asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the factors affecting the promotion of school teachers in certain local authority areas in Scotland; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is seeking comments from education authorities on recent representations by the Educational Institute of Scotland to the effect that very few authorities were following the recommendations about promotion procedure contained in the Report "Relations between Education Authorities and Teachers" published in 1962.

Will the Under-Secretary make clear to the House and to local authorities that the aspect of the Report which said that in certain local authorities promotion went only to people with the correct political background is against the policy which we would all wish for education in Scotland?

I am not sure that the Report said that, but it laid down that there should be certain promotion procedures. The complaint is that the procedures are not always carried out and, as I say, we are already in touch with the education authorities about this.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Scotland; and when he expects it to be published.

My right hon. Friend hopes to receive the report by the end of the year, and intends to publish it as soon as possible thereafter.

While thanking the Minister of State for his reply, may I ask him to bear in mind—I am sure he will —that the report will be of great interest to everybody in Scotland, and that there should be the minimum delay before hon. Members and others see it.

Yes, I quite accept that. The Government's view is that this will help us in our thinking about the efficient delegation of further powers to local authorities. We are all searching for the kind of devolution that will encourage the fullest participation of the public in local government so that we have authorities with teeth and strength.

Since important educational and industrial developments have taken place since the Commission was appointed, will the Minister take such steps as are available to him to see that the report when it comes out is up to date?

Yes, Sir. I am certain that the Royal Commission will be aware of all the changes there have been since 1966.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received criticising the salary proposals contained in Report Number 60 of the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the Pay of Nurses and Midwives in the National Health Service; and what steps he plans to take to remedy the anomalies contained within the Report's recommendations.

I would refer to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mr. Dempsey) on 27th June.—[Vol. 767, c. 122–123.]

Will my hon. Friend bring his Answer, whatever it was, up to date, and will he say whether he has had representations from organisations representing nurses on the career structure and certain anomalies in relation to nursing tutors, as there is a good deal of concern among nurses, both individually and collectively?

The matter was brought up to date by the debate on Monday of this week, and I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health said then. This matter has been exhaustively considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated date on which the aluminium smelter is expected to be in full operation; whether he is satisfied that sufficient skilled labour will be available to man the project; and if he will make a statement.

Discussions with the British Aluminium Company are still proceeding. I have no reason to think that the supply of skilled labour would prove difficult.

Will my hon. Friend say what precisely the delays are now and how soon they will be resolved. One recognises the difficulties, but however difficult it may be, it is time we had a decision one way or the other. Will he say how many jobs would be involved in the event of a smelter being sited in Scotland and how the number would compare with the number of jobs created by Rio Tinto and the others?

I agree that these matters are quite complex. The discussions have been going on in strict confidence, and it would not be possible for the Government to break that confidence. Therefore, I cannot answer the first part of the question. In reply to the second part of the question, the figure given by the British Aluminium Company is 600; in respect of Rio Tinto-Zinc the figure is 700 and in respect of Alcan the figure is 550, possibly rising to a higher figure later.

Can the Minister of State even give an estimate of the date on which a firm announcement can be made about this? Did not the Government underestimate all the factors involved, including the reactions of E.F.T.A., and has not the Government's bungling caused a great deal of unnecessary anxiety in the areas concerned?

I do not accept that a large project involving £70 million of investment and operating to virtually the end of the century is a simple matter which can be answered swiftly. I do not accept the last two points which the hon. Gentleman has made. As for the first part of his supplementary question, the answer is, no, Sir.

Has the Minister of State yet resolved the E.F.T.A. difficulties, and would it not have been better if the Government had not changed their investment grant system, which is the only reason why E.F.T.A. is objecting?

I should prefer to await the statement which is to be made shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement on the siting of an aluminium smelter at Invergordon.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement on the siting of an aluminium smelter in Scotland.

I am unable at present to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor) on 17th June.—[Vol. 766, c. 102.]

Is the Minister aware that the delay in announcing the project is causing very serious doubts about the sincerity of the Government's intentions towards it? Will he assure the House now that he will make a definite decision about the Invergordon project before the beginning of the Summer Recess?

I know that this is causing concern, but I do not accept that it casts doubts on the Government's sincerity, as I hope will become clear when the matter is explained fully to the House at a later stage. I hope that that will be before the end of the Session.

As the Alcan site could be decided in May, why has it taken so much longer to come to a final decision about the British Aluminium site? Is it a question of the electricity supply, or is another site being considered?

The hon. Gentleman knows that I cannot answer that question.

Is my hon. Friend aware of the dangers to agriculture because of the fall-out of dust from such an installation? May we have assurances that before planning permission is given any company which succeeds in going ahead with the project will give all the assurances necessary to ensure that there will be no nuisance of that kind?

