Shrewsbury

  1,083

  588

  Location

  Tonnes

  Stourport-on-Severn

  40

  Truro

  268

  Walsall

  264

  Warwick

  64

  Wigan

  249

  Wigston

  58

  Wolverhampton

  507

  Scotland

  Aberdeen (2)

  2,005

  Bellshill

  29

  Bridge of Allan

  13

  Dundee

  330

  Edinburgh (3)

  74

  Fraserburgh

  197

  Glasgow (2)

  318

  Glenrothes

  1,075

  Inverness

  324

  Peterhead

  9

  Wales

  Cardiff

  19

  Rhyl

  50

  Northern Ireland

  Antrim

  1,801

  Ballymena

  840

  Belfast (3)

  1,389

  Coleraine

  872

  Craigavon (3)

  9,167

  Dungannon

  1,911

  Lisburn (2)

  3,490

  Newry

  91

  Newtonabbey (2)

  5,955

  Omagh

  2,090

  Portadown

  10

  Strabane

  236

  Intervention Butler

  Location

  Tonnes

  England

  Ashton in Makerfield

  1,867

  Avonmouth

  990

  Aylesford

  90

  Banbury

  516

  Birkenhead

  1,080

  Bristol

  16,020

  Buxton

  878

  Cambourne

  603

  Cannock

  3,135

  Chard

  474

  Cheltenham

  434

  Chester

  1,062

  Colnbrook

  9,636

  Cullompton

  6,737

  Derby

  1,137

  Doncaster

  4,128

  Droitwich

  3,056

  Eastleigh

  815

  Easton

  116

  Exeter

  2,429

  Fleetwood

  1,942

  Frome

  2,647

  Gateshead

  721

  Gillingham

  810

  Gloucester

  733

  Goole

  445

  Great Harwood

  276

  Grimsby

  4,258

  Hereford

  1,142

  Heywood

  247

  Hull

  4,852

  Kings Lynn

  3,064

  Leeds

  3,064

  Leek

  572

  589

  Location

  Tonnes

  Liverpool

  19,917

  London

  11,771

  Lowestoft

  2,260

  Luton

  912

  Manchester

  3,980

  Marston

  4,528

  Milford Haven

  438

  Milton Keynes

  319

  Newcastle

  1,170

  Northallerton

  5,687

  Nottingham

  342

  Nuneaton

  100

  Oswestry

  2,724

  Peterborough

  4,235

  Plymouth

  1,347

  Preston

  1,709

  Reading

  2,088

  Retford

  1,638

  Rochdale

  526

  Salford

  3,535

  Sevenoaks

  1,606

  Sheffield

  1,605

  Sherborne

  2,211

  Shrewsbury

  1,712

  Stoke-on-Trent

  470

  Stourport

  2,220

  Taunton

  3,622

  Tewkesbury

  2,770

  Thetford

  1,517

  Truro

  2,938

  Walsall

  1,885

  Warrington

  1,218

  Warwick

  1,488

  Wigan

  42

  Wigston

  1,511

  Wolverhampton

  6,523

  Yeovil

  168

  Yate

  629

  Scotland

  Aberdeen

  821

  Dundee

  540

  Edinburgh

  1,976

  Glasgow

  5,325

  Glenrothes

  4,891

  Inverness

  36

  Wales

  Cardiff

  12,263

  Merthyr

  560

  Newport

  1,243

  Rhyl

  1,172

  Swansea

  1,269

  Whitland

  280

  Northern Ireland

  Annalong

  313

  Augher

  814

  Ballymena

  133

  Banbridge

  3,660

  Belfast

  2,122

  Coleraine

  2,036

  Dungannon

  120

  Eglinton

  242

  Lisburn

  1,471

  Londonderry

  846

  Newtownabbey

  1,177

  Omagh

  330

  Portadown

  2,352

  Strabane

  3,206

EMPOLYMENT

  Women
  Ms. Richardson
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the number of women which comprise (a) the 139 per cent. increase in the number of women managers, (b) the 282 per cent. increase in women engineers and scientists, (c) the 134 per cent. increase of women in construction craft occupations as stated in the Home Office report "The Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women: A Review" and (d) the proportion of women within the total work force in each of these occupations since 1971.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The figures underlying the percentage increases quoted in the report were derived by the Institute of Employment Research at Warwick university from the results of the 1971 and 1981 censuses of population and are reproduced in the table.

  Women in Employment in Selected Occupation Groups1

  1971

  1981

  Occupation group1

  Number (000's)2

  Per cent

  Number (000's)2

  Per Cent

  Managers and administrators

  23

  0·3

  56

  0·6

  Engineers and scientists

  8

  0·1

  32

  0·4

  Construction craft occupations

  3

  —

  7

  0·1

  All occupation groups

  8,690

  100

  9,134

  100

  Notes:

  1 The occupational classifications used are the "Warwick Occupational Categories" defined by the Institute of Employment Research at Warwick university.

  2 Estimated numbers in employment were derived from the 10 per cent. sample of census returns that were coded for occupation.

  —denotes percentage less than 0·1.

  Job Training Scheme
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the job training scheme.

  Mr. Cope
  Over 13,000 trainees are currently participating in the scheme with the support and co-operation of rapidly increasing numbers of employers, both large and small. I regret the irresponsible attempts of trade unions to obstruct the new job training scheme, which is designed to bridge the gap between the skills that industry wants to employ and the skills that those out of work for six months or more have to offer. I am convinced that the scheme will go from strength to strength and that trade unions will fail in their attempt to prevent long-term unemployed people receiving the training they need for employment.

  Growth Strategy
  Ms. Quin
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions have taken place between the Government and trades unions, including the Trades Union Congress, concerning the commitment to implement the European Commission's co-operative strategy for more employment.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The draft summary and conclusions of the European Commission's Annual Economic Report",
  591
  which called on the Community to press ahead with the co-operative growth strategy, were discussed at the December 1986 meeting of the National Economic Development Council. Employment issues have also been discussed at several other NEDC meetings.

  Textile and Clothing Industries
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has concerning the number of people employed as full-time equivalents in the textiles and clothing industries for each quarter in the last eight years.

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

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Age Allowance
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of those aged 65 years or over liable to income tax who fail to claim the age allowance; and whether he will takes steps to grant the age allowance automatically to those aged 65 years or over without the obligation to claim.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  No information is available on the number of those aged 65 and over who have failed to claim age allowance, but there is no evidence to suggest that the figure is substantial.

  In order to give the benefit of age allowance the tax office needs to know the date of birth of the taxpayer (and his wife). A taxpayer is asked to show this information on his tax return if either he or his wife will be aged over 60 or over during the coming year. Although most taxpayers are not now regularly asked to complete tax returns, where a taxpayer retires from full-time employment he will normally be asked to make a return, and this will give him the opportunity to supply the information. If he does so he can normally expect age allowance to be given at the appropriate time without any further action on his part, provided that his income (including his wife's income) is within the appropriate limit.

  If my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind I should be glad to look into it if he will let me have the necessary details.

  Privatisation
  Mr. John David Taylor
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why advertisements for the offers for sale of shares in state companies are restricted to newspapers published in Great Britain; why no such advertisements are placed in newspapers published in Northern Ireland; and if he will ensure that United Kingdom citizens in Northern Ireland are given the same opportunity to apply for these shares.

  Mr. Lawson
  It is a matter for the Government Department responsible for each sale to decide advertising policy for that sale. It is usual practice for offer for sale advertisements to be placed in several newspapers available throughout the United Kingdom so that all United Kingdom citizens are equally well informed about application procedures for shares in privatised companies.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. John Townend
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of staff-in-post in central Government Departments at 1 April.

  Mr. Major
  At 1 April 1987 there were 597,814 staff in post in central Government Departments. Of these, 507,460 were non-industrials and 90,354 were industrials.

  Income Tax
  Mr. McCrindle
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost of raising the income tax threshold to £4,000; how many people this would take out of tax altogether; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [pursuant to his reply, 14 July 1987]: The estimated full-year cost of changing all income tax thresholds to £4,000 would be just over £5½ billion at 1987–88 levels of income and 2·2 million tax units (single people and married couples) would be taken out of tax. These figures assume that the single person's allowance, the wife's earned income allowance, the married man's allowance and the age allowances are all changed to £4,000. This means that the age allowances for married couples would be lowered from their present levels and, as a consequence, 200,000 married couples aged 65 or over would be brought into tax. Overall, there would be 2 million fewer single people and married couples paying tax as a result of the measure.

TRANSPORT

  Small Businesses
  Mr. David Shaw
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the achievements of his Department in helping small businesses over the last three years; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.

  Mr. Channon
  Achievements over the last three years are as follows:

  For bus, minibus and taxi operators:

  —the many more business opportunities provided in the Transport Act 1985 by the deregulation of local bus services.

  For bus and lorry operators:

  —an increased flexibility in drivers' hours arrangements allowed by changes successfully negotiated in EC regulations, and the removal of some controls imposed by the Transport Act 1968.

  For international hauliers:

  —the agreed removal of quantity restrictions on international road haulage within the EC.

  For business men with roadside premises:

  —a relaxation of my power to direct refusal of planning applications, and the proposed removal of local highway authorities' powers in England and Wales to block applications, for certain roadside developments.

  For airline operators:

  —new bilateral agreements with Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany and Luxembourg.

  For helicopter operators:

  —the scrapping by the Civil Aviation Authority of

  593
  licensing requirements for services to oil rigs outside the United Kingdom.

  For shipowners:

  —simpler and less costly arrangements for bringing secondhand ships onto the United Kingdom register.

  For shipowners in coastal trade:

  —an agreement with the West German Government, allowing United Kingdom vessels access to German coastal trades on a reciprocal basis.

  For MOT garages:

  —provision to allow MOT testing stations to use fewer forms.

  For the supply industry:

  —the British Railways Board were asked to obtain more supply and support services, including rail and station catering, from the private sector.

  —the procurement organisation recently set up to direct all the Department's purchasing, will take steps to encourage the use of small firms where appropriate.

  The procurement organisation is in the process of establishing suitable performance indicators to monitor the use of small firms, and the Transport and Road Research Laboratory is monitoring the effects of bus deregulation under the Transport Act 1985. The other measures do not lend themselves in the same way to the use of statistical performance indicators.

  BAA (Share Offer)
  Mr. John David Taylor
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport in which newspapers published in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) Northern Ireland the offer for sales of shares in the British Airports Authority was advertised.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The BAA full and abridged prospectuses containing application forms for BAA shares were published only in national newspapers or those that enjoy a large circulation in the vicinity of BAA plc's airports. The following newspapers were used:

  The Aberdeen Press and Journal

  Daily Express

  Daily Mail

  The Daily Telegraph

  Financial Times

  Glasgow Herald

  The Guardian

  The Independent

  London Daily News

  The London Evening Standard

  The Mail on Sunday

  The Scotsman

  Sunday Express

  The Sunday Times

  The Times

  Ship Registration
  Mr. Wallace
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport what responses were received to the consultative document on ship registration; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Some 50 responses to the March 1984 consultative document were received. The Merchant Shipping Bill to be introduced this autumn will take forward some of the proposals in the consultative document, in particular those on eligibility to register and on the categorisation of dependent territory registers.

  British Rail
  Dr. Marek
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport which parts of British Rail are currently under consideration for disposal to the private sector; for each part, how much profit or loss was made in each of the last five years; and how much was spent on infrastructure and maintenance.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The Railways Board is currently considering disposal of British Transport Advertising and of Doncaster Wagon Works Ltd. BTA previously acted for the Railways Board and its other principals on a non-profit making agency basis. Doncaster Wagon Works was part of the Doncaster works of BREL until April this year, and no separate historical financial information is available.

  Herald of Free Enterprise (Report)
  Mr. David Shaw asked
  the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the report of the formal investigation into the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise.

  Mr. Channon
  I understand that Mr. Justice Sheene intends to deliver his report in court on Friday 24 July.

  A47 (Dual Carriageway)
  Mr. Carttiss
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of recent fatal accidents, he will make an early statement on the priorities he plans to give to constructing the A47 Acle to Great Yarmouth Straight to dual carriageway standards.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There are no early plans for dualling this length. Norfolk county council, as the Department's agent, was asked in mid-May to assess the justification for its improvement. Its study will have regard to the accident record.

