asked the secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement as to the effects on the towns in the Heywood and Royton constituency of the cuts in his Department's expenditure arising out of the statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 17th December 1973.

No major capital projects are involved. The review of proposed starts is not yet complete, but it is possible that some minor police works and one urban programme project will be affected. It will be for the local authorities concerned to achieve the necessary reduction in procurement expenditure.