I would direct my hon. Friend's attention to the public inquiry into the amendment to the Ross and Cromarty development plan. He should read it, and I am sure that he will find the assurances he seeks in it.

Does my hon. Friend recognise that it is now time hon. Members were told the position and why the delay is so great? Is it because of difficulties with our E.F.T.A. partners? If so, we should be told bluntly and told what the obstacles are, thus relieving many people of the need to give wrong reasons for the delay.

I sympathise with my hon. Friend, and I should love to tell the House everything that is going on, but I could do so only at risk to the project and, therefore, I must not yield to that temptation.

Can the Minister give us the latest statistics available to the Scottish Office about the saving in monetary terms of imports which will result from the setting up of the smelter?

No, Sir, not without notice. I should have to go into that a little more deeply.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has made for the continuation of the seed testing work done at East Craigs, Corstorphine, in the light of the approval which he has given to the recommendation that the land at East Craigs should be developed for building.

The buildings at East Craigs will continue to fulfil their present functions including those of seed testing. Field work will be carried out on other state-owned land which will more amply meet the needs of the station.

Can the hon. Gentleman give us indication where that is to take place? Can he say how he managed to ignore the statement made in the report that East Craigs is of great scientific importance to the nation and should not be disturbed under any circumstances?

The alternative place is only 2½ miles away. It is attached to Gogarburn Hospital. The existing land was too small for their needs and, to expand, we have moved to a large area, where there are 200 acres instead of 90 acres, which again fulfils the needs put forward in the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the figures given in Appendix IV of Command Paper No. 3558, showing net incomes on dairy and cropping farms in England and Wales and Scotland, respectively, are calculated on a precisely similar basis.

The accounting procedures are precisely similar, but the systems of farming designated as dairy and cropping differ to some extent because of differing natural conditions in the two countries.

In view of the fact that Scottish farmers are recognised to be the most efficient not only in this island but in the world, can the hon. Gentleman say why the net income of a Scottish cropping farm has been only £7 per acre compared with £13 in England? Are the climatic differences to which he refers the differences in the political climate which have caused the income to drop to one-half since 1964?

With his own wide knowledge of farming, the hon. Gentleman should know the problems involved. Climatic, soil and other conditions are involved here, but certainly not political ones. As it happens, the relative positions of incomes from farming as between England and Scotland are improving in our favour.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what he estimates the cost to be of exempting from the payment of prescription charges those women be-between the age of 60 and 65 years who are in receipt of a retirement pension; and how many persons would be affected.

It is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of exempting this section of the population. The latest available figure for the number of women in Scotland between the ages of 60 and 65 and in receipt of retirement pension is 68,300.

Would my hon. Friend not accept that if a woman does not decide at 60 to opt to retire on pension, she may be in the same financial position as a man or woman over 65 and may be in the same health position, and that if he is not prepared to reconsider the matter, we are creating an underprivileged section of old age pensioners?

I do not think so. If my hon. Friend applies the test of income, there are separate grounds for exemption on the basis of income. Comparing men and women between 60 and 65 is rather a different matter. As has been pointed out on more than one occasion, there is no evidence that, in that age group, the number of prescriptions required by women is greater than that required by men. Indeed, the evidence rather points in the opposite direction.

Will the hon. Gentleman consider the difficulties faced by elderly people in remote areas in following the procedures required of them now? Will he bear in mind that there is a need for flexibility to meet the requirements of people living some way away from a chemist in the local town?

I am not sure what these difficulties are which are peculiar to people living in remoter areas. If the hon. Gentleman likes to send me details, I shall look at them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of approved school places presently available in Scotland; and what percentage increase he expects in the next three years.

There are 1,820 places available at present and an increase of 158 places or 8·7 per cent. is expected in the next three years.

While accepting those figures, will not my hon. Friend accept the public's willingness to support the Government's very right emphasis on the proper treatment of offenders as the answer to the real crime problem is being seriously undermined by constant reports from the courts about the unavailability of residential accommodation places for young offenders, and, if this position is not soon put right, we will be in real difficulties?

The matter is slightly more complicated than that. It is important that we have the right kind of residential accommodation required, but we have also to take into account whether in every circumstance children being sent to residential accommodation really need the kind of approved school provision that we have. A rather disturbing feature about Scotland is the emphasis on approved school accommodation that we have which is rather greater than they have south of the border. This factor requires examination as well as the provision of more places. But on the later point, we are providing additional places now.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he has had with the National Coal Board concerning the retention of Fauldhead Colliery, Kirkconnel

In accordance with the arrangements set out in paragraph 114 of the White Paper on Fuel Policy, my Department maintains continuing liaison with the National Coal Board in Scotland about colliery closures. These arrangements have naturally covered Fauldhead Colliery which the Board now intends to close on 19th July.