DEFENCE

  Trident
  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his answer of 6 July, Official Report, column 63, he will publish the contractual terms of the Trident programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is not the practice to release details on contractual arrangements as these are commercially confidential. However, given the parliamentary interest in the break clause of the contract for the first Trident submarine, my predecessor placed a copy of this in the Library of the House on 8 May 1986 after first obtaining the agreement of the company.

  Nerve Gas
  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the expenditure and projected expenditure on the procurement of nerve gas detection equipment for each of the years 1979 to 1995.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Expenditure on procurement of nerve gas detection equipment for the years in question was as follows:
  595

  £ million

  1979–80

  nil

  1980–81

  1·21

  1981–82

  0·58

  1982–83

  3·63

  1983–84

  5·95

  1984–85

  4·50

  1985–86

  4·51

  1986–87

  9·37

  Expenditure in future years is, of course, a matter to be considered in the light of future needs and cannot be usefully speculated upon here.

  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence who are the main suppliers of nerve gas detection equipment to his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The current main suppliers of nerve gas detection equipment to the Ministry of Defence are Thorn EMI Electronics Ltd. of Nottingham and Graseby Ionics Ltd. of Watford.

  Mr. Key
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use of members of Her Majesty's forces in experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, near Salisbury.

  Mr. O'Neill
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been exposed to nerve gas at Porton Down in each year since 1962; over how long a period these experiments have been conducted; how many of those exposed have subsequently left the service; how their reactions are monitored; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Chemical Defence Establishment is responsible for research and development aimed at providing effective protection for our service personnel against chemical and biological warfare agents, should these ever be used against them. As part of this essential work, volunteers are invited from the armed services to participate in a range of studies, one element of which involves exposure to very low and medically-safe concentrations of potential chemical warfare agents in order to determine the ability of unprotected personnel to operate normally in such an environment.

  Studies of this nature have been conducted ever since the CDE was established during world war 1. A precise figure for the total number of volunteers over the years is not available but since world war 2 approximately 3,500 service personnel have participated in studies involving exposure to safe concentrations of potential chemical warfare agents. A year-by-year breakdown of this figure cannot be given for security reasons—since such data could enable an informed observer to gain a useful insight into the scope and direction of our chemical defence programme. Information is not available on the number of volunteers who have since left the services.

  Studies involving such exposures are permitted only after approval by both CDE medically-qualified personnel and a panel of distinguished medical authorities from outside the Ministry of Defence. Before any volunteer study is authorised, a clear need for it must be identified and fully adequate arrangements defined for the safety and welfare of volunteers. Guidelines approved by the Royal College of Physicians are observed throughout.

  Volunteers are invited from all branches of the armed forces and no one is put under any pressure whatever to
  596
  apply or, having applied, to continue. Indeed, it is made clear to those who come to the CDE that they are free to withdraw at any time for whatever reason and without prejudice to themselves. They are also given full information on the nature, object and duration of the tests for which they have volunteered in the presence of a service officer who is not involved in the programme and whose role it is to safeguard the interests of the volunteers.

  All volunteers are given a thorough medical examination on arrival at the CDE and before their departure. Each volunteer's participation is recorded in his/her medical file. Service medical records are available, if required, to civilian medical practitioners after Service personnel have returned to civilian life.

  Mr. O'Neill
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to how many members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Alliance allow members of their service personnel to be exposed to nerve gases.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  National practice in such areas is a matter for the Governments concerned. It would not be appropriate for Her Majesty's Government to comment.

  Mr. Churchill
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the use of members of Her Majesty's forces in experiments involving exposure to nerve gases and other toxic chemicals; how many individuals have been so exposed in each of the past 10 years; and if they are required to sign any document that would have the effect of waiving their rights to sue for compensation under the terms of the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987 in the event of injury or death.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply today to my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury.

  The repeal of section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947, which was brought about by the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987 and which came into effect on 15 May 1987, gives service personnel participating in volunteer studies at the CDE and their dependants the right to sue the Ministry of Defence, its servants or agents in common law for any negligent act or omission which has resulted in personal injury, disease or death. This position is made clear to service personnel participating in volunteer studies and they are not required to sign any document which would have the effect of waiving this right.

  120 mm DS/T Shot
  Mr. McWilliam
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to place the second part of the 1987–88 order for 120 mm DS/T shot; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Provided that satisfactory prices can be agreed, we intend to place an order for a further tranche of our 1987–88 requirement for 120 mm DS/T Shot as soon as is possible.

  RAF Boulmer
  Mr. Beith
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters at RAF Boulmer have been vacant for more than 12 months.

  Mr. Freeman
  I shall reply shortly.

  FH70 Ammunition
  Mr. McWilliam
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the non-delivery of FH70 ammunition from Rheinmetal GMbH relating to orders placed more than two years ago.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Deliveries of L15 high explosive shell under the current contract with Rheinmetal GMbH in April 1986 and have been maintained steadily since then. Ninety five per cent. of the shells due under this order have been delivered.

  Service Voters
  Mr. Churchill
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the percentages of service personnel in each of the armed forces who are registered on the index of service voters; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that in future nearly half the Royal Air Force, one third of the Army and one quarter of the Royal Navy, together with many of their spouses are not disfranchised in future elections.

  Mr. Freeman
  Responsibility for registration rests upon the individual and it is not within our power to compel service personnel to register. However, we shall continue to strive for higher numbers on the index by a constant process of encouragement. This will include: advice during training; the production of Defence Council instructions advising commanding officers of their obligation to encourage maximum registration; notice board information material; articles; broadcasts; advertisements and advisory booklets (in conjunction with the Home Office), and liaison with electoral registration offices.

  End User Certificates
  Mr. McWilliam
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence which companies from which his Department has ordered arms or equipment over the last five years have been prosecuted for illegally supplying arms or equipment with false end user certificates; and what was the result of each such prosecution.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Ministry of Defence does not hold the information in the form requested. However, I can assure the hon. Member that before any contracts are placed all the relevant circumstances relating to the award of the contract are taken into account. This would, of course, include the reputation of the suppliers in question.

  Support Services, Germany (Privatisation)
  Mr. Cryer
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place a copy of the special study on the privatisation of support services for British forces in Germany in the Library.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The report is a classified document which is commercially sensitive and is, in any case, still under consideration. I will, however, arrange for the hon. Member to receive a copy of the consultative document which has been issued to work force representatives.

  Mr. Cryer
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the special study examining the scope for extending the use of contractors to provide support services for the British forces in Germany has been completed and recommendations submitted to the Commander-in-Chief; and if he will make a statement.
  598
  Mr. Sainsbury
  A study into the scope for extending the use of contractors to provide supporting services to the British forces in Germany was completed in 1986. The study examined the factors surrounding the application of competitive tendering in the theatre, and put forward a strategy for efficiency and competition aimed at securing better value for money, including the formation of a joint efficiency team reporting to the Commanders-in-Chief Committee (Germany). Representatives of the civilian work force have been consulted and their views will be taken into account in reaching decisions on the implementation of the study's recommendations.

  Aircraft Losses
  Mr. Cryer
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of aircraft damaged beyond repair by all services in routine flying exercises since 1979; and what is the total cost of these losses in (a) lives lost and (b) cash.

  Mr. Freeman
  In each year's "Statement on the Defence Estimates" are set out the details of all accidents involving loss of, or serious damage to, aircraft of the three services, as well as resultant fatalities. In the time available, it has not been possible to separate out or cost the information asked for without disproportionate effort.

  Exercise Purple Warrior
  Mr. Wilson
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the proposed locations of the amphibious landings and parachute assault landings in Galloway, Arran and Kintyre during Exercise Purple Warrior in November in the current year; how many troops will be involved in each of these landings; what type of aircraft will be involved in Exercise Purple Warrior, listing the numbers of each type; whether there will be any United States military participation in Exercise Purple Warrior; if he will provide details of the facilities being made available to Warsaw Treaty Organisation observers at Exercise Purple Warrior; what is the estimated cost of Exercise Purple Warrior; if he will list the names of all properties on and over which Exercise Purple Warrior will be conducted, indicating the owner of the land in each. case; and if he will list the nature, location and extent of any planned live firing during Exercise Purple Warrior.

  Mr. Stewart
  I shall answer shortly.

ENERGY

  Hinckley Point Power Station
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has received a safety report on the alleged welding malpractice at Hinckley Point power station; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The NII has investigated the alleged welding malpractice at Hinckley Point and has concluded that there is no evidence to support the allegations. A copy of the NII's report has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Coal Industry Act 1987
  Mr. Ashby
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to lay orders under sections 6 ad 7 of the Coal Industry Act 1987.
  599
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  [pursuant to his reply, 13 July 1987]: My right hon. Friend has today laid orders under sections 6 and 7 of the Coal Industry Act 1987. The orders fulfil the Government's promise to ensure that all substantial groups of coal industry employees are represented on the management of the coal industry social welfare organisation and the mineworkers pension scheme. I hope that British Coal and all the unions concerned will now work together constructively on both sides.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Women
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department finances research on the problems of recruiting and selecting women trainees on British aid-funded scholarships; and what research has been done by his Department on how the proportion of women on the technical cooperation training programme can be increased.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We intend to finance research on the constraints to increasing the proportion of women benefiting from ODA-funded training awards. Terms of reference for such a study have been prepared and we are in the process of identifying a suitably qualified researcher.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Overseas Development Administration provides funds to publicise issues of women and development, and to establish what proportion of the aid programme is of direct benefit to women; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The objective of our aid is to benefit the people of developing countries, including women. It is impracticable to state what proportion of the aid programme benefits women separately.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether all aid documents issued from his Department carry an assessment of the impact of their projects or programmes on women; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Since last year it has been standard ODA procedure for evaluations to include an assessment of the impact of the aided activity on women where this is relevant. The evaluation reports issued will include these assessments.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will establish a cross-departmental group of Overseas Development Administration officers to develop British policy on women and development; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I am satisfied that our policy on women in development already reflects extensive consultation within the ODA.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will create a special fund to finance projects of specific interest to women giving priority to funding projects established by Third world women's organisations; and if he will make a statement;
  600
  (2) if he will increase the number of women's advisers to form a fully-funded and resourced women's unit designed to initiate policy on women and development and to oversee its implementation.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Our policy is to integrate concern for women into all ODA activities. ODA officials are aware of the importance attached to taking account of the impact of our activities on women and our social development advisers provide the expertise needed. I believe that a separate women's unit or special fund would tend to "marginalise" women's interests.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department consults British non-governmental organisations and women's groups on women and development policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We hold regular discussions with members of the women's organisations interest group of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and other Women in Development experts.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any major evalution has been funded to assess the impact of the aid programme on women in major recipient countries of British aid; and if issues concerning women and development are raised at aid planning meetings.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  In concert with other development assistance committee donors, our evaluations now include a consideration of the impact of projects on women. The DAC will be preparing a synthesis study of the results. In this way we hope to obtain in a cost-effective manner the lessons of experience for a considerable number of projects in many countries.

  Women and development issues are raised at meetings of aid consortia and consultative groups and other aid planning meetings.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Overseas Development Administration will make representations to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank urging them to expand their policies in relation to women and development; in the light of his Department's support for the International Monetary Fund's economic aid in Tanzania, how much of the £50 million that has been pledged to the Tanzanian Government will go to programmes involving women and development; and in what places and for which projects.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The International Monetary fund agrees broad economic targets, largely related to the balance of payments, as part of its lending programmes. Longer-term domestic issues are addressed by the World Bank. I believe that the bank is already making determined efforts to integrate a concern for women into its financing activities.

