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exist to make MOD civilian personnel compulsorily redundant ; whether further offers of voluntary redundancy will be made ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Alan Clark : Redundancies have been confined mainly to industrial and non-mobile, non-industrial grades. Volunteers in these grades who apply for redundancy are considered locally by the establishment concerned ; details are not held centrally. We have announced publicly that civilian numbers in MOD will reduce by around 20,000 posts over the period 1991-92 to 1996-97. This figure represents total job losses rather than anticipated redundancies.
It is our policy to restrict the number of compulsory redundancies to a minimum. This will be achieved by a number of measures including redeployment to other MOD establishments or Government Departments, and extending the availability of early retirement schemes ; about 700 non- industrial staff across all grades have recently applied to retire under the approved early retirement category. Where redundancy becomes inevitable, volunteers will be given priority.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any non-MOD organisations have ever contributed towards the cost of purchasing ceremonial uniforms.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There is no indication that any such contributions have been made.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his Soviet counterpart regarding the non- proliferation of nuclear technology.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As two of the depositary powers to the non- proliferation treaty, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union are represented at meetings to discuss nuclear non-proliferation. Our aim is to co-operate with our NPT partners in achieving the objectives of the treaty.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department has given to participating in United Nations peace-keeping operations in (a) south-east Asia and (b) Europe.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Secretary-General has asked us to provide three military observers for the United Nations advance mission in Cambodia --UNAMIC ; we expect them to deploy shortly. The Secretary-General's special reprentative, Mr. Vance, is currently in Yugoslavia. He is expected to pursue his contacts with the Yugoslav parties as rapidly as possible so that the Secretary-General can present early recommendations to the Security Council, including any recommendation for the establishment of a United Nations peace-keeping operation in Yugoslavia.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 November, Official Report, column 615, when (a) the SRAM-T system and (b) the SLAT system are due to complete their development stage.
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Mr. Alan Clark : Both are United States programmes whose timings are matters for the United States Government.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 November, Official Report, column 615 , if he will state the nature of the naval transparency measures that are currently being considered.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Ships above 850 tonnes will be included in the register of arms transfers which we expect soon to be initiated by the United Nations. Informal consultations have now started on the agenda for arms control following the review conference planned for Helsinki next spring. It is possible that information exchange for naval forces will also be considered in this context.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of how many (a) armoured personnel carriers, (b) armoured infantry fighting vehicles, (c) heavy armoured combat vehicles, (d) artillery pieces, (e) combat aircraft and (f) attack helicopters the United Kingdom will deploy by 1995.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Our plans envisage deployment of some 450 armoured infantry fighting vehicles, some 330 artillery pieces, some 400 combat aircraft and some 250 attack helicopters, as defined by the conventional forces in Europe treaty, within the Army and RAF. The exact quantity of armoured personnel carriers and heavy armoured combat vehicles to be deployed is still under review, but will be within the limits set in the CFE treaty.
Mr. O'Neil : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the subordinate budget holders within each of the top level budget holder's chain of command, and the amount of money allocated to each of them, to which he referred in his answer of 25 July 1991, Official Report, columns 930-31.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate effort and cost.
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on co-operation with France on a future frigate.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : In a recent exchange of letters with the French Minister of Defence, M. Pierre Joxe, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and M. Joxe have agreed to begin exploratory work lasting about 18 months on a joint project for a future anti-air warfare frigate to enter service early in the next decade. The new frigate would be equipped with anti-air missiles of the FAMS programme. Its task would be escorting and protecting maritime forces in the Atlantic or elsewhere.
This bilateral initiative concludes a series of discussions initiated one year ago, and follows a joint statement of need by the two navies and a joint technical report on the feasibility of a co-operative programme.