As 600 men will be displaced by this closure, may I ask whether the Secretary of State recommended that the colliery should be kept open under Clause 5 until industry had been attracted to the advance factory at Sanquhar?

The hon. Gentleman received a letter from the Minister of Power which is, I think, dated 14th June, in advance of the actual decision being made known to the local people, which explains the reason why the Government have taken this view. Essentially, it is in the long-term interests of the men concerned —and he and I met them as recently as last February—that they take advantage of the redeployment in mines nearby and of the developments at Cumnock and, I hope, at Sanquhar later.

Is my hon. Friend aware that miners in the area are grateful for the work being done at the advance factory in the Cumnock area? If that could be expanded, work could be found for the miners displaced at Fauldhead. Will the Minister examine those facts?

Yes, Sir. I know for a fact that at Cumnock developments are quite good, and I hope that they will become better. I recognise the seriousness of the position locally, and I share the disappointment over Sanquhar, but I hope that the advance factory there will be filled and perhaps another one built later.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the proportion of the raw materials consumed in Scotland by industrial processes, distribution and personal consumption which is produced in Scotland; and what is the estimated cost of the imported materials.

I regret that no reliable estimates can be made.

I regret that, too. Could the Minister say, roughly, since Scotland possesses only some low-grade and dearly-got coal, how much the standard of living of the Scottish people would have to be reduced under complete independence if they had to pay for their own imports?

I would not accept that premise entirely, although I quite see the point that the hon. Gentleman is trying to make. The reason why we are unable to give the information for which he asks is that we would have to calculate the value of cross-border movement because of our common market with England, Wales, Northern Ireland and perhaps even Southern Ireland. It would be a big imposition on the Government to have to undertake such a survey to prove the point.

While it is not clear whether the hon. Member for Louth (Sir C. Osborne) is for or against the hon. Member for Hamilton (Mrs. Ewing), surely it is time that the Government took steps to undertake a complete economic analysis to substantiate the claim which many of us make that economic separation would be disastrous?

I agree, but I cannot give the hon. Gentleman the information that he is asking for. I would if I could, because I think that it would substantiate his point.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children in Lanarkshire received school meals free in the month preceding the increased charges; how many received them in the month following the increase; and if he will make a statement.

During the periods referred to, which include the Easter holiday, the average daily numbers of pupils receiving school meals free were 8,610 and 18,269, respectively.

Is my hon. Friend aware that since the increase in the price of school meals many children requiring them do not take them? Is he aware that the increase is in children whose parents can afford to pay and are prepared to pay? Will he give the matter serious consideration?

There has been some reduction in uptake in Lanarkshire. It is a little difficult at this early stage to know what the final results will be. That reduction has been about 10 per cent. The figures I gave in my Answer demonstrate that the new arrangements provide free meals for a very much larger percentage of the children taking meals. It is now 37 per cent. compared with 16 per cent. previously, and therefore I cannot accept my hon. Friend's criticism.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he estimates that all homes suffering from storm damage in Glasgow will be wind and watertight.

Glasgow Corporation aims to have all roofs adequately repaired by the end of September, and we are giving it all possible help.

Is the Minister aware that there was a serious storm, approaching a monsoon, in Glasgow yesterday which did a great deal of damage? Can he give any indication of the amount of damage done and the extent to which it will set back the repair work?

No, Sir. I do not have sufficient details at present. As the hon. Gentleman knows, I am in active touch —[Interruption.]—it is impossible for me to look after everything all at once. I am waiting for the report from Glasgow. The monsoon did not affect only Glasgow. I wish that the hon. Gentleman realised that Scotland consists of more than Glasgow. We must get all the reports in before my right hon. Friend can decide whether a statement should be made to the House. I shall not answer questions off the cuff. Repair workers are having to go on to the roofs many times in the city and elsewhere to deal with such temporary setbacks. I shall know the full measure of the problem when we have our next meeting. I have been having regular meetings with the Corporation almost every week since the beginning of January.

Is the Minister aware that if the estimate of having all houses finished by September turns out to be optimistic, and so houses are not wind-and water-proof by the beginning of the winter, feeling in Glasgow will be very high? In the coming months, will he apply himself to the progress made in repairs?

I shall continue to do what I have been doing for the past six months—trying as hard as I can to deal with the damage, not only in Glasgow but in the rest of Scotland. Of public sector houses damaged, 85 per cent. have been repaired, and 50 per cent. of private sector houses damaged have been repaired. If the hon. Gentleman is tempted to make a party point of this, he should consider the activities of some landlords.