  The bulk of the British aid recently pledged to Tanzania will be used to finance essential imports and to support the railways sector. The remainder, about £12 million, will be used to finance specific projects and programmes, including the development of maternal and child health care and family planning in southern Tanzania.
  601
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the near future a White Paper including a plan of action on women and development policy in the aid programme.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The ODA booklet "Women in development", copies of which are in the Library of the House, sets out our policy in this area. Since its issue in 1986 we have confirmed the policy and further clarified it.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to conduct a study on the proportion of women in the Overseas Development Administration; and if he will publish in the Official Report the changes in that proportion in the past five years.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The Overseas Development Administration already monitors the proportion of women in its employment, their access to training and relative success in career advancement. The proportion of women employed in the Overseas Development Administration on 1 April in each of the last five years and on 1 July 1987 is:

  Year

  Total staff

  Number of women

  Percentage

  1982

  2,035

  771

  37·89

  1983

  1,927

  714

  37·05

  1984

  1,753

  684

  39·02

  1985

  1,617

  641

  39·64

  1986

  1,608

  635

  39·49

  1987

  1,548

  622

  40·18

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the present women's adviser post will be reformulated within the aid programme so that it is held by one woman who has no additional responsibilities.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Specialist advice on women's issues is provided by the ODA's social development advisers. This ensures that our concerns for women's role in development and measures taken to enhance it are understood in a broader social context; I believe this makes our work more effective.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the number of women, and the percentage they constitute, who obtain places on technical co-operation training courses.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Women received 980 (16·8 per cent. of the total) new training awards in the year ending 31 March 1987.

  Mapping
  Mr. Kirkwood
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements his Department now has, following the abolition of the Directorate of Overseas Surveys, for providing aid in mapping to developing countries; and what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that such arrangements are effective.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The Directorate of Overseas Surveys was absorbed into the Ordnance Survey as its Overseas Surveys Directorate in 1984. It continues to provide a range of services to aid recipient countries. These include 602
  surveys, advice and institutional support. Under arrangements agreed between the Ordnance Survey and the Overseas Development Administration, such work is commissioned and funded on a project basis. In addition, the Overseas Development Administration provides funding for certain core services which amounted to about £1·3 million in 1986/87.

  The Overseas Surveys Directorate programme and funding are reviewed at an annual meeting between the Ordnance Survey and the Overseas Development Administration.

  Shelter-Related Projects
  Mr. Kirkwood
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of his Department's budget has gone on aid to shelter-related projects in each year since 1977.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Information in the form requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  East African Army Worm (Ethiopia)
  Mr. Spearing
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received any request from the Government of Ethiopia for assistance in respect. of combating locusts or the East African Army worm; and what information he has concerning the threat from the pests to the assistance already given by the United Kingdom to that area of Africa.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We have received no such request from the Government of Ethiopia. We have received a report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation of threats to Ethiopia and neighbouring countries from swarms of desert locusts and are monitoring the situation closely.

  Britain has provided over £3 million for migratory pest control in Africa over the past 12 months, including £790,000 to combat locusts and army worm in Ethiopia.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Parliamentary Boundary Commission
  Mr. Madel
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he expects the Parliamentary Boundary Commission to publish major proposals for changing the parliamentary boundaries of constituencies in England before 31 December 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No. The Parliamentary Boundary Commission is required to present its reports on all the constituencies in England not less than 10 and not more than 15 years after the date of submission of its previous report. The report of the last general review of England, the third periodical report, was submitted on 1 February 1983. The Commission's fourth periodical report may therefore be submitted at any time between 1 February 1993 and 31 January 1998.

  Telephone Tapping
  Mr. Skinner
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many warrants authorising telephone taps have been issued in 1987 to the present time.
  603
  Mr. Cryer
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone tapping warrants he has issued in 1987 to the most recent practicable date.

  Mr. Hurd
  The number of telecommunication warrants issued by the Home Secretary in force on 31 December 1986 was 206. The figures were given in an annex to the report of the Commissioner, the right hon. Lord Justice Lloyd, on the first year of operation of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 which was presented to Parliament in March 1987 (Cmnd 108). I do not propose to publish statistics additional to those in the Commissioner's Report.

  Entry Certificates
  Ms. Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that no one who has already applied for an entry certificate will be subjected to the harsher tests for entry proposed in the Queen's Speech.

  Mr. Renton
  We will announce our detailed proposals for handling outstanding entry certificate applications once the forthcoming Bill has been published.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Jessel
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further action the Government intend to take to support the work of the Metropolitan police.

  Mr. Hurd
  Spending on the Metropolitan police this year will be over 50 per cent. higher in real terms than in 1978–79 and the cash limit of £929 million for 1987–88 which I announced in February is 9 per cent. more than last year. I announced in May 1986 manpower increases of 1,200 in the police establishment and 600 in the civil staff ceilling over four years. So far I have approved increases of 600 policemen and 400 civilian staff; and I am prepared to approve further increases of 600 policemen and 200 civilians over the next two years subject to being satisfied that earlier increases have been effectively used and that satisfactory progress has been made with civilianisation. The programme of civilian manpower increases should release at least 400 officers for operational duty. Actual police strength has not kept pace with the establishment increases. The force is at present about 600 below the level which I have authorised.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current strength of the Metropolitan police compared with 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The strength of the Metropolitan police on 30 June was 27,105, an increase of some 4,800 officers over May 1979.

  AIDS
  Mr. Cohen
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to monitor the incidence of AIDS in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Since March 1985 prison medical officers have been required to report identified cases of HIV infection that is, (those in which a positive result to 604
  an HIV antibody test has been obtained) and cases of diagnosed AIDS. In June 1987 medical officers were asked to make a separate report following a diagnosis of PGL (Persistent General Lymphadenopathy) or ARC (AIDS Related Complex). A central statistical record based on the reports is maintained by the Director of Prison Medical Services.

  Mr. Page
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to amend the law covering the effects of activities of a known AIDS carrier towards a third party.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have no present plans to amend the criminal law in this respect.

  Thames Valley Police
  Mr. Tim Smith
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the establishment of the Thames Valley police authority.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have received representations from most members with constituencies in the Thames Valley police force area about the latest application by the police authority for additional police posts. The application is under consideration.

  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on police manning levels in the Thames Valley force.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Since May 1979 the strength of the Thames Valley police has increased by 811 and its establishment by 470. I understand that the force has recruited up to its establishment. The Thames Valley police authority has applied for 200 additional police posts and this is under consideration.

  Mr. Watts
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now approve a further increase in the establishment of the Thames Valley police.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  An application by the Thames Valley police authority for additional police posts is under consideration.

  Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to discuss his annual report.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend is in regular touch with the Commissioner on various matters covered by the report.

  Tamils
  Mr. Nellist
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the original 64 Tamils who arrived in Britain at the beginning of the year have subsequently been given temporary admission; and how many are still being detained.

  Mr. Renton
  As at 15 July, 39 of the group of 64 Tamils who arrived in Britain on 13 February 1987 had been granted temporary admission. Another nine had been released on bail, and bail has been granted in principle to 15 others subject to satisfactory sureties and the outcome of inquiries by the immigration service.

  Crime Prevention
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work of the ministerial group on crime prevention.

  Mr. Hurd
  The ministerial group on crime prevention will soon publish a report on its first year's work. The group has proved an important means of co-ordinating and stimulating crime prevention activity. Under the new chairmanship of my hon. Friend the Minister of State, the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Mr. Patten) it will continue to develop this role.

  Mr. Soley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received making proposals for dealing with the rising crime rate.

  Mr. John Patten
  We receive representations from a variety of sources. Their contents cannot easily be summarised, but there is a high level of support for the Government's crime prevention initiatives.

  Mr. Soames
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for new initiatives to promote the prevention of crime.

  Mr. John Patten
  In addition to a new national crime prevention publicity campaign, we plan to publish a handbook setting out a range of examples of how all those who are concerned about crime can make a positive and practical contribution to preventing it. We are working up plans for a new national crime prevention organisation which might support and encourage local crime prevention activity. Opportunities for establishing more local projects and initiatives are being explored.

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Clay
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Devon and Cornwall police have completed their investigation of the claims made by former police constable Tom Clarke regarding the treatment in custody of persons held in connection with the Birmingham pub bombings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  We look forward to receiving the chief constable's report shortly.

  Prison Statistics
  Mr. Knox
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison at the most recent count.

  Mr. John Patten
  On 10 July 1987 the total prison population in England and Wales was 50,381. This does not include 648 in police cells.

  Offensive Weapons
  Mr. Favell
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to make it a criminal offence to sell offensive weapons to people under 18 years of age.

  Mr. Evennett
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to introduce legislation to regulate the sale and possession of knives as martial arts weapons.
  606
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals for the control of the sale of heavy duty catapults, spiked shoe straps, and other offensive weapons available by mail order; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are committed to bringing forward proposals on the sale of offensive weapons which have no legitimate uses. In addition we have already set in hand a study of how the law relating to the possession of knives and other sharp bladed instruments might be reinforced and we shall be considering urgently how best to take matters forward in the light of that study.

  Police Surgeons
  Dr. Godman
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police surgeons are employed in England and Wales; and how many are women.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Wardell) on 7 July.

  Police Stations
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement as to his policy on the provision of police stations in rural towns and villages in England and Wales.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is for each chief constable to determine the most suitable methods of policing for his force area.

  Identity Cards
  Sir John Biggs-Davison
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent his refusal to introduce identity cards is based on the experience of other countries where they have been obligatory; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The experience of other countries is only one of the relevant factors. We are not persuaded that the balance of advantage lies in introducing identity cards in this country.

  Non-metropolitan Police Forces
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present rate of recruitment into the non-metropolitan police forces.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  About 3,700 police officers were recruited to the non metropolitan forces (that is all forces in England and Wales except the Metropolitan Police, and the City of London, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Northumbria, South Yorkshire, West Midlands and West: Yorkshire forces) in the year ended 30 June 1987. They were recruited either to replace officers who retired or resigned or to enable forces to implement increases in establishment. Between May 1979 and May 1987 strengths in these forces increased by 4,041 police officers, from 60,277 to 64,318.

  Police Manpower (Norfolk)
  Mr. Patrick
  Thompson asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give figures for the number of police in Norfolk for each of the following years: 1979, 1983 and 1987.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is as follows:

  Authorised Establishment

  Actual Strength

  31 December 1979

  1,265

  1,237

  31 December 1983

  1,273

  1,278

  31 May 1987

  1,318

  1,318

  Independent Television Network
  Mr. Grocott
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority to discuss the future structure of the independent television network.

  Mr. Renton
  I shall be meeting the chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority on 22 July to discuss a number of matters of current interest.

  Crime Prevention (Insurance Companies)
  Mr. Rowe
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to involve insurance companies further in the fight against crime; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Insurance companies, either individually or through the Association of British Insurers already make a significant contribution to crime prevention. For example they have offered insurance discounts and other incentives to policyholders for taking certain security precautions; they have provided security advice through literature and videos; they have participated in crime prevention panels; they have set up a register of total loss vehicle claims; and they have given valuable support to the Home Office Standing Conference on Crime Prevention. I am shortly to meet representatives of the Association and I am confident that insurance companies will continue their active involvement in a range of crime prevention activity.

  Crime (Bristol)
  Ms. Primarolo
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will fund a crime survey in the Bristol area.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Department has recently awarded a research grant to the Avon and Somerset constabulary for this purpose.

  Obscene Publications Act 1959
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to introduce legislation to extend to broadcasting the provisions of the Obscene Publications Act 1959.

  Mr. Renton
  Such a provision will be included in the Broadcasting Bill which we plan to introduce as soon as practicable.

  Illicit Drugs
  Sir David Price
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the Government's programme to reduce the traffic within the United Kingdom of illicit drugs.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are continuing to step up action on all aspects of our anti-drugs strategy. Recent developments include the allocation by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 460 further posts for customs work, including 110 more specialist drugs investigators, support and legal staff; the establishment of 17 regional crime squad drugs wings manned by 221 additional police officers; further strengthening of the national drugs intelligence unit; and implementation of the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986. In 1986 customs broke up more than 80 drugs organisations, and police successes included the detection of 11 illicit amphetamine laboratories. Following last month's United Nations conference on drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Vienna, the United Kingdom is playing a leading role in current intergovernmental discussions concerning a proposed new United Nations convention on drug trafficking.

  National Unity
  Mr. Stanbrook
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, within his departmental responsibilities, he will propose further administrative and legislative action designed to promote the unity of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Hurd
  Only some of my responsibilities extend to the United Kingdom as a whole; but Home Office policies, in particular for broadcasting, race relations, immigration, crime and policing in England and Wales, respect the territorial, constitutional and social unity of the United Kingdom, and are designed to operate fairly between the different parts of the country to which they apply.

  London (Policing)
  Mr. Sedgemore
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on policing London.

  Mr. Leigh
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the annual report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

  Mr. Hurd
  I welcome the commissioner's annual report, which gives a comprehensive account of the many ways in which his force is meeting the challenge of policing London.