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Both countries recognise the potential benefits of co-operation through standardisation, rationalisation and interoperability of equipments. A number of difficult issues will need to be addressed in this next phase of work, but my right hon. Friend and M. Joxe are determined that every effort shall be made to resolve them. The outcome of this phase will enable a final decision on the development of the frigate to be taken in 1993.The participation of the other nations co-operating on FAMS remains an option for any subsequent phase.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions weapons, explosives or ammunition have been found missing at (a) police barracks, (b) Ulster Defence Regiment barracks and (c) other barracks or security installations in Northern Ireland in each year since 1988.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 28 November 1991] : I shall write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what computer links exist, or are planned, for the Royal Ulster Constabulary to the existing police national computer or PNII.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 29 November 1991] : The Royal Ulster Constabulary does not have direct access to the police national computer, but can obtain information from it indirectly by arrangement with police forces in Great Britain. It is anticipated that the RUC will become an on-line user of PNC II in the near future ; in the meantime, a link has been established for training purposes.
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what assessment he has made of the value of target-setting techniques in the Suffolk science course in drawing up the assessment scheme for the GCSE in science ;
(2) if he will allow periodic assessments to continue to be included in final assessments of GCSE achievement.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend is currently considering advice from the School Examinations and Assessment Council about the future assessment arrangements of modular GCSE courses. He expects to announce his decisions, based on that advice, very shortly. It will then be for the GCSE examining groups to develop assessment arrangements consistent with those decisions.
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the average unit of resource per full-time equivalent student for each
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academic year between 1979-80 and 1991-92 (a) gross domestic product deflated and (b) university pay and prices index deflated, with both answers expressed in £ sterling.Mr. Alan Howarth : Expenditure data for financial years 1979-80 to 1989-90 per full-time equivalent student in universities are given in the table.
Unit costs in universities, financial years<1> 1979-80 to 1989-90 |Using the GDP |Using the |deflator<2> |UPPI deflator<3> -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1979-80 |6,435 |7,825 1980-81 |6,840 |7,485 1981-82 |6,600 |7,155 1982-83 |6,830 |7,355 1983-84 |6,885 |7,380 1984-85 |6,815 |7,295 1985-86 |6,630 |7,140 1986-87 |6,555 |6,845 1987-88 |6,780 |6,740 1988-89 |6,620 |6,655 1989-90 |6,410 |6,410 <1> The unit of public funding for universities is estimated using the total of the University Funding Council recurrent grant (which is based on the financial year) and tuition fee income (excluding fees for overseas students) and the number of full-time equivalent students in the financial year. The recurrent grant figure includes UFC grant for research. <2> Real terms at 1989-90 prices, calculated using November 1991 GDP deflator. <3> Real terms at 1989-90 prices, calculated using Universities' Pay and Prices Index published September 1990.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer of 27 November, why his Department decided not to fund research into the validity of assessing children's IQ ; and what plans he has to fund such research in the future.
Mr. Eggar : The Department has only a limited budget for the support of educational research work : priority has to be given to policy-related projects needed to guide policy decisions ; improve the quality of the educational process in areas of policy concern ; facilitate the implementation of policy decisions ; or which evaluate the effects of the implementation of policy decisions. There are no plans at present to fund research into the validity of IQ as a measure in the light of these criteria.
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the average polytechnic lecturer's salary adjusted for retail prices index, for each year from 1981 to 1991.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Average polytechnic lecturer salaries are not readily available for this period. The table for lecturers in further education generally may be helpful.
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Average salary of full-time teachers in maintained, assisted and grant-aided establishments of further education in England & Wales Average salary (£) Year |Cash |Real terms<1> (as at 31 March) |(1990 prices) |All<2> further |All<2> further |education |education |institutions |institutions -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1981 |9,953 |16,784 1982 |10,741 |16,414 1983 |11,354 |16,583 1984 |11,931 |16,558 1985 |12,547 |16,414 1986 |13,456 |16,888 1987 |14,268 |17,218 1988 |15,831 |18,462 1989<3> |16,847 |18,212 1990<3> |18,261 |18,261 <1> Real terms series derived on the basis of the (March) All Items Retail Price Index. <2> Includes Polytechnics, PCFC Colleges and other FE establishments as well as adult education centres, youth welfare centres and nursery training centres. <3> Figures for 1989 and 1990 are provisional. Note: (i) Figures for 1991 are not yet available. (ii) Percentage increase in real terms since 1981 = 8.8.
