asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he intends to ensure that district councils in Northern Ireland will observe the pay limits set out in the White Paper "The Attack on Inflation", Command Paper No. 6151.

The pay policies set out in the White Paper apply to Northern Ireland as to the rest of the United Kingdom, and district councils, like local authorities in Great Britain, will be expected to conform to the stated limits of remuneration. I intend to recommend Her Majesty to make an Order in Council under the "urgent" procedure provided for in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974 which would enable general grant payable to district councils in Northern Ireland to be reduced in circumstances comparable with those in which rate support grant to local authorities would be reduced under Section 4 of the Remuneration, Charges and Grants Act 1975.