Is my hon. Friend aware that much of the damage was the result of bad landlords in the past? Is he aware that in my constituency of Bothwell, all the houses have been made wind- and water-proof, and my constituents are very grateful to the Government for their efforts?

I am much obliged to my hon. Friend. Hon. Members should pay attention to the fact that many landlords are trying to get repairs carried out by the Government or the local authority which should have been done before the storm.

Does not the Minister agree that if there has been a very serious storm in Glasgow last night, while we do not expect him to give us full details, we do not accept that he should not say something off the cuff? If there is a serious situation, will he make a statement tomorrow?

If the situation is such as to merit a statement tomorrow, my right hon. Friend will consider it. We are in daily touch with the Corporation, and so far have not had an adverse report on this.

Will my hon. Friend confirm that these houses have been letting in rain and storms for a long time, long before the storm, and that it is most fortuitous that at least a storm yesterday gave hon. Members opposite reasons to ask supplementary questions?

If we finish repairing properties in Glasgow by the end of September, the stock of houses in Glasgow will be in better repair than they have been in for the past 40 years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many police officers were recruited to Scottish forces in the first six months of 1968; how many men were lost to the forces in the same period; and what was the main reason given by those who left the forces voluntarily during that period.

During the first six months of 1968 a total of 458 police officers—418 men and 40 women—were recruited to Scottish forces: in the same period 358 officers left—313 men and 45 women. Voluntary resignations accounted for 186 officers—151 men and 35 women: information about the reasons given for resignation is not available for this period.

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the numbers of long-serving police officers leaving at present give cause for concern when we have an increase in violent crime? In view of the reasons for leaving the force given by those who left last year, can the Minister give an assurance that the greatly increased productivity, as a result of unit beat policing and other factors will be taken fully into account in the September pay review?

All factors will be taken fully into account. It is a cause for certain satisfaction, although I do not want to make too much of it, that the total number of police officers has increased enormously—105 of these were men—and that of those who left there has been a larger proportion because of retirement rather than resignations. Both those facts are cause for congratulations to the Government and the police authority.

Will my hon. Friend explain why there is so much talk about the shortage of police constables when we know that over the past 10 years the number in Glasgow alone has increased by nearly a quarter?

That is true. The ratio of police to population has increased enormously, as my hon. Friend said. I take it that one of the reasons for the continued anxiety about numbers is the crime situation. I am determined to push up the numbers in order to deal with that situation.

Does the Minister agree that one of the best aids to the recruitment which we so much need would be for the Government to show greater understanding of the problems confronting the police in their fight against crime? Does he agree that a good start would be made if the police were given powers to search where the possession of an offensive weapon is suspected?

I sometimes think that I should provide the hon. Gentleman not only with that, but with a gramophone needle. We have gone over this many times in the past six months. We must try to restore confidence, which some hon. Members opposite have sapped in the City of Glasgow by the continual reference to the inadequacy of police powers. There is no inadequacy of police powers. That is what we should be emphasising if we are concerned about dealing with crime rather than making political points.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for dealing with the inadequate accommodation available for juvenile offenders remanded by the courts pending further reports.

I would refer to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor) on 26th June.— [Vol. 767, c. 85–86.]

In view of the continuing difficulties of the courts in remanding young people to appropriate accommodation before they are tried, would not my hon. Friend now consider what some of us have thought for a long time, that, except for the serious cases, many of these young people should be restored to their homes for their parents to look after them until such time as the case arises in court?

I certainly do not think that children should be remanded in custody unless it is essential. We are increasing the provision, as my hon. Friend will see if he looks at the previous Answer, and with the provisions of the new Social Work (Scotland) Bill coming into operation for dealing with young people, there will also be a change in emphasis in the methods of dealing with them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now announce his decisions in respect of the recommendations of the Cullingworth Report.

My right hon. Friend regrets that he cannot yet announce decisions.

While I appreciate the complexities of the contents of the Report, which are now aggravated by recent storms, may I ask my hon. Friend to give an assurance at least that the White Paper will be published before we rise for the Summer Recess?

I appreciate my hon. Friend's concern and his point about storm damage. I know that he understands the difference between the Dennington Report, on which there has been a White Paper, and the Cullingworth Report. I cannot give an assurance, but I hope that we shall publish a White Paper before we rise for the Summer Recess.

Does the hon. Gentleman realise that, since a White Paper for England and Wales was published in April, it is very necessary to produce one soon for Scotland? Is he giving special consideration to recommendations 23 and 25 on the need for reasonable rents or for grants for repairs?