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the staff/student ratio for polytechnics for each year from 1981 to 1991.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The available data are as follows :
Student: Staff Ratios England Academic Years 1981-82 to 1989-90 Polytechnics |Staff ratios --------------------------------------- 1981-82 |9.7 1982-83 |10.3 1983-84 |11.1 1984-85 |11.6 1985-86 |12.0 1986-87 |12.4 1987-88 |12.9 1988-89 |13.6 1989-90 |14.5 Source: Annual Monitoring Survey.
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what evidence he has of exceptional cash flow problems in higher education resulting from a failure on the part of local education authorities of the prompt payment of grants for student fees ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1991 require local education authorities to make fee payments promptly and in termly instalments. The first instalment is required to be paid on or before 30 November 1991 or within one month of the receipt of a valid request for payment from the academic authority, whichever is the later. These new arrangements are designed to minimise cash flow problems ; it is too early to assess their impact.
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the criteria upon which a student is judged before being able to obtain a loan.
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Mr. Alan Howarth : The conditions for eligibility are laid down in the Education (Student Loans) Regulations 1991, SI 1991/1299, and set out in a booklet entitled "Student Grants and Loans" published jointly by my Department and the Welsh Office. The main criteria relate to the student's course, age and residence status. In general, students taking full-time courses of higher education below post-graduate level which last at least one academic year will be eligible for a loan, if they are aged less than 50 when the course begins and have been ordinarily resident in the British islands for the three years before the start of the course. Applicants must also hold a bank or building society account capable of handling direct credits and debits ; must not be in default on repayments on a previous loan under the Government's loans scheme ; and must enter into a loan agreement by 31 July in the relevant academic year.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications have been received, and from which education authorities for specific grant support for training programmes in relation to sex education for (a) teachers, (b) parents and (c) governors.
Mr. Atkins : All LEAs in England, with the exception of Isles of Scilly, applied for and are receiving support under the grants for education support and training programme for preventative health education ; and all LEAs are receiving support for school governor training. It is for LEAs to decide whether and to what extent these resources should be used to fund training in relation to sex education.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to ensure that students with learning disabilities following courses of further education are not placed in classes with much younger pupils.
Mr. Eggar : The arrangements for grouping students in further education are a matter for local decision. The Government believe that all students, including those with disabilities, should be grouped in the light of their needs.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to ensure that students with special educational needs are enabled to choose between specialist and integrated courses of further education.
Mr. Eggar : The Further and Higher Education Bill currently before Parliament will ensure that a wide range of educational provision continues to be available for students with special educational needs. This includes both mainstream and special courses.
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has given to local education authorities regarding their responsibilities in respect of the Children Act 1989.
Mr. Fallon : The Department has issued to local education authorities a document entitled "The Children
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Act 1989 : A Guide for the Education Service", commissioned from the Open university. The document describes the scope and framework of the Act and its particular implications for local education authorities and schools. A copy has been placed in the Library. The Department has also collaborated with the Department of Health in the preparation and issue of detailed guidance on relevant aspects of the Children Act, which has gone to local education authorities. Advice of particular interest to LEAs is contained in the Department's circulars 2/91 and 3/91 about the approval of independent schools to admit children with statements of SEN and the approval of special schools ; in the document "Family Support, Day Care and Educational Provision for Young Children" ; and in guidance issued on the operation of education supervision orders.Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average amount in real terms spent on a university, college and polytechnic student for each year since 1979.