  Criminal Injuries (Compensation)
  Mr. Parry
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there are any plans for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to recompense victims of road accidents involving stolen cars.

  Mr. John Patten
  Our proposals for a statutory criminal injuries compensation scheme are set out in the Criminal Justice Bill. These proposals would make no change of substance in respect of road traffic accidents.

  Mothers and Children (Prisons)
  Miss Lestor
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number and ages of children currently in prison with their mothers.

  Mr. John Patten
  On the 6 July, 28 babies were in prison mother and baby units at Askham Grange, Holloway and Styal.

  The ages of the babies were:

  Age months

  Number

  Aged under 1

  5

  Aged 1

  3

  Aged 2

  4

  Aged 3

  4

  Aged 4

  3

  Aged 7

  1

  Aged 8

  1

  Aged 9

  2

  Aged 10

  2

  Aged 13

  1

  Aged 15

  1

  Aged 16

  1

  Immigration
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the percentage of fiancées and spouses refused entry clearance under the primary purpose rule for the last two years.

  Mr. Renton
  The information requested is available only for entry clearance applications in the Indian subcontinent. In 1985 no wife or female fiancée in the subcontinent was refused solely or partly because of the primary purpose rule; in 1986 the proportions were negligible for wives and about 10 per cent for female fiancées. The proportion of husbands so refused was 25 per cent. in 1985 and 35 per cent. in 1986. The corresponding proportions for male fiancés were 45 per cent. in 1985 and 50 per cent. in 1986. These proportions take account of the outcome of appeals.

  Prison (Bicester)
  Mr. Baldry
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement as to the timetable for the construction of the new prison near Bicester.

  Mr. John Patten
  Work is due to start on site in March 1988 and the prison is scheduled to be handed over to the Home Office in mid-1991.

  Religious Broadcasting
  Dr. Michael Clark
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received with regard to religious broadcasting; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  We receive representations on a wide variety of television and radio programmes, including religious programmes. Programme policy is a matter for the broadcasting authorities, not the Government.

  Concessionary Television Licences
  Mr. Atkinson
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to change the present arrangements for eligibility for the concessionary television licence.

  Mr. Renton
  We have no present plans to do so, but we are keeping the operation of the concessionary scheme under review in the light of the judgment of the High Court in the case brought by Kirklees metropolitan council.

  Shotguns
  Mr. Fallon
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to review the law regarding shotguns.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The law on shotguns is kept under close review and we are pursuing two initiatives. By amendment to the firearms rules, we shall shortly be introducing a requirement that shotgun certificate holders should notify any change of address to the chief officer or police. Secondly, a Home Office working party, on which the police and the British Shooting Sports Council are represented, is examining what measures should be taken to improve the security of shotguns when they are not being used, including the need for a statutory safe-keeping requirement.

  Neighbourhood Watch Scheme
  Mr. Amess
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to expand the neighbourhood watch scheme.

  Mr. John Patten
  There are now over 35,000 Neighbourhood Watch Schemes spread throughout the police force areas of England and Wales. We are about to begin consultations with interested parties about the formation of an organisation to stimulate and support local crime prevention activity including Neighbourhood Watch. We also propose to produce a guidance note for distribution to police forces and the public setting out good practice to help the development of effective neighbourhood watch schemes.

  Crime (Clear-up Rates)
  Mr. Terry Lewis
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new proposals he has to improve the crime clear-up rate.

  Mr. Hurd
  Clear-up rates for the most serious offences, including violence against the person and sexual offences, remain high at over 70 per cent.

  I shall continue to encourage chief officers to target their resources on the most serious crimes which are of particular concern to the public. They must decide their own priorities and methods in the light of their appreciation of local circumstances. But the police cannot succeed in detecting or preventing crime by themselves. The whole community must be involved; and I will be looking for ways to encourage that involvement.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Patrick McLoughlin
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has

  611
  on comparative crime rates for homicide, rape, and armed robbery in England and Wales, the United States of America, the Federal Republic of Germany and France.

  Mr. John Patten
  International crime statistics are published periodically by Interpol. A copy of its most recent publication "International Crime Statistics 1983–84" is in the Library. The available figures do not distinguish armed robberies from other robberies. Care is needed in using such comparisons; because of differences in legal systems there are often differences in definitions and in coverage of the figures: there may also be differences in the extent to which offences are recorded by the authorities.

  Mr. Churchill
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the total numbers of recorded crimes, crimes of murder, rape, violence against the person, robbery and armed robbery, respectively, in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available (a) in the Metropolitan police area, (b) in other metropolitan police areas, and (c) in non-metropolitan police areas.

  Mr. John Patten
  Numbers of homicides, other offences of violence against the person, rapes, robberies and the

  Table 2. Notifiable offences of robbery recorded by the police in which firearms were reported to have been used

  England and Wales, 1977–86

  Number of offences

  Year

  Metropolitan Police District

  Other metropolitan police forces1

  Other police forces

  Total

  1976

  746

  95

  235

  1,076

  1977

  901

  146

  187

  1,234

  1978

  718

  111

  167

  996

  1979

  734

  125

  179

  1,038

  1980

  740

  169

  240

  1,149

  1981

  1,317

  265

  311

  1,893

  1982

  1,756

  359

  415

  2,560

  1983

  1,276

  347

  334

  1,957

  1984

  1,422

  377

  299

  2,098

  1985

  1,610

  502

  427

  2,539

  1986

  1,549

  596

  506

  2,651

  1 Incorporates City of London, West Midlands, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Northumbria.

  Arson
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests and convictions there have been in connection with the second homes arson campaign in Wales since 1978; and if he will give details.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constables concerned that the numbers of arrests and convictions in connection with the second homes arson campaign in Wales since 1978 are as follows:

  Police force area

  Arrests

  Convictions

  North Wales

  19

  19

  Dyfed-Powys

  17

  0

  Gwent

  1

  0

  South Wales

  0

  0

  TOTAL

  37

  19

  612
  total of notifiable offences recorded in each police force area are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables, Vol. 3" (table s.3.1 for each year from 1980 to 1985); figures for earlier years were given in the annual "Criminal Statistics" Command Paper. Numbers of offences of violence against the person and robbery (whether armed or not) recorded in 1986 in each force area are published in table 6 of Home Office statistical bulletin issue 4/87. The other information available is given in the following tables. In the absence of a court decision it is not possible to distinguish murder from other types of homicide.

  Table 1. Notifiable offences of homicide and rape recorded by the police

  England and Wales, 1986

  Number of offences

  Police force area

  Homicide

  Rape

  Metropolitan Police District

  210

  824

  Other metropolitan police forces1

  154

  494

  Other police forces

  298

  970

  Total

  662

  2,288

  1 Incorporates City of London, West Midlands, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Northumbria.

  The arrests in Dyfed-Powys and Gwent were the result of a single operation involving all police forces in Wales in 1980.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many incidents there have been in the second homes arson campaign in each of the calendar years 1978 to 1987 in the following constituencies (a) Caernarfon, (b) Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, (c) Ynys Môn and (d) Carmarthen;

  (2) how many incidents there have been in the second homes arson campaign in Wales in each of the calendar years 1978 to 1987.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constables of South Wales and Gwent that there have been no incidents in their police force areas during the period. I understand from the chief constables of North Wales and Dyfed-Powys that the number of incidents in their police force area were as follows:
  613

  Numbers of incidents in connection with second homes arson campaign in Wales, 1979 to 1987

  North Wales

  Year1

  Caernarfon

  Meirionnydd Nant Conwy

  Ynys Môn

  Dyfed-Powys2

  Total

  1979

  2

  3

  0

  3

  8

  1980

  7

  9

  6

  10

  32

  1981

  4

  0

  6

  8

  18

  1982

  6

  1

  1

  0

  8

  1983

  3

  0

  2

  2

  7

  1984

  1

  4

  0

  2

  7

  1985

  4

  1

  4

  3

  12

  1986

  10

  2

  0

  1

  13

  1987

  3

  0

  0

  3

  6

  TOTAL

  40

  20

  19

  32

  111

  1 Figures for 1978 are not available.

  2 Separate figures for Carmarthen are not readily available.

  Offences (Use of Firearms)
  Mr. McWilliam
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were committed in the last five years where firearms were used, broken down according to the kind of weapon involved and the category of offence, respectively.

  Mr. John Patten
  The available information relates to notifiable offences recorded by the police in which firearms were reported to have been used. Figures for 1976 to 1986 by offence group are published in Home Office statistical bulletin issue 16/87. The following table gives figures for 1986 by type of principal weapon involved; those for earlier years are published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1985" (Cm. 10). A full analysis of the 1986 figures will appear in chapter 3 of the command paper, to be published later this year.

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police1 in which firearms were reported to have been used, by principal weapon

  England and Wales 1986

  Number

  Long-barrelled shotgun

  600

  Sawn-off shotgun

  560

  Pistol

  1,314

  Rifle

  53

  Imitation

  252

  Supposed

  668

  Other

  30

  Total excluding air weapon

  3,477

  Air weapon

  5,886

  TOTAL

  9,363

  1 Includes offences of criminal damage but only where the damage was estimated at over £20.

  Authorised Establishment 30 April 1979

  Authorised Establishment 31 May 1987

  Increase

  Avon and Somerset

  2,853

  3,030

  177

  Bedfordshire

  947

  1,000

  53

  Cambridgeshire

  1,090

  1,160

  70

  Cheshire

  1,805

  1,845

  40

  Cleveland

  1,411

  1,474

  63

  Cumbria

  1,088

  1,144

  56

  Derbyshire

  1,709

  1,793

  84

  Devon and Cornwall

  2,673

  2,794

  121

  South Africa House (Demonstrations)
  Mr. Caborn
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis's directions were introduced in relation to demonstrations outside South Africa House.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand that the Commissioner's direction were first made in June 1986 and that they have been reviewed and renewed every month since then. The directions were implemented on 6 May 1987 following an incident in which the embassy building was attacked and damaged.

  Mr. Caborn
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Metropolitan police consulted either Ministers or officials of his Department prior to the introduction of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis's directions in relation to demonstrations outside South Africa House; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No.

  Mr. Caborn
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will instruct the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to revoke his directions in relation to demonstrations outside South Africa House.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No. This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

  Police Manpower
  Mr. Churchill
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those police areas which have been granted an increase in police establishment since 1979, together with the size of increase.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is as follows:
  615

  Authorised Establishment 30 April 1979

  Authorised Establishment 31 May 1987

  Increase

  Dorset

  1,164

  1,235

  71

  Durham

  1,349

  1,357

  8

  Dyfed Powys

  934

  935

  1

  Essex

  2,525

  2,722

  197

  Gloucestershire

  1,116

  1,164

  48

  Greater Manchester

  6,735

  6,943

  208

  Gwent

  975

  978

  3

  Hampshire

  2,954

  3,105

  151

  Hertfordshire

  1,533

  1,596

  63

  Humberside

  1,939

  1,972

  33

  Kent

  2,820

  2,911

  91

  Lancashire

  3,118

  3,158

  40

  Leicestershire

  1,706

  1,733

  27

  Lincolnshire

  1,182

  1,183

  1

  Merseyside

  4,451

  4,679

  228

  Norfolk

  1,265

  1,318

  53

  Northamptonshire

  950

  1,074

  124

  Northumbria

  3,325

  3,453

  128

  North Wales

  1,279

  1,316

  37

  North Yorkshire

  1,328

  1,368

  40

  Nottinghamshire

  2,145

  2,259

  114

  South Wales

  3,069

  3,109

  40

  South Yorkshire

  2,752

  2,931

  179

  Staffordshire

  2,066

  2,156

  90

  Suffolk

  1,088

  1,186

  98

  Surrey

  1,599

  1,639

  40

  Sussex

  2,802

  2,896

  94

  Thames Valley

  2,977

  3,467

  470

  Warwickshire

  876

  981

  105

  West Mercia

  1,834

  1,953

  119

  West Midlands

  6,509

  6,684

  175

  West Yorkshire

  5,104

  5,204

  100

  Wiltshire

  1,022

  1,074

  52

  City of London

  1,022

  798

  (-224)

  Metropolitan

  26,589

  27,815

  1,226

  Totals

  117,698

  122,592

  4,894

  Mr. Churchill
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the authorised police manpower levels of (a) the Metropolitan police, (b) other metropolitan police forces and (c) the non-metropolitan police forces in each year since 1974 to date.