We are giving consideration to all the recommendations, including those mentioned by the hon. Member. However, I should not think that these were the principal recommendations of the Report as distinct from those in the Dennington Report. I should have thought that the replacement of houses was much more important. I hope that we shall be able to issue a White Paper soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking on the Kay Committee's Report on the allocation of local authority houses.

The Scottish Housing Advisory Committee has recently considered strong local authority objections to detailed Government control of allocation schemes, and has recommended my right hon. Friend to proceed by issuing advice to local authorities about the policy they should adopt in future. He has accepted this recommendation, and a circular wil go out as soon as possible.

I am glad to hear that the Government have accepted the recommendation that there should not be tight central control over this matter. As it is a subject which is of great concern to many people in Scotland, will the Secretary of State for Scotland soon give an indication of the Government's views on the Committee's recommendations?

When the circular is published it will be seen that we have covered virtually all the 28 conclusions in the Report in one way or another. We hope that local authorities will observe the circular in the spirit in which it is issued.

I welcome what the Minister has said about the Report, but will he bear in mind that there is perhaps no single aspect of local authority administration, in spite of the best efforts of officials, which gives more heartburn to people on housing lists? Will he ensure that when they are published his arrangements make allowances for people who have to change their homes on redeployment but cannot change their authorities at the same time?

As a Member of Parliament who has represented an industrial town for 13 years, I endorse the hon. Gentleman's first remark. I am only sorry that it has taken past Governments as well as the present Government so long to get there, but now that we have got there, let us hope that these two points will be met.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the food consumed in Scotland is produced in Scotland; and what is the estimated cost of the imported food.

I regret that this information is not available.

Why it is that the Scottish Office is so incompetent that it does not know what is happening in Scotland? This is the second Answer in which the Minister has said that he does not know what is happening. If we English Members of Parliament are to understand the validity of the demand for home rule for Scotland we are surely entitled to know whether Scotland can feed itself and earn enough money to pay for its raw materials. Why cannot we have the information?

One simple reason is that I am more concerned about making two blades of grass grow where one did before instead of having two unproductive bureaucrats where there was one before. The Question requires statistical information, and this would involve not only the Scottish Office but other Departments. The real answer is to make sure that the Scottish resources are used to produce the required agricultural and other commodities. We are broadly self-sufficient in beef, lamb, potatoes and milk, but we have to import certain other commodities, such as cereals and butter.

While I appreciate that my hon. Friend cannot give the figures, will he confirm that the rumour that haggis is being imported from Japan is completely without foundation?

I can confirm that absolutely.

Is not the hon. Gentleman doing his right hon. Friend less than justice? When the production figures are available from his Department together with the figures of consumption per head from the Ministry of Labour, what is the difficulty about matching the two and giving an answer of this kind?

The hon. Gentleman, of all hon. Members, should know the answer. We have been guided to some extent by a very fine article that he wrote in the last few months. One of the reasons is that there is no control within the United Kingdom by means of customs barriers and so on, and I hope that there never will be this kind of control. Also, there is not a direct proportional intake of various food imports into Britain as a whole. There are good reasons why it is difficult to get the figures analysed without creating an army of bureaucrats to do it.

Is it not true that Scottish industry has better records in exports than English industry has? If so, why does the hon. Member for Louth (Sir C. Osborne) need to worry about imports of food and raw materials into Scotland? We do more than our share in paying for them.

I am not responsible for the worries of the hon. Member for Louth (Sir C. Osborne). It is true that in certain commodities we have a good export record—including, by the way, to England.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much land in Scotland has been acquired by the Land Commission.

None as yet, but the Commission has concluded a bargain for the purchase of a site of 12 acres, and has published a draft compulsory purchase order for another site of 52 acres. Agreement has also been reached with Renfrew County Council that the Commission will acquire on its behalf about 600 acres at Erskine.

As the Land Commission is doing so little in Scotland, what is the point of its undertaking any operations there?

I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman, in view of the Answer that I have given, should have asked that. He obviously prepared his supplementary question beforehand. The first appointed day under the Act was 6th April, 1967. I have given the hon. Gentleman the facts as they are up to date. Considering that the Land Commission has had to gather together the information about the land situation in consultation with local authorities, builders and developers, I think it has done reasonably well.

Can my hon. Friend tell the House how the Land Commission is proposing to dispose of the land that it is acquiring? Will it dispose of it by highest offer, auction or gifts to builders?