Mr. Alan Howarth [holding answer 2 December 1991] : Expenditure data for financial years 1979-80 to 1989-90 per full-time equivalent student are given in the table :
Unit costs in universities, polytechnics and colleges, financial years 1979-80 to 1989-90 |Universities<1>|Polytechnics<2>|Colleges<2> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1979-80 |6,435 |5,035 |3,085 1980-81 |6,840 |4,960 |3,070 1981-82 |6,600 |4,730 |3,105 1982-83 |6,830 |4,465 |3,060 1983-84 |6,885 |4,115 |3,070 1984-85 |6,815 |3,975 |3,050 1985-86 |6,630 |3,915 |3,015 1986-87 |6,555 |4,000 |3,065 1987-88 |6,780 |3,830 |3,070 1988-89 |6,620 |3,795 |3,045 1989-90 |6,410 |- |<3>2,785 <1> The unit of public funding for universities is estimated using the total of the University Funding Council recurrent grant and tuition fee income ( excluding fees for overseas students) and the number of home full-time equivalent students in the financial year. The recurrent grant figure includes UFC grant for research. <2> Expenditure in polytechnics and colleges is derived from the local education authorities' returns of their spending to the Department of the Environment. The data cover net recurrent institutional expenditure and include overseas students' fees. Student enrolment data are taken from the FESR. The mode of attendance weights used to calculate the number of full-time equivalent students were changed in 1983-84 and in 1989-90. Source: CIPFA Handbook of unit costs, 1988-89. Up to 1988-89 the figure for colleges covers all LEA maintained HE and FE, other than in polytechnics. From 1989-90 onwards polytechnics and some colleges were incorporated into the PCFC and unit costs for polytechnics alone are not collected centrally. For 1989-90 the college figure covers all HE and FE in those establishments which remained with an LEA. <3> Provisional. Real terms at 1989-90 prices, calculated using November 1991 GDP deflator.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Prime Minister what response he has made to the Royal National Institute for the Blind survey on blind and partially sighted adults in Britain ; and if he will make a statement.
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The Prime Minister : I wrote to the director general, Ian Bruce, congratulating the RNIB on the report which I believe will be a useful resource to agencies in the statutory and voluntary sectors in planning and developing services.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will make it his policy to ensure that there is a level playing field in business and commerce, including the retail sector, and that observance of the law does not lead directly to a commercial penalty for law-abiding companies.
The Prime Minister : Law enforcement authorities required to act in the public interest are themselves responsible--not the Government--for determining what action is most appropriate and effective to uphold the law.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will make it his policy to protect small and family businesses in the retail trade from unfair competition.
The Prime Minister : Businesses of all sizes and in all trades are protected from unfair competition by the Fair Trading Act 1973 and the Competition Act 1980. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Director General of Fair Trading, in conjunction with the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, ensure the effective application of the Acts.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it the Government's policy to ensure that the law is upheld consistently by all Departments of state and agencies and organisations responsible to them.
The Prime Minister : All Departments of state and agencies and organisations responsible to them are aware of the need to uphold the law. In the case of law enforcement authorities required to act in the public interest, it is the responsibility of those
authorities--not the Government--to determine what action is most appropriate and effective to uphold the law.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Prime Minister which grades of civil servants require clearance before taking up posts with outside organisations and companies ; what are the procedures involved for such a clearance ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : All civil servants at grade 3 or above must obtain approval before taking any form of outside employment within two years of leaving Crown employment, unless it is unpaid employment in a non- commercial organisation.
The circumstances in which other civil servants must seek approval before taking up outside employment and the detailed procedures for dealing with applications, including the role of the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, are set out in the rules on the acceptance of appointments by Crown servants. These are included in the 1989 statistical report "Acceptance of Outside Appointments by Crown Servants", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House of Commons.
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Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the public offers made by representatives of the Libyan Administration to Her Majesty's Government to help resolve the issue of responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The evidence that led to charges against two Libyan officials resulted from one of the most painstaking and exhaustive inquiries ever undertaken. A detailed statement of the facts has been passed to the Libyan authorities in support of our demand for the surrender of the two accused. The Lord Advocate's statement on 14 November, and our own joint statements with our United States and French partners on 27 November, made our position absolutely clear. The Libyans know what they are required to do. It is now up to them to respond.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the subject matters which are within the competence of the Community and which are decided by the Council of Ministers by majority, qualified majority and unanimous voting ; and if he will state those areas of policy on which there is co-operation and co- ordination although they lie outside Community treaty obligations.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The treaties define the areas of activity which fall within Community competence, and the voting provisions for them. There is intergovernmental co-operation on many subjects, bilaterally and among the Twelve, outside Community competence ; in particular on foreign policy and aspects of judicial and home affairs.