  Authorised Establishments

  December

  May

  1974

  1975

  1976

  1977

  1978

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Gwent

  928

  964

  964

  964

  974

  975

  975

  975

  978

  978

  978

  978

  978

  978

  Hampshire

  2,844

  2,845

  2,935

  2,935

  2,954

  3,034

  3,034

  3,084

  3,084

  3,084

  3,084

  3,084

  3,105

  3,105

  Hertfordshire

  1,472

  1,472

  1,472

  1,483

  1,533

  1,533

  1,533

  1,568

  1,568

  1,568

  1,578

  1,578

  1,596

  1,596

  Humberside

  1,910

  1,939

  1,939

  1,939

  1,939

  1,939

  1,939

  1,972

  1,972

  1,972

  1,972

  1,972

  1,972

  1,972

  Kent

  2,454

  2,465

  2,615

  2,615

  2,820

  2,842

  2,871

  2,871

  2,875

  2,875

  2,875

  2,875

  2,911

  2,911

  Lancashire

  2,880

  3,080

  3,080

  3,080

  3,118

  3,138

  3,158

  3,158

  3,158

  3,158

  3,158

  3,158

  3,158

  3,158

  Leicestershire

  1,603

  1,705

  1,705

  1,705

  1,706

  1,706

  1,727

  1,727

  1,733

  1,733

  1,733

  1,733

  1,733

  1,733

  Lincolnshire

  1,174

  1,182

  1,182

  1,182

  1,182

  1,182

  1,182

  1,182

  1,182

  1,183

  1,183

  1,183

  1,183

  1,183

  Norfolk

  1,218

  1,264

  1,264

  1,264

  1,265

  1,265

  1,265

  1,265

  1,273

  1,273

  1,273

  1,278

  1,318

  1,318

  Northamptonshire

  844

  914

  950

  950

  950

  978

  978

  1,006

  1,006

  1,018

  1,025

  1,031

  1,054

  1,074

  North Wales

  1,216

  1,276

  1,276

  1,276

  1,276

  1,309

  1,312

  1,313

  1,313

  1,316

  1,316

  1,316

  1,316

  1,316

  North Yorkshire

  1,277

  1,328

  1,328

  1,328

  1,328

  1,368

  1,368

  1,368

  1,368

  1,368

  1,368

  1,368

  1,368

  1,368

  Nottinghamshire

  2,066

  2,124

  2,145

  2,144

  2,144

  2,260

  2,260

  2,259

  2,259

  2,259

  2,259

  2,259

  2,259

  2,259

  South Wales

  2,886

  3,069

  3,069

  3,069

  3,069

  3,069

  3,069

  3,105

  3,105

  3,109

  3,109

  3,109

  3,109

  3,109

  Staffordshire

  2,066

  2,066

  2,066

  2,066

  2,066

  2,066

  2,066

  2,099

  2,099

  2,099

  2,104

  2,104

  2,131

  2,156

  Suffolk

  1,077

  1,085

  1,086

  1,086

  1,088

  1,123

  1,123

  1,124

  1,124

  1,136

  1,136

  1,136

  1,186

  1,186

  Surrey

  1,438

  1,442

  1,503

  1,503

  1,599

  1,602

  1,602

  1,602

  1,602

  1,602

  1,602

  1,626

  1,639

  1,639

  Sussex

  2,661

  2,785

  2,785

  2,785

  2,802

  2,811

  2,823

  2,823

  2,822

  2,830

  2,830

  2,830

  2,830

  2,896

  Thames Valley

  2,960

  2,960

  2,995

  2,995

  2,997

  3,005

  3,005

  3,107

  3,124

  3,267

  3,267

  3,317

  3,417

  3,467

  Warwickshire

  876

  876

  876

  876

  876

  876

  920

  920

  925

  925

  925

  925

  967

  981

  West Mercia

  1,650

  1,650

  1,670

  1,671

  1,834

  1,834

  1,921

  1,921

  1,923

  1,923

  1,923

  1,953

  1,953

  1,953

  Wiltshire

  979

  994

  994

  995

  1,022

  1,032

  1,033

  1,035

  1,042

  1,042

  1,042

  1,045

  1,049

  1,074

  City of London

  1,028

  1,022

  1,022

  1,022

  1,022

  1,022

  1,022

  1,022

  1,022

  798

  798

  798

  798

  798

  Metropolitan

  26,628

  26,628

  26,628

  26,628

  26,589

  26,589

  26,577

  26,577

  26,615

  26,915

  27,115

  27,165

  27,515

  27,815

  Other Metropolitan Areas

  Greater Manchester

  6,600

  6,600

  6,735

  6,735

  6,735

  6,766

  6,766

  6,941

  6,943

  6,943

  6,943

  6,943

  6,943

  6,943

  Merseyside

  4,317

  4,342

  4,342

  4,451

  4,451

  4,451

  4,452

  4,607

  4,607

  4,607

  4,607

  4,607

  4,679

  4,679

  616
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is as follows:
  617

  Authorised Establishments

  December

  May

  1974

  1975

  1976

  1977

  1978

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Northumbria

  3,322

  3,322

  3,322

  3,322

  3,325

  3,325

  3,355

  3,355

  3,357

  3,357

  3,357

  3,378

  3,378

  3,453

  South Yorkshire

  2,752

  2,752

  2,752

  2,752

  2,752

  2,752

  2,872

  2,872

  2,872

  2,872

  2,872

  2,872

  2,881

  2,931

  West Midlands

  6,471

  6,471

  6,509

  6,509

  6,509

  6,509

  6,509

  6,684

  6,684

  6,684

  6,684

  6,684

  6,684

  6,684

  West Yorkshire

  5,103

  5,104

  5,104

  5,104

  5,104

  5,104

  5,104

  5,154

  5,154

  5,154

  5,154

  5,154

  5,154

  5,204

  Non Metropolitan Police Forces

  Avon and Somerset

  2,868

  2,868

  2,851

  2,851

  2,852

  2,953

  3,020

  3,020

  3,020

  3,020

  3,020

  3,020

  3,020

  3,030

  Bedfordshire

  890

  926

  941

  941

  947

  947

  960

  975

  980

  1,000

  1,000

  1,000

  1,000

  1,000

  Cambridgeshire

  1,023

  1,061

  1,090

  1,090

  1,090

  1,140

  1,140

  1,140

  1,140

  1,140

  1,140

  1,140

  1,140

  1,160

  Cheshire

  1,770

  1,770

  1,805

  1,805

  1,805

  1,805

  1,845

  1,845

  1,845

  1,845

  1,845

  1,845

  1,845

  1,845

  Cleveland

  1,411

  1,411

  1,411

  1,411

  1,411

  1,418

  1,419

  1,474

  1,474

  1,474

  1,474

  1,474

  1,474

  1,474

  Cumbria

  1,074

  1,079

  1,079

  1,082

  1,082

  1,113

  1,113

  1,128

  1,128

  1,128

  1,128

  1,128

  1,130

  1,144

  Derbyshire

  1,559

  1,559

  1,709

  1,709

  1,709

  1,712

  1,712

  1,767

  1,767

  1,767

  1,767

  1,767

  1,767

  1,793

  Devon and Cornwall

  2,573

  2,673

  2,673

  2,673

  2,673

  2,673

  2,734

  2,734

  2,734

  2,734

  2,734

  2,739

  2,757

  2,794

  Dorset

  1,089

  1,108

  1,108

  1,108

  1,164

  1,164

  1,164

  1,176

  1,176

  1,183

  1,183

  1,203

  1,211

  1,235

  Durham

  1,371

  1,373

  1,373

  1,349

  1,349

  1,349

  1,349

  1,355

  1,355

  1,357

  1,357

  1,357

  1,357

  1,357

  Dyfed Powys

  866

  916

  916

  916

  916

  934

  934

  934

  934

  934

  934

  934

  934

  935

  Essex

  2,436

  2,436

  2,511

  2,511

  2,525

  2,533

  2,603

  2,633

  2,643

  2,653

  2,663

  2,673

  2,722

  2,722

  Gloucestershire

  1,007

  1,101

  1,100

  1,100

  1,116

  1,116

  1,116

  1,131

  1,140

  1,164

  1,164

  1,164

  1,164

  1,164

  Michael Hickey and Others
  Mr. Alton
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of inquiries into the cases of Michael Hickey and others convicted of the murder of Carl Bridgewater.

  Mr. John Patten
  The main report of the inquiry, which has been conducted by officers of the Warwickshire constabulary, has been received and is under consideration. Following the receipt of additional representations on behalf of the convicted men, further inquiries have been ordered and the results of these will need to be fully considered before my right hon. Friend can reach a decision on the case.

  Heysel Stadium Disaster (Extraditions)
  Mr. Alton
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors he proposes to take into account in deciding whether to sign extradition warrants in respect of persons accused of offences in relation to the disaster at the Heysel stadium, Brussels, in May 1985; and when he expects to reach a decision.

  Mr. Hurd
  As in other extradition cases, I have to consider whether, having regard to all the circumstances, it would be unjust or oppressive to order surrender. Factors which I take into account in such cases include the seriousness or triviality of the alleged offence; how long ago it is alleged to have been committed; and whether the accusation is made in good faith in the interests of justice.

  In reaching my decision I am willing to consider representations on such matters made by or on behalf of the person concerned, and any further evidence not available at the time of the court's decision. I shall be meeting hon. Members next week to receive representations on behalf of those accused of offences arising from the Heysel stadium disaster. The timing of my decision may depend on the nature of the representations which I have to consider.

  Prison Disturbances (Report)
  Mr. Soames
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to publish Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons' report on prison disturbances in 1986; and if he will make a statement.
  618
  Mr. Hurd
  The report of the inquiry by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons into the disturbances in prison service establishments in England between 29 April and 2 May 1986 is published today. This is the outcome of the inquiry which I announced to the House on 6 May 1986.

  I pay tribute to Sir James Hennessy and his staff for the thoroughness of his report. It sets out in full what happened in the six establishments which were most seriously affected and, in less detail, the events in 10 other establishments. The report recounts the background to the disturbances, draws conclusions about their causes, and points up lessons for the future.

  No clear pattern to the disturbances emerges. There were different circumstances in different places. The report concludes that the underlying causes were complex and of varying impact. A poor regime or overcrowding in some places may have been an underlying factor. In others the type and mix of prisoners could have been critical.

  The chief inspector concludes that a number of factors,
  "contributed to the explosion resulting from the mixture of volatile elements in many of the establishments which suffered disturbances. But the catalyst was clearly the industrial action".
  That was the overtime ban and other action imposed by the national executive committee of the Prison Officers' Association (POA NEC) on 29 April. The cause of the prisoner unrest, which in some establishments broke out into full scale disturbances, was the uncertainty and anxiety among inmates about the real or anticipated effects of the industrial action upon their lives.

  In drawing conclusions from these events, the chief inspector first canvasses the possibility of a no-strike agreement in the prison service. I shall want to think carefully about this before entering into any consultation with the trade unions concerned.

  On the wider issues, as the chief inspector sees, the new working and management arrangements, known as Fresh Start, are at the heart of solving some of the key problems for the prison service which he identifies in his report. In particular, fresh start will provide a more unified management and a better means of determining manning levels, of securing an agreed and standard level of regime, and of servicing the courts without damaging the internal operations of establishments. These are all points upon which the chief inspector makes recommendations.

  His proposals on contingency planning against inmate disturbances are also positive and helpful. Steps were

  619
  taken immediately afer the outbreak to review contingency plans at local, regional and national levels. Fresh guidance has been issued on handling major disturbances. There have been extensive discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers, which has issued revised guidelines to the police service on the role of the police in the event of industrial action in the prison system. Contingency plans will be reviewed again in the light of the chief inspector's analysis and further action taken as necessary.

  More generally, I have asked the director general of the prison service to develop a full action plan for responding to the many recommendations in the report, and he will be reporting to me personally.