I appreciate the point that my hon. Friend is trying to make in reference to the recent circular. I suggest that he should put down a Question about this—and then I will give more details—or write to me. The 12-acre site is for industrial development. The 52-acre site at Killearn, Stirlingshire, is primarily for private housing. The 600-acre site is for mixed private and public development, mainly private, in the new town.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the lack of female representation on the various ad hoc com- mittees appointed by him to serve in Scotland; and if he will make a statement indicating his policy on the matter.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to the hon. Members for North Angus and Mearns (Mr. Buchanan-Smith) and Edinburgh, South (Mr. Clark Hutchison) on 11th June, to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes) on 12th June, and to the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire, East (Mr. Wolrige-Gordon) on 26th June. —[Vol. 766, c. 32; Vol. 766 c. 238–9; Vol. 767, c. 82–3.]

Is it true that the number of women appointed to Ministerial posts in this Government has been greater than in any previous Parliament? Is that also true of the posts which lie in the preference of the Secretary of State for Scotland? Is my hon. Friend aware that many women's organisations in Scotland believe that the tendency which has been shown in Government appointments is not recognised in appointments made by the Secretary of State to ad hoc committees?

I believe that what my hon. Friend suggests about Government appointments is true, although I could not be certain. I should have to look it up. I take this opportunity, as I have done on previous occasions and in letters to individual hon. Members, to say that there is no discrimination against women in appointments referred to by my hon. Friend. We accept suggestions for appointments on the basis of equality of the sexes and without discrimination. But I take the point that some women's organisations feel that there is discrimination and I should like to do all I can to relieve them of that misunderstanding.

Will the Minister of State make it clear that he does not accept the imputation in the supplementary question of the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin) that the disaster of this Government is due to the number of women members of it?

I deeply resent that suggestion.

While accepting that there is probably need to evaluate female representation better, may I ask the hon. Gentleman whether he will assure us that he cannot accept the suggestion of a fixed proportion of female representation on ad hoc committees and that appointments will be purely on merit?

Exactly. There is no question of fixed proportions. People are judged on their merits. That is the real meaning of true equality of the sexes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his plans for increasing the number of places available in Her Majesty's Prisons, borstals and approved schools in Scotland.

This year my right hon. Friend hopes to provide 430 additional places in Scottish penal establishments, 270 in new buildings and 160 by reallocation within existing accommodation. The use of hutted camps, now under consideration, may add up to 450 places. Further plans include three new establishments, with 1,000 places, to be completed in the early 1970s.

We know that my hon. Friend, because of previous inactivity, has a tremendous backlog to overtake. Are the plans being pushed forward fast enough to overtake the position before it is too late, because conditions in prisons, borstals and approved schools are getting to a dangerous stage of overcrowding?

I am glad my hon. Friend appreciates the position in which I find myself. The long wasted years in the 1950s have left me with a very difficult position. I feel that very strongly, as those who have visited some of our prisons will know. We are pushing ahead as fast as possible. We are awaiting the report of the public inquiry into the most publicised project, at Bishop-briggs.

Is the hon. Gentleman, aware that I regret very much the need for expansion of the number of places for people of this kind? What effect will this increase have on the overcrowding in many of our prisons?

This will depend on what happens in relation to intake. It would be difficult to predict in that connection. I hope, as we all do, that conditions will improve as a result.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for making the conditions of service of employees in Her Majesty's Prisons, borstals and approved schools in Scotland sufficiently good to attract sufficient staff of the necessary qualifications and calibre.

A satisfactory level of recruitment to the prison service and approved school staffs has been maintained in recent years. The career structure of the prison service is being improved by the introduction of the grade of senior officer following the Mountbatten Report.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply and appreciate the fact that our minds are as one about the urgency of recruiting to get the type of staff required for this work.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the present number of drug addicts known to his Department.

The number of addicts in Scotland who have been notified to date under the Dangerous Drugs (Notification of Addicts) Regulations is 16.

While being very pleased that the number is so small, may I ask whether the hon. Gentleman is taking action to bring to the notice of the schools the great danger of drugs?

This matter is under active consideration but I am glad to say that, so far, the problem is still a very minor one in Scotland. All our efforts are bent towards maintaining that position.

While agreeing with the Minister of State's statement earlier that Glasgow is not the whole of Scotland—we accept that with our natural modesty—in all this furore and examination being made into crimes of violence, would the Scottish Office at least put the other side of the coin in the sense that drug taking is not a problem there, unlike the case in most other major cities?

That is quite right. I hope that this point will be noted by all those concerned about the position in other directions in Scotland. At least we have managed to contain this problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects that a chief officer for the Scottish police crime squad will be appointed.

The commander of the Scottish Crime Squad cannot be appointed until the agreement establishing the squad has been acceded to by all the parties concerned. Under the agreement the appointment will be made by a committee of chief constables subject to the approval of a committee of police authority representatives and my right hon. Friend.

In view of the extreme seriousness of the crime problem, will the hon. Gentleman do his best to expedite the agreement to get the squad going?

