TNAG-1086-FCO40-1336-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 47

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Levy Board to the Home Secretary and laid before Parliament under Section 31 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, will contain a full report of the proceedings by which the Horserace Betting Levy Board has sought to secure the continued running of the Grand National at Aintree following the termination of the existing arrangements; and

Whether they will ensure that the 20th Annual Report of the Horserace Betting Levy Board for the period 1st April 1980 to 31st March 1981, which will be submitted by the Horserace Betting Levy Board to the Home Secretary and laid before Parliament under Section 31 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, will contain a full report of the proceedings by which the Horserace Betting Levy Board and its wholly owned subsidiary United Racecourses have sought to secure the continued running of the Derby at Epsom; and whether it will contain an account of the arrangements which were made for the Horserace Betting Levy Board and the board of United Racecourses to consider the evidence to be given by them to the working party appointed by the Epsom and Ewell Borough Council on the revision of the Epsom and Walton Downs Regulation Act before that evidence was given.

Lord Belstead: I understand that the board has already completed its 20th Annual Report and that it will shortly be submitted to my right honourable friend the Home Secretary.

Answers

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by the Home Secretary and, if so, whether he has given his approval.

Lord Belstead: The Horserace Betting Levy Board is concerned about the future of the Grand National at Aintree and Her Majesty's Government share their concern. The Board is considering ways of securing the future of the race, but no formal approach has yet been made to my right honourable friend the Home Secretary.

PRISONERS: RESTORATION OF LOST REMISSION

Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will introduce a scheme for restora- tion of lost remission for prisoners in England and Wales, similar to that announced for prisoners in Northern Ireland on 6th October.

Lord Belstead: The arrangements announced by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland were in response to a situation peculiar to Northern Ireland. There already exists in England and Wales a system whereby prisoners may apply for restoration of remission forfeited as a punish-

ment.

AINTREE RACECOURSE AND THE GRAND

NATIONAL

Lord Wigg asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will make a statement about the future running of the Grand National at Aintree following the termination of the existing arrange- ments, in view of the fact that the Horserace Betting Levy Board has on no occasion at its monthly meetings formally considered the future of the Grand National during the period 1st January 1980 to date, that no action was taken to obtain in- formation about the existing arrangements until April 1981, and that the chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board did not arrange to meet the existing owner to discuss the acquisition of the racecourse until 1st September 1981; and

What steps they have taken and propose to take in order to secure the continued running of the Grand National at Aintree following the termination of the existing arrangements, and whether the Horserace Betting Levy Board has submitted to the Home Secretary, in accordance with Section 25 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, a request for the approval of the payment of £3 million for Aintree racecourse, and whether the statement made by the secretary of the Horserace Betting Levy Board at the press conference arranged by the chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board on 21st September at the Hyde Park Hotel that the Horserace Betting Levy Board would be prepared to increase its offer to £4 million has been considered

MERSEYSIDE DISTURBANCES: SPECIAL CONSTABLES

Lord Inglewood asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they can confirm the statement made in another place on 31st July 1981, that during the recent troubles a branch of the Police Federation on Merseyside would not permit special constables to patrol in cars with regulars and whether this is in accordance with their policy.

Lord Belstead: Chief constables determine how special constables should be deployed. I understand from the chief constable of Merseyside that in his force they sometimes go on motor patrol with regular officers, and that as in other forces-they gave valuable assistance during the recent disturbances.

WARTIME HEADQUARTERS

Lord Jenkins of Putney asked Her Majesty's Govern- ment:

Whether one of the bunkers at Ullenwood near Cheltenham has become Sub-Region H.Q. No. 72; whether Bolt Head near Salcombe is the seat of Regional Government 7 or Sub-Regional H.Q. No. 71; whether Sub-Regional H.Q. No. 31 at Skendelby, Lincolnshire, is currently manned, and who will occupy this deep bunker in the event of nuclear

war.

Lord Belstead: It is not in the public interest to provide information on current plans for the location of wartime headquarters. They are not staffed in