  The prison disturbances of April last year did great damage not only to the prison estate but also to the public's confidence in the prison service. They were a traumatic and shocking experience for the prison service itself, staff and management alike. The chief inspector's cool and analytical report will serve to set the record straight. But its greater value will be to reinforce the lessons for the future which emerged from those violent hours. I am determined that it shall.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Health Authorities (Private Treatment)
  Mr. Pike
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which health authorities have contracted out to the private health sector medical treatment of patients in the last 12 months; what payment has been involved; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  We encourage health authorities to consider entering into contractual arrangements with the private sector whenever it would be a cost-effective way of providing services. Expenditure for 1985–86 (latest available) on contractual arrangements for patient care by health authorities in England is given in the following table:

  Expenditure on Contractual Arrangements for Patient Care

  District Health Authorities

  1985–86

  £

  Northern Region

  Hartlepool

  —

  North Tees

  —

  South Tees

  6,932

  East Cumbria

  279,450

  South Cumbria

  43,800

  West Cumbria

  —

  Darlington

  635,013

  Durham

  4,238

  North West Durham

  —

  South West Durham

  —

  Northumberland

  428,277

  Gateshead

  —

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  95,069

  North Tyneside

  —

  South Tyneside

  —

  Sunderland

  —

  Total

  1,492,779

  Yorkshire Region

  Hull

  4,593

  East Yorkshire

  —

  Grimsby

  —

  Scunthorpe

  151,794

  Northallerton

  1,359,892

  620

  District Health Authorities

  1985–86

  £

  York

  —

  Scarborough

  —

  Harrogate

  —

  Bradford

  29,600

  Airedale

  36,112

  Calderdale

  56,556

  Huddersfield

  55,093

  Dewsbury

  22,711

  Leeds Western

  85,223

  Leeds Eastern

  32,846

  Wakefield

  —

  Pontefract

  —

  Total

  1,834,420

  Trent Region

  North Derbyshire

  —

  South Derbyshire

  —

  Leicestershire

  76,363

  North Lincolnshire

  —

  South Lincolnshire

  —

  Bassetlaw

  —

  Central Nottinghamshire

  52,954

  Nottingham

  1,500

  Barnsley

  64,582

  Doncaster

  12,350

  Rotherham

  47,083

  Sheffield

  631,671

  Total

  886,503

  East Anglian Region

  Cambridge

  1,730,046

  Peterborough

  24,076

  West Suffolk

  169,522

  East Suffolk

  118,757

  Norwich

  113,583

  Great Yarmouth

  —

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  —

  Huntingdon

  25,697

  Total

  2,181,681

  North West Thames Region

  North Bedfordshire

  16,800

  South Bedfordshire

  40,540

  North Hertfordshire

  108,120

  East Hertfordshire

  722,376

  North West Hertfordshire

  24,563

  South West Hertfordshire

  109,338

  Barnet

  37,655

  Harrow

  2,345

  Hillingdon

  1,714,610

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  151,744

  Ealing

  10,392

  Brent

  —

  Paddington

  191,725

  Riverside

  272,386

  TOTAL

  3,402,594

  North East Thames Region

  Basildon and Thurrock

  7,544

  Mid Essex

  309,666

  North East Essex

  587,565

  West Essex

  —

  Southend

  52,598

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  672,720

  Hampstead

  95,292

  Bloomsbury

  559,481

  Islington

  111,762

  City and Hackney

  1,529,655

  Newham

  128,217

  Tower Hamlets

  144,436

  Enfield

  786,603

  Haringey

  376,801

  621

  District Health Authorities

  1985–86

  £

  Redbridge

  133,525

  Waltham Forest

  134,595

  TOTAL

  5,630,460

  South East Thames Region

  Brighton

  314,161

  Eastbourne

  338,515

  Hastings

  50,302

  South East Kent

  55,122

  Canterbury and Thanet

  101,272

  Dartford and Gravesham

  —

  Maidstone

  11,799

  Medway

  49,025

  Tunbridge Wells

  168,563

  Bexley

  67,308

  Greenwich

  148,768

  Bromley

  499,315

  West Lambeth

  51,856

  Camberwell

  64,430

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  387,996

  TOTAL

  2,308,432

  South West Thames Region

  North West Surrey

  215,186

  West Surrey and North East Hampshire

  382,110

  South West Surrey

  1,012,182

  Mid Surrey

  190,972

  East Surrey

  137,968

  Chichester

  1,024,215

  Mid Downs

  490,275

  Worthing

  558,464

  Croydon

  127,360

  Kingston and Esher

  146,044

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  704,751

  Wandsworth

  602,386

  Merton and Sutton

  371,957

  Total

  5,963,870

  Wessex Region

  East Dorset

  570,529

  West Dorset

  —

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  492,296

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  79,981

  Winchester

  143,413

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire

  153,468

  Salisbury

  37,456

  Swindon

  3,237

  Bath

  394,674

  Isle of Wight

  —

  Total

  1,875,054

  Oxford Region

  East Berkshire

  154,474

  West Berkshire

  —

  Aylesbury

  65,385

  Wycombe

  46,364

  Milton Keynes

  29,368

  Kettering

  16,213

  Northampton

  526,944

  Oxford

  249,807

  Total

  1,088,555

  South Western Region

  Bristol and Weston

  82,578

  Frenchay

  67,801

  Southmead

  30,669

  Cornwall

  2,201,663

  Exeter

  —

  North Devon

  2,034

  Plymouth

  200,363

  Torbay

  220,426

  622

  District Health Authorities

  1985–86

  £

  Cheltenham

  41,884

  Gloucester

  109,700

  Somerset

  4,200

  Total

  2,961,318

  West Midlands Region

  Bromsgrove and Redditch

  —

  Hereford

  —

  Kidderminster

  22,878

  Worcester

  62,442

  Shropshire

  110,789

  Mid Staffordshire

  81,713

  North Staffordshire

  230,899

  South East Staffordshire

  114,827

  Rugby

  51,939

  North Warwickshire

  800,564

  South Warwickshire

  555,231

  Central Birmingham

  2,517

  East Birmingham

  25,000

  North Birmingham

  15,579

  South Birmingham

  —

  West Birmingham

  —

  Coventry

  119,878

  Dudley

  116,494

  Sandwell

  68,221

  Solihull

  —

  Walsall

  64,602

  Wolverhampton

  177,975

  Total

  2,621,548

  Mersey Region

  Chester

  —

  Crewe

  —

  Halton

  —

  Macclesfield

  120

  Warrington

  —

  Liverpool

  1,735,153

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  —

  Southport and Formby

  520,274

  South Sefton

  31,938

  Wirral

  —

  Total

  2,287,485

  North Western Region

  Lancaster

  312,849

  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde

  588,584

  Preston

  1,042,094

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley

  —

  Burnley, Pendlc and Rossendale

  —

  West Lancashire

  —

  Chorley and South Ribble

  815,491

  Bolton

  —

  Bury

  —

  North Manchester

  834,359

  Central Manchester

  —

  South Manchester

  722,529

  Oldham

  —

  Rochdale

  —

  Salford

  513,850

  Stockport

  —

  Tameside and Glossop

  97,100

  Trafford

  —

  Wigan

  79,000

  Total

  5,005,856

  Supplementary Benefit
  Sir Brandon Rhys Williams
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish figures showing for single non-householders in each London borough net spending power on supplementary benefit as a percentage

  623
  of net spending power earning £50, £75 and £100 a week, in 1987–88 and after introduction of the proposed community charge.

  Mr. Scott
  The table shows net spending power on supplementary benefit as a percentage of net spending power at a range of gross earnings, assuming no contribution is made toward domestic costs and that all entitlements are received.

  Replacement rates (per cent.) for single non-householders April 1987

  Weekly gross earnings

  Aged under 25 years

  Aged over 25 years

  £

  50

  52

  61

  75

  39

  46

  100

  32

  37

  The position after the introduction of the proposed community charge will depend on the levels of the charge in each borough and the rates of benefit which will then be provided. These are still to be decided.

  Family Practitioners Committees
  Ms. Richardson
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of (a) women members, (b) men members, (c) women chairpersons and (d) men chairpersons on each family practitioner committee.

  Mrs. Currie
  Of the 90 family practitioner committees in England, 26 chairmanships are held by women. The information requested on membership is in the following table, which includes chairmen. Vacancies exist on some committees.

  Family practitioner committees membership

  Members

  Chairmen

  (a) Women

  (b) Men

  Avon

  7

  21

  W

  Barking and Havering

  6

  24

  W

  Barnet

  10

  20

  M

  Barnsley

  9

  21

  M

  Bedfordshire

  6

  24

  W

  Berkshire

  8

  22

  M

  Birmingham

  10

  19

  M

  Bolton

  9

  18

  W

  Bradford

  5

  26

  M

  Brent and Harrow

  10

  20

  W

  Bromley

  8

  23

  M

  Buckinghamshire

  10

  21

  W

  Bury

  5

  23

  M

  Calderdale

  4

  24

  Vacancy

  Cambridgeshire

  10

  20

  M

  Camden and Islington

  11

  18

  M

  Cheshire

  6

  23

  M

  City and East London

  8

  22

  M

  Cleveland

  9

  21

  M

  Cornwall and Isle of Scilly

  10

  20

  M

  Coventry

  8

  23

  W

  Croydon

  13

  17

  M

  Cumbria

  9

  22

  W

  Derbyshire

  7

  24

  M

  Devon

  9

  22

  W

  Doncaster

  10

  20

  M

  Dorset

  9

  21

  M

  Dudley

  7

  20

  M

  Durham

  7

  23

  M

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  10

  19

  W

  East Sussex

  8

  23

  W

  Enfield and Haringey

  13

  18

  M

  624

  Members

  Chairmen

  (a) Women

  (b) Men

  Essex

  9

  24

  M

  Gateshead

  8

  21

  M

  Gloucestershire

  11

  19

  M

  Greenwich and Bexley

  8

  21

  M

  Hampshire

  8

  25

  M

  Hereford and Worcester

  5

  23

  W

  Hertfordshire

  8

  22

  W

  Hillingdon

  8

  21

  M

  Humberside

  8

  23

  Vacancy

  Isle of Wight

  10

  20

  M

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  12

  17

  M

  Kent

  11

  20

  W

  Kingston and Richmond

  12

  16

  M

  Kirklees

  6

  25

  M

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  11

  17

  M

  Lancashire

  8

  27

  M

  Leeds

  6

  20

  W

  Leicestershire

  6

  24

  M

  Lincolnshire

  7

  24

  M

  Liverpool

  7

  20

  M

  Manchester

  7

  24

  M

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  13

  18

  W

  Newcastle

  6

  20

  M

  Norfolk

  10

  20

  M

  Northamptonshire

  9

  22

  M

  North Tyneside

  6

  19

  M

  Northumberland

  8

  22

  M

  North Yorkshire

  5

  26

  M

  Nottinghamshire

  8

  22

  M

  Oldham

  11

  20

  M

  Oxfordshire

  9

  22

  W

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  9

  21

  M

  Rochdale

  11

  17

  M

  Rotherham

  7

  24

  M

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  7

  20

  M

  Salford

  7

  17

  M

  Sandwell

  5

  25

  M

  Sefton

  6

  23

  M

  Sheffield

  7

  19

  M

  Shropshire

  8

  20

  M

  Solihull

  9

  18

  W

  Somerset

  11

  18

  W

  South Tyneside

  7

  20

  M

  Staffordshire

  6

  24

  M

  Stockport

  8

  21

  M

  Suffolk

  6

  22

  W

  Sunderland

  7

  22

  M

  Surrey

  9

  25

  W

  Tameside

  5

  22

  W

  Trafford

  6

  25

  M

  Wakefield

  8

  20

  M

  Walsall

  8

  19

  M

  Warwickshire

  10

  19

  W

  West Sussex

  11

  20

  W

  Wigan

  7

  22

  W

  Wiltshire

  8

  19

  W

  Wirral

  8

  20

  M

  Wolverhampton

  9

  19

  M

  742

  1907

  Mentally Ill People
  Mr. Irving
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied that local authority community-based services for the mentally ill are expanding sufficiently rapidly to offset the rundown in National Health Service accommodation.
  625
  Mrs. Currie
  The development of comprehensive, local services for mentally ill people requires the co-operation of health authorities, the voluntary sector and the private sector as well as local authorities. The rate at which services in the community are increasing is generally satisfactory, although we recognise that there are parts of the country where progress is disappointingly slow.

  We are not aware of any examples of mental illness hospitals being closed and former patients failing to receive appropriate care in an alternative setting.