Yes, Sir. I take this opportunity once more of inviting those authorities which have not yet acceded to give the matter most urgent attention so that we can set up the squad as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further representations have been made to him regarding the refund of Selective Employment Tax to employers in hotels in certain parts of Scotland; and what reply he has made.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of representations which he has received to date regarding the proposed refund of Selective Employment Tax to employers in hotels in parts of Scotland; and how many of these representations have favoured and opposed this proposal, respectively.

My right hon. Friend has received 49 representations about this matter, all suggesting the inclusion of further areas in Schedule 17 of the Finance Bill. The replies sent indicated that the matter would be further considered, and the hon. Gentlemen will be aware of the Amendments to the Bill put down by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which would include all these areas.

Whilst welcoming the Government's admission of error and their attempt to rectify the anomalies in the Finance Bill since bowing to representations made from this side of the House and by hoteliers throughout Scotland, may I ask the hon. Gentleman to see whether he cannot extend the refund of the S.E.T. to restaurants as well as hotels, which would be of interest to the tourist industry?

The Government are open to representations on many subjects and are willing more readily to accede to them than were the previous Government. I would not agree that this change has been due to the intensity of the Opposition. Rather it has been due to the generosity of the Government. We have considered this carefully in view of the representations made and look forward to the debate we shall have later.

Pleased as we are with these belated concessions, is the hon. Gentleman aware that they only create further anomalies? Is it not outrageous that the House should be given no opportunity to discuss the way these concessions have been granted at any time during the Budget debates?

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman was not able to be present to discuss the matter when it arose. No doubt he will make that clear to his constituents at the appropriate time. We have carefully considered this matter and have made substantial concessions, for which I know the hon. Gentleman has expressed gratitude.

While welcoming my hon. Friend's remark that the Government are open to representations, may I ask him to note that Loch Lomond is still outwith the concessions? Can he arrange for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to add his name to my Amendment to the Finance Bill?

That point has been noted, but I do not think that my hon. Friend's suggestion can be acceded to.

Can the hon. Gentleman explain the continued omission from the list of exemptions of hotels in areas served by the labour exchanges of Ardrossan, Largs and Stevenstone?

This is because the refunds are not being made in areas catering primarily for day trippers.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that justice will not have been done until the greatest tourist city in Scotland has been included—Edinburgh?

I did not quite catch the name of the city.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further representations he has had regarding the introduction of British Standard Time; and what reply he has sent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further representations he has received about the proposal to introduce British Standard Time; and what reply he has sent.

Since my right hon. Friend's Answer to the hon. Member for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne) on 25th June he has received three representations against British Standard Time from the Association of County Councils, Inverkeithing Town Council and the Scottish Division of the Headmasters' Conference.

In view of the massive opposition in Scotland to the introduction of British Standard Time, even though the Bill has been steamrollered through Committee, will the Minister, even at this stage, go back to his right hon. Friend and get him to tell the Cabinet that for the sake of Scotland this proposal must be dropped now?

Far from being steamrollered through Committee, a substantial development has taken place in the Bill. That is to say, it has been decided that it would be better to see what are the effects in practice. It has been decided to institute a three-year experimental system. I advise the hon. Gentleman to wait to see how it works out.

Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that the alleged benefit of this new system is highly questionable and that in Scotland the proposal is contrary to the wishes of the people and also totally contrary to commonsense? Will he not recognise that the only proper course left to the Government is to remove the proposal altogether and at last have some respect for the wishes of the Scottish people?

It depends on what is meant by the Scottish people. If the hon. Gentleman had consulted his friends in the Scottish Confederation of British Industry, he would have discovered that it was one of the bodies which approved the system, as were the Scottish T.U.C. and the Scottish Council for Development in Industry. It is not so simple as the hon. Gentleman suggests. A number of county councils in the initial stages were not opposed to the scheme. I think that it is correct to have a three-year experiment and see the result. There are certain advantages to Britain as a whole and certainly to Scotland as an exporting country, and at least we should try the system as an experiment.

Is my hon. Friend aware that there is concern not merely in Scotland, but in other parts of the British Isles? Is he aware that there is deep concern in the building industry among both employers and operatives? Can he make representations to his right hon. Friends to have the experimental period reduced from three years to one year, as I suggested on Second Reading.

I recognise that this is a problem which is not confined to North of the Border. The voice of Liverpool has now been expressed and I am glad to hear that there is this broadening out of what is sometimes a parochial dispute. However, a one-year period would not give us the opportunity to decide the merits or otherwise of the scheme. I know the North. I was brought up in the Orkneys and I went to school in the dark and came home in the dark—[HON. MEMBERS: "He is still in the dark."]—for many months of the winter. [Interruption.] My hon. Friend has stolen my punchline. I was about to say that they have not yet seen the light down here.

