asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the latest Clegg Commission report on pay comparability of paramedical staff in the National Health Service, with particular reference to radiographers and chiropodists in the National Health Service; and if he is satisfied that the Commission has taken account of all relevant factors in its recommendations.

Report No. 4 of the Clegg Standing Commission on pay comparability makes recommendations on the pay and conditions of the professions supplementary to medicine pay group, including radiographers and chiropodists, which are due to be implemented from 1 April 1980. The evidence on which the commission bases its recommendations is summarised in chapters 3 and 4 of the report. The report is the subject of continuing consideration and discussions

	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978
Marriages	384,389	380,620	358,567	356,954	368,258
Divorces*	113,500	120,522	126,694	129,053	143,667
Judicial separations	246	323	584	761	1,228
Married population (thousands)	25,106	25,048	24,978	24,930	24,826
*Including annulments.

Of marriages occurring in England and Wales in the years shown in column 1 below, the estimated proportions (per 1,000) which have terminated in divorce within the stated number of years since marriage (column 2) are shown in column 3.

	Year of marriage		Years since marriage	Divorced (per 1,000)
	(1)		(2)	(3)
1977	…	…	1	—
1976	…	…	2	—
1975	…	…	3	3
1974	…	…	4	29
1973	…	…	5	53
1972	…	…	6	68
1971	…	…	7	85
1970	…	…	8	97
1969	…	…	9	104
1968	…	…	10	115
1967	…	…	11	123
1966	…	…	12	130
1965	…	…	13	132
1964	…	…	14	134
1963	…	…	15	135
1962	…	…	16	135
1961	…	…	17	134
1960	…	…	18	131
1959	…	…	19	130
1958	…	…	20	129