  Juvenile Offenders
  Mr. Irving
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated average cost to his Department and local authorities of a place for a juvenile offender on an intensive intermediate treatment scheme within the Department's recent intermediate treatment initiative.

  Mrs. Currie
  Grants under the IT initiative were awarded on the basis that the estimated cost of providing a programme of intensive IT was £2,000 per case. This figure was fixed at the beginning of the grant period (normally two years) so that the voluntary body providing the scheme had a clear indication of the money available from central Government during the whole of the grant period.

  The Department has no up-to-date information from which we could derive a current average cost of providing schemes of intensive IT. We have commissioned Dr. Martin Knapp (University of Kent) to undertake a research study to evaluate the cost effectiveness of various forms of IT compared with other court disposals, but the results of his work are not yet available.

  Balderton Hospital (Eastdale Unit)
  Mr. Irving
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate (a) the cost of running the Eastdale unit at Balderton hospital for the last five years and (b) how the cost was distributed between his Department and the relevant health authority.

  Mrs. Currie
  Central Nottinghamshire district health authority estimates that between 1981–82 and 1985–86 (the most recent five-year period for which figures are available) the cost of running the Eastdale unit was £1,351,000. Of that sum, £496,000 (37 per cent.) was contributed directly by the Department by means of a special allocation to the Trent regional health authority.

  Special Hospitals
  Mr. Irving
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people at present detained in special hospitals are awaiting transfer to other hospitals or into the community.

  Mrs. Currie
  On 8 July, 117 patients had been identified by their responsible medical officers as being suitable for a move from a special hospital, either on permanent transfer or for a period of trial leave.

  Community Care
  Mr. Irving
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the Audit
  626
  Commission's 1986 report "Making a reality of Community Care", with regard to provision for the mentally ill.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Government do not think that the substantial progress already made in carrying forward the policy of community care is properly reflected in the Audit Commission report; in particular, in the mental illness field, its account of existing community facilities is misleading. The report of Sir Roy Griffith's overview of community care policy due by the end of this year, however, has it available as written evidence, and we await this report with interest.

  The challenge of providing a good comprehensive community-orientated modern service for mentally ill people has been patchily met by health and local authorities; and successive Governments have recognised that it will take a good deal of effort over a long period to produce the kind of service we want. But a great deal has been achieved; the Health Advisory Service, and Good Practices in Mental Health with sponsorship from the Department have helped to catalogue and spread good practice. Since 1979 gross expenditure on hospital and community health services for mentally ill people had grown by 18 per cent. in real terms by 1985 and gross expenditure on personal social services for this group by 47 per cent. (also in real terms) in the same period. A lot remains to be done; and funding for and pressure on authorities are designed to secure appropriate priority for services for mentally ill people.

  Nursing Recruitment
  Mr. Kirkwood
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to respond to the results of the review into nursing recruitment.

  Mr. Newton
  As soon as possible.

  Nurses (Pay)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the net cost to public funds, taking into account additional tax revenue and welfare benefit entitlement, of increasing the gross pay of all nursing grades by (a) 5 per cent., (b) 10 per cent. and (c) 15 per cent.

  Mr. Newton
  The estimated cost of increasing gross pay for all nursing and midwifery staff in the hospital and community health services in England by 5, 10 and 15 per cent. is:

  Percentage increase

  £ million

  5

  206

  10

  412

  15

  617

  Notes:

  1. Increases based on estimated paybill for 1987–88 including average 9·5 per cent. pay increase from 1 April 1987.

  2. All figures inclusive of employers' national insurance and superannuation costs and agency staff.

  3. Assumes employers' costs rise roughly in line with pay.

  There is insufficient information on which to base an estimate of the net effect on tax revenue and benefit expenditure.

  Agency Nurses
  Mr. Kirkwood
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the cost of agency nurses to the National Health Service.

  Mr. Newton
  The annual accounts of health authorities in England for 1985–86 record total expenditure on the employment of non-National Health Service (agency etc.) nursing staff as £51,297,230.

  We collect no estimates of this expenditure but figures from the accounts for 1986–87 will be available in the autumn.

  HIV Infection
  Mr. Irving
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence there is of HIV infection in the heterosexual population.

  Mr. Newton
  Twenty-six cases of clinical AIDS reported in the United Kingdom up to the end of June 1987 probably acquired the infection heterosexually. There have been 205 laboratory reports of HIV antibody positive tests in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to the end of June in persons who are thought to have acquired the infection heterosexually.

  Mr. Irving
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment he has made of the evidence that condoms provide adequate protection against HIV.

  Mr. Newton
  I am advised that the evidence for the protective effect of condoms against HIV consists, first, of results of laboratory tests which demonstrate that commercially available latex condoms are impermeable to HIV. Secondly, there are epidemiological data showing reduced rates of infection among individuals at risk of HIV who generally or habitually use condoms when compared with those who do not use condoms.

  AIDS
  Mr. Irving
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider, as part of his campaign against AIDS, promoting the idea of avoiding risk activities rather than just relying on condoms.

  Mr. Newton
  Our campaign to date has actively promoted avoidance of activities that carry a risk of HIV transmission and will continue to do so. For those who are unwilling or unable to restrict sexual contacts to a single faithful partner, condoms provide some protection. We will continue to promote this message in our compaign of AIDS public education.

  Data Processing and Information Technology
  Mr. Michael Marshall
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what improvements in his Department's data processing and information technology facilities are anticipated during the next six months.

  Mr. Portillo
  Development work will continue on the operational strategy for social security, a range of major computerisation projects which will improve service to the public, allow greater efficiency in the payment of benefits and provide better jobs for staff. Among the milestones which it is planned to reach in the next six months are provision of an on-line inquiry service for retirement 628
  pensions, completion of the installation of the terminal replacement inquiry system (TRES) in unemployment benefit offices and the development of microcomputer-based systems to support the processing of claims for income support and family credit.

  NHS (Agency Staff)
  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the cost to the National Health Service in the Nottingham health authority for staff who have been employed through agencies of (a) nurses, (b) operating department assistants, (c) ancillary and (d) other staff.

  Mr. Newton
  The 1985–86 annual accounts of the Nottingham health authority show the following expenditure for non-National Health Service (agency, etc.) staff:

  £

  Professions allied to Medicine

  3,507

  Professional and technical

  1,396

  Administrative and Clerical—typing and secretarial

  116,561

  Administrative and Clerical—other

  74,739

  Ancillary

  17,669

  Ambulance

  7,448

  Total

  221,320

  Hospital Closures (Nottingham)
  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received concerning the possible closure of hospitals in the Nottingham health authority area.

  Mrs. Currie
  None.

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much has been saved in cleaning, laundry and catering by competitive tendering in the Nottingham health authority since the programme began.

  Mr. Newton
  The information available centrally relates to total annual savings generated by competitive tendering exercises for catering, domestic (cleaning) and laundry services. As at 31 March 1987, Nottingham health authority had reported total annual savings generated of £1·4 million.

  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the progress of his competitive tendering policy.

  Mr. Newton
  In general, yes. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) on 14 July which sets out the good progress made by health authorities in England in putting their domestic (cleaning) catering and laundry services out to tender. As at 31 March 1987, this has resulted in annual savings generated of £93·3 million.

  City Hospital, Nottingham
  Mr. Allen
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps will be taken to maintain services if the proposed privatisation of the Nottingham city hospital campus is implemented; and if he will make a statement.
  629
  Mr. Newton
  I assume the hon. Member is referring to the process whereby health authorities put their cleaning, catering and laundry services to competitive tender. I understand that this exercise has been completed for both catering and cleaning services (with the contracts awarded in-house) and that tenders will be invited in the autumn for the laundry service. These processes are fully compatible with the maintenance of services needed to run the hospital.

  Average daily number of available beds for geriatric and psychogeriatric specialties

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  11986

  Gateshead District Health Authority

  234·4

  228·6

  229·4

  238·1

  234·4

  England

  61,858·9

  62,818·5

  63,774·3

  65,911·8

  64,986·5

  Average daily number of available beds in England per 10,000 population

  13·2

  13·4

  13·6

  14·0

  13·8

  1 Provisional figures.

  Statistics
  Mr. Frank Field
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Library the information contained in the fuller reply he promised to the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Gould) on changes in the collection and publication of information by his Department since 1979 in his answer of 3 December 1986, Official Report, column 698.

  Mrs. Currie
  The fuller reply to the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Gould) was published in the Official Report of 12 January 1987 at columns 129–32.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Janner
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the amount of money available for the social fund will take account of the time taken for pre-1988 single payments to pass through the administrative process.

  Mr. Scott
  Awards of single payments made under the former legislation but payable after the introduction of the social fund will not be payments from the fund. They will not affect social fund budgets.

  Hospitals (Norwich)
  Mrs. Gillian Shepherd
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment he has made of the effect of the outcome of the public inquiry into the Norwich southern bypass on the reappraisal of the siting of the second Norwich district general hospital; and in particular the time scale of that reappraisal.

  Mrs. Currie
  The health authority's further work on this option appraisal, which should take about three months, should include examination of all the relevant factors, including an assessment of the outcome of the inquiry into the Norwich southern bypass.

  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about future plans for the St. Andrews, Hellesdon and the David Rice hospitals in Norwich.

  Mrs. Currie
  The East Anglian regional health authority's current proposals for health service provision for the district include plans for a new district general

  Geriatric and Psychogeriatric Beds
  Mr. Mc William
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total provision of geriatric and psychogeriatric beds in the Gateshead health authority area in each of the last five years; and what was the provision in all other health authorities per 10,000 population.

  Mrs. Currie
  The available information is given in the table.

  hospital in Norwich, the first phase of which is to be an acute mental illness unit. If Hellesdon is eventually chosen as the site for the new hospital, the existing mental illness hospital there would close after the construction of the first phase of the new hospital. Both the David Rice and St. Andrews hospitals would be retained in the short term until the reprovision of the mental illness services in the district is completed.

  Mrs. Gillian Shepherd
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how long the reappraisal of sites for the second Norwich district general hospital will take.

  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what time is being allowed for the latest appraisal of sites for the new district general hospital in Norwich.

  Mrs. Currie
  We expect the health authority to be able to complete the further work on the option appraisal in about three months.

  NHS (Pay)
  Mr. Bermingham
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list for each regional and district health authority the difference between money allocated for nurses' pay in 1987–88 and what steps he is taking to make up the shortfall.

  Mr. Newton
  The cost of the review body awards for doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and the professions allied to medicine in England will be £488 million in 1987–88. The Government have provided an additional £264 million towards that cost. Of the remainder, £200 million was covered in authorities' initial allocations for 1987–88 and £24 million will be met from their cost improvement programmes. The increased funding has not been apportioned between individual staff groups.

  The additional £264 million has been allocated as follows:

  £ million

  Regional Health Authorities:

  Northern

  16·8

  Yorkshire

  18·8

  Trent

  23·2

  East Anglian

  9·9

  631

  £ million

  North West Thames

  18·8

  North East Thames

  23·8

  South East Thames

  20·9

  South West Thames

  17·0

  Wessex

  13·9

  Oxford

  10·9

  South Western

  16·5

  West Midlands

  26·7

  Mersey

  13·5

  North Western

  23·0

  Regional Health Authorities total

  253·7

  Special Health Authorities and others

  10·3

  264·0

  Allocations to district health authorities are a matter for regions.

  Mr. Bermingham
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he intends to take to assist health authorities to meet the cost of the ancillary workers' pay award.

  Mr. Newton
  Negotiations are continuing in the ancillary staffs Whitley council. Health authorities will be expected to meet the cost of any award from the allocations made to them by the Government, which of course include an allowance for inflation, and from their cost improvement programmes.

  Hospitals (Shared Bedrooms)
  Ms. Gordon
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients on (a) general, (b) geriatric, (c) psychiatric and (d) mental handicap wards share bedrooms; if he will draw the attention of district health authorities to the disapproval of this practice expressed by his Department in 1980; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information on numbers of patients in wards accommodating both sexes is not collected centrally. The guidance given to health authority chairmen in 1980 still stands.

  Mrs. G. L. Rowbottom
  Mr. Heddle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will investigate the reason why Mrs. G. L. Rowbottom of April Cottage, 26 Old road, Stone, Staffordshire, allowance number YP533478D has not received the renewal of her family income supplement allowance book following her application in April in advance of the expiry date of 26 May last.