Is my hon. Friend aware that Fife County Council protested some months ago against the introduction of British standard Time, but has now waived its protest and is prepared to give the experiment a one-year trial before taking any further action?

I am glad to have that point brought forward. People are beginning to consider this seriously and the next move will be when we have seen it working in practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an early statement setting out the details of the educational development programme necessary to meet the requirements of 1972 when the school leaving age is to be raised.

The detailed preparations for the raising of the school leaving age are matters for education authorities and vary from area to area. So far as the Government's policy is concerned I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin) on 6th March.—[Vol. 760, c. 86–7.]

Will not the hon. Gentleman recognise, however, that there is urgent need for a clear statement from the Government? Will he give an undertaking that such a statement will be made before the end of this year in order to remove the confusion and lack of confidence created by the Govern- ment's incessant and contradictory changes in education policy? Does he not consider that the raising of the school leaving age will be jeopardised yet again unless a definite and clear long-term plan is announced and adhered to?

Long questions and long answers mean fewer questions and fewer answers.

That question was not only long, but highly inaccurate and extremely unspecific. We have made our position on school building, on the curriculum and on the supply of teachers clear on many occasions and we shall continue to reaffirm those points as occasion requires.

Can my hon. Friend say whether the Sutherland education authority's proposal for the downgrading of Dornoch Academy, which his right hon. Friend recently approved, took into consideration the expansion of places necessary in 1972, and is he aware of the great concern felt in the area about this move?

I am aware of the controversy which there has been about this proposal, but as I understand the position it will certainly be possible to provide the places which are required in good time in the schools in the area both at Dornoch and Golspie.

On a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he now expects to receive the report of Professor Gaskin on the North-East of Scotland.

In the late autumn. Publication will be arranged thereafter.

Is the Minister of State aware that there have been alarming reports of continuing depopulation in the area Can he say what, if any, plans the Scottish Development Department has made for infrastructure working in the area in future?

There have been alarming reports for the last 15 years, if not longer. The study is specifically aimed at arresting depopulation and trying to achieve regeneration of the North-East and we hope that Professor Gaskin's plan will provide us with suitable indications of how we should proceed.

Will the Minister of State consider setting up a North-East development authority to implement the recommendations of Professor Gaskin's report when it comes out in the autumn, which is when it is due and when, I am assured, it will be on schedule? This suggestion has been pressed for a long time. Will the hon. Gentleman give an assurance that he will reconsider it?

That may help, but I should like to see the report first. I agree with the Aberdeen Press and Journal that Aberdeenshire is ripe for development.

Will my hon. Friend give an assurance that this report will deal with the problems which will arise from Aberdeen's exclusion from Schedule 17 of the Finance Bill, a decision greeted with dismay in my constituency and which, in view of the city's heavy dependence on the tourist trade—a far heavier dependence than that of other Scottish cities—seems difficult to justify?

I sympathise with my hon. Friend's concern, but by no stretch of the imagination could Aberdeen be called a rural area. However, I assure my hon. Friend that Professor Gaskin must take into account these and other factors relevant to the needs of the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further plans he has to assist the development of local economy in the North-East of Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

The whole of the North-East is a development area, with all the benefits for economic expansion which that status attracts. Professor Gaskin's study should show how best the region can exploit these benefits.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the practical developments in the economy of the area in the last few years have been the fruit of the work done before the present Government took office, and that making the whole of the country a development area was a retrograde step for local development in this kind of district? Will the Government reconsider their policy in this respect?

I do not accept the first part of the question for one moment. In the years 1965 and 1966 1,100 new jobs were potentially provided by 705,000 sq. ft. of new factory space, which is not a bad improvement on past record. I agree that that is not enough and Professor Gaskin's study must help us on the way to even more.

In the context of this Question, what does "local economy" mean? Does it include franchise, finance and education and what else?

That is a question which should be addressed to the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire, East (Mr. Wolrige-Gordon), but to answer on his behalf, "Yes".

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for amending the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1966.

If the hon. Member has in mind the formula for distributing the rate support grants, this is at present under consideration by a working party which includes local authority representatives. Any alterations would be effected by the next Rate Support Grant (Scotland) Order later this year.

May I inform the hon. Gentleman that the hon. Member for Banff did not have that point in mind? Is he aware that the Scottish Development Department has sent a circular to local authorities advising them not to rate unoccupied properties because the owners are pulling them down? Would he not have been better advised to listen to the Opposition's Amendment to exclude unoccupied properties from the rating proposals of the new legislation?

The hon. Gentleman is confusing the issue. He ought to put down a separate Question, or write to me about it, and I shall be happy to give him a considered reply.