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations with Albania on the gold issue, and on diplomatic representation.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The last round of negotiations between the United Kingdom and Albania on the outstanding bilateral issues took place in Tirana in July. We have yet to take final decisions concerning the form of British diplomatic representation to Albania.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which European countries officials of his Department are prohibited from travelling without obtaining special permission or with other qualifications ; and when he next intends to review this list.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : It has been long-standing practice to give advice to all staff on the problems they may face in travelling to certain countries, and to require them to give notice of such visits, particularly if they have access to classified information. On security grounds we do not publish the list of countries concerned, but it is kept regularly under review.
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Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the contribution made by nuclear testing to global security.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The NATO summit reaffirmed that NATO's security depends on the possession of nuclear weapons. Nuclear testing maintains the effectiveness and safety of our nuclear deterrent.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the total amount of foreign aid grants in the current financial year.
Mrs. Chalker : I expect aid to developing countries this financial year to amount to £1,787 million, of which £1,720 million will be in the form of grants. The balance is made up of aid loans, Commonwealth Development Corporation loans and administrative costs. Guyana
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the ODA has contributed either directly or indirectly to Demerara Woods Ltd. or the Guyanese National Timber Company of Guyana for aid purposes.
Mrs. Chalker : There have been no bilateral aid contributions.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to the answer of 20 November, Official Report, column 207 , if he will request the World bank to withdraw loan facility and IDA funds provided for the Government of Guyana for the upper Demerara forestry project.
Mrs. Chalker : The World bank project was completed in August 1990.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution his Department has made towards European Community aid for Croatian refugees who have fled to southern Hungary.
Mrs. Chalker : The European Community has committed 615,000 ecu for Yugoslav refugees to Hungary. The British Government's share of this is £77,000.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds have been given by his Department to help support refugees from Croatia who have fled to southern Hungary.
Mrs. Chalker : We have contributed through our share of EC action, but not bilaterally. We continue to monitor the situation of Yugoslav refugees in Hungary closely.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has
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regarding the amounts in sterling given by each EC member country towards the support of Croatian refugees who have fled to southern Hungary.Mrs. Chalker : We do not have information regarding other EC member states' bilateral contributions, but understand none has contributed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or the International Committee of the Red Cross programmes in Hungary.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to allocate further funds to the Red Cross for further humanitarian aid workers in Iraq.
Mrs. Chalker : I announced on 17 October a Government contribution of £0.5 million to the British Red Cross Society for urgent medical supplies to be sent to Iraqi hospitals and clinics. This is part of the £44 million the Government have spent on aid for the Iraqi people since April. The British Red Cross Society has not requested further assistance, but we keep our aid policy to Iraq under review in close consultation with it.
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement listing the technological innovations which the United Kingdom telecommunications industry has been able to develop since the privatisation of British Telecom.
Mr. Redwood : A complete list of the many technological innovations that have been developed by the United Kingdom telecommunications industry since 1984
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could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, there have been more than 10,000 type approvals for new products since privatisation and applications to the British Approvals Board for Telecommunications are now running at 1,300 a year.The continuing enhancement of the communications infrastructure in a liberalised, dynamic and highly competitive market and the industry's commitment to innovation have resulted in the introduction of new products and services at a rate comparable with that in the United States of America and Japan. The United Kingdom's world lead in the development of personal communication networks following the success of cellular mobile telephony is but one example. The United Kingdom has also developed a large number of new value-added services, pagers, message devices, new styles of telephone and switches. The Government recognise innovation and involvement in the development of standards as being vital to this process. They will continue to encourage and support United Kingdom industry participation in European and national collaborative research programmes such as RACE, where the United Kingdom currently participates in 84 per cent. of the projects, LINK and EUREKA, and in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute where United Kingdom companies and organisations have the highest membership.
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