  Mr. Portillo
  Yes. I am writing today to my hon. Friend setting out the position.

  Mrs. Gladys Upton
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to reply to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich with a statement about the case of Mrs. Gladys Upton, owed benefit by his Department after loss of her insurance stamps.

  Mr. Portillo
  I hope to be able to reply shortly to the hon. Member's letter which was received on 2 July 1987.

  Tobacco (Under-age Purchase)
  Mr. Speller
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to seek to increase the penalties available under law for those persons over 16 years of age who purchase cigarettes or tobacco specifically for children under 16 years of age; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  It is not a criminal offence for persons aged over 16 to purchase tobacco products. Their sale to children under 16 is illegal under the Protection of Children (Tobacco) Act 1986, and the fine on conviction is up to level 3 on the standard scale (£400). The rate of level 3 can be increased by order to reflect inflation.

  Income Levels
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the number of retirement pensioners and the percentage they constitute of the retirement pensioners' population who live on between 100 per cent. and 140 per cent. of the supplementary benefit level for each year since 1979 in Scotland;

  (2) for each year since 1979, what percentage of Scottish retirement pensioners lived below the supplementary benefit level;

  (3) for each year since 1979, what percentage of Scottish retirement pensioners lived on or below supplementary benefit levels;

  (4) if he will publish as a table in the Official Report the number of Scottish sick and disabled people living on between 100 per cent. and 140 per cent. of the supplementary benefit level and the percentage they constitute of the sick and disabled for each year since 1979;

  (5) for each year since 1979, what number of Scottish retirement pensioners lived on or below supplementary benefit levels;

  (6) what number of Scottish retirement pensioners lived below supplementary benefit levels for each year since 1979;

  (7) for each year since 1979, what number and percentage of sick and disabled people in Scotland lived: (a) on or below supplementary benefit levels and (b) below supplementary benefit levels.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have asked officials to consider both whether it is possible to produce statistically valid figures and whether each reply can be prepared without incurring disproportionate cost. I shall let the hon. Member have replies as soon as possible.

  Pharmacists
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements are being made for payments to pharmacists who withdraw from their National Health Service contracts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Provision for compensation payments to certain pharmacists in Great Britain who withdraw from their NHS contracts was included in the overall provision for the family practitioner services for 1987–88. However the votes do not include subheads under which payments can be made and Parliamentary approval to new subheads in Class XIV Vote 2, Class XVI Vote 17 and Class XVII Vote 7 will be sought in Supplementary Supply Estimates.
  633
  Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £3 million will he met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

  Hospitals (Liverpool)
  Mr. Parry
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many beds will be provided at the Royal Liverpool Infirmary following the relocation of services from St. Paul's eye hospital and The Seamen's dispensary;

  (2) how many hospital beds there are at present in St. Paul's eye hospital and The Seamen's dispensary, Liverpool.

  Mrs. Currie
  [pursuant to her reply, 10 July 1987, c. 311]: I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member the information he seeks in precisely the form requested. The latest information available centrally is given in the table. For current information the hon. Member may wish to write to the chairman of the Liverpool health authority.

  Average daily number of available beds and occupied beds during 1986

  (provisional figures)

  Hospital/Clinic

  Available beds

  Occupied beds1

  St. Paul's Eye

  51·7

  33·1

  Seamen's Dispensary

  2nil

  2nil

  Liverpool Maternity

  134·5

  101·8

  Mill Road Maternity

  134·0

  82·4

  Liverpool Women's

  59·0

  43·4

  1 Bed occupancy figures are based on a midnight count and do not therefore reflect the use of beds by patients who do not stay overnight.

  2 Out-patient facilities only.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Dobson
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed people have been disqualified from unemployment benefit on grounds of voluntary unemployment at each unemployment benefit office in Greater London since the new rules came into operation in October 1986; in how many cases the disqualification was for the maximum period; and what were the comparable figures for a similar period in 1983.

  Mr. Portillo
  [pursuant to his reply, 13 July 1987]: I regret that the information is not available in the precise form requested. However the following table shows the number of disqualifications from unemployment benefit imposed under section 20(1) of the Social Security Act 1975 at each adjudication office in the Department of Employment which deals, wholly or partly, with cases from the Greater London area. Later figures are not yet available. Information is not collected on the length of disqualifications and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Adjudication office

  1 October 1983 to 31 March 19842

  1 October 1986 to 31 March 19872

  Barking

  2,933

  2,672

  Borough

  2,372

  2,144

  Croydon

  2,225

  4,088

  Ealing

  3,734

  1,926

  Finchley

  2,575

  2,550

  Hammersmith/Hounslow

  4,414

  3,005

  Hornsey (Kings Cross)1

  —

  1,802

  Leyton

  1,603

  1,913

  Stepney

  1,698

  1,508

  634

  Adjudication office

  1 October 1983 to 31 March 19842

  1 October 1986 to 31 March 19872

  Westminster1

  —

  1,488

  Wimbledon

  2,557

  2,730

  Woolwich

  2,370

  2,510

  Total

  26,481

  28,336

  1 Opened after March 1984.

  2 Figures collected on a quarterly basis.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Small Businesses
  Mr. David Shaw
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the achievements of his Department in helping small businesses over the last three years; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.

  Mr. Eggar
  Orders are placed with small businesses which are able to satisfy the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's value-for-money requirements. The value of such procurement since 1984 was:

  £million

  1984–85

  1·766

  1985–86

  4·180

  1986–87

  6·695

  One third of Foreign and Commonwealth Office procurement is from the central agencies. No data are available on how much of this business is with small firms.

  Commercial departments of Diplomatic Service posts give a wide range of help to British exporters, including small firms.

  For example, in 1984, 1985 an 1986 they assisted 74,598, 77,325 and 76,942 British business visitors and handled 58,491, 60,485 and 65,473 market information inquiries, respectively. Posts do not keep separate statistics showing the help given to small firms but these represent a significant proportion of the overall work load.

  Visas
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the handling of visitor's visas at the high commission in New Delhi; what proportion of visa applications is granted; and what delay is involved between applications for and the granting of visas.

  Mr. Eggar
  The visit-visa operation continues to operate smoothly at posts in the sub-continent, including New Delhi where around 300 applications per day are currently being handled. Nearly 90 per cent. of applications are granted. The vast majority of visas are issued within 24 hours.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Frank Cook
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure that plutonium exported to France is covered by peaceful end use safeguards restrictions; and what current plans there are to export plutonium to France and in what quantities.
  635
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have been asked to reply.

  Exports of plutonium to France, like those to other member states of the European Community, are covered by the standard format set out in the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar) on 18 December 1986 at columns 611–12.

  Information on exports to individual countries was and remains confidential for both commercial and security reasons.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Frank Cook
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will examine during his next meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany the implications for current European nuclear disarmament negotiations of the forward basing of French intermediate range nuclear weapons on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany;

  (2) what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Federal Republic of Germany on the implications for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty of French plans to make available to the Federal Republic of Germany dual key control on forward-based French intermediate range nuclear weapons deployed on West German territory.

  Mr. Mellor
  We know of no French plans to deploy French intermediate-range nuclear weapons on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany. The French Prime Minister said in a newspaper interview at the end of June that there is no question of deploying French nuclear weapons outside French territory.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will raise the implications for nuclear arms control in Europe of the planned deployment of neutron weapons by France when he next attends (a) the Western European Union and (b) the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Foreign Ministers Group

  (2) if he will direct the United Kingdom ambassador to the United Nations committee on disarmament to initiate discussions on the prospects of nuclear arms control in the light of French plans to deploy neutron weapons in Europe.

  Mr. Mellor
  We know of no French plans to deploy neutron weapons in Europe.

  Agreements and Treaties
  Mr. Thomas
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those international agreements and treaties to which Her Majesty's Government are a signatory.

  Mr. Eggar
  The texts of all treaties to which we are signatory or a party are laid before Parliament and are published as Command Papers. Those which are in force for the United Kingdom are published in the treaty series of Command Papers which has an annual index.

  The most comprehensive list of treaties entered into by the United Kingdom is "Parry's Index of British Treaties 1101–1968", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  E1 Salvador
  Mr. Corbyn
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the Government's policy towards the recent 18-point peace plan for El Salvador.

  Mr. Eggar
  Our policy in El Salvador is to support President Duarte's efforts to consolidate democratic institutions and the rule of law, and to end insurgency and terrorism. We welcome his efforts to promote regional reconciliation and were disappointed that the FMLN failed to attend the most recent meeting last September called by President Duarte for that purpose.

  Soviet Foreign Minister (Statement)
  Mr. Dalyell
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, pursuant to his answer of 13 July, he will publish in the Official Report an account of the statement made by the Soviet Foreign Minister to Her Majesty's ambassador in Moscow; and what response has now been made by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 13 July.

  EC Foreign Ministers (Copenhagen Meeting)
  Mr. Rhodes James
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the meeting of European Community Foreign Minsters in Copenhagen on 13 July.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I attended a meeting with other Foreign Ministers of the Twelve on 13 July in the framework of European political co-operation. We adopted statements on East-West relations, the middle east and Afghanistan. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  The discussion of East-West relations covered recent developments in the Soviet Union, the prospects for current arms control negotiations, and the CSCE follow-up meeting in Vienna.

  We reaffirmed our support for an international conference on the middle east, recalled our commitment to respect for human rights in the occupied territories, and agreed that the Twelve should continue to contribute to economic and social development in the territories.

  We agreed that the Twelve should pursue their contacts with all the interested parties in the middle east.

  We noted the action taken by Syria against the Abu Nidal organisation, following the firm stand taken last year by the Twelve and other members of the international community in response to Syrian involvement in terrorism. We agreed that the Twelve would lift their ban on high-level contacts with Syria, but leave their other measures against Syria in place.

  We also discussed South Africa, and asked officials to study the implementation of the measures agreed by the Twelve last September.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Life-sentence Prisoners
  Ms. Short
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners, who have received sentences

  637
  of life imprisonment in the non-jury Diplock courts where the trial judge has made a minimum term recommendation, have been released on licence or otherwise, before the expiry of the recommendation, in the last 15 years.

  Mr. Stanley
  One—on medical grounds.

  Draft Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order
  Mr. Archer
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which organisations and individuals made representations or submissions concerning the draft Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (NI) Order; and of these which opposed and which supported provisions in the order relating to financial relief.
  638
  Mr. Stanley
  I shall reply to the right hon. and learned Member shortly.

  Flooding (Castlereagh)
  Mr. John David Taylor
  asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has received any representations about flooding in the vicinity of 79 to 106 Newtownbredas road in the borough to Castlereagh on 10 July; if there has been any previous concern expressed about the inadequacy of the storm drainage in the roadway at this location; and if he has any proposals to improve the existing drainage system.

  Mr. Needham
  I shall reply to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

  MINISTERIAL SALARIES
  MINISTERIAL SALARIES
  CROWN SUPPLIES: STAFF PENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  CROWN SUPPLIES: STAFF PENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  GOVERNMENT CAR SERVICE AND INTERDEPARTMENTAL DESPATCH SERVICE
  GOVERNMENT CAR SERVICE AND INTERDEPARTMENTAL DESPATCH SERVICE
  WATER AUTHORITIES: PRIVATISATION PROPOSALS
  WATER AUTHORITIES: PRIVATISATION PROPOSALS
  CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
  CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
  NORTHERN IRELAND: GRANTS TO VOLUNTARY BODIES
  NORTHERN IRELAND: GRANTS TO VOLUNTARY BODIES
  PRISONERS IN POLICE CELLS: STATISTICS
  PRISONERS IN POLICE CELLS: STATISTICS
  PRISON DISTURBANCES 1986: REPORT
  PRISON DISTURBANCES 1986: REPORT
  DETENTION CENTERS
  DETENTION CENTERS
  YOUTH CUSTODY: ACCOMMODATION OF OFFENDERS
  YOUTH CUSTODY: ACCOMMODATION OF OFFENDERS
  SHEEP ANNUAL PREMIUM: UNTUPPED SHEARLINGS
  SHEEP ANNUAL PREMIUM: UNTUPPED SHEARLINGS
  NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IN PUBLIC HOUSES: PRICES
  NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IN PUBLIC HOUSES: PRICES