asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress made on the construction of the Longannet Power Station in Fife; and when the first supplies of electricity may be expected to flow.

Construction is at an advanced stage, and I am informed that generation of electricity is expected to start before the end of this year.

Can my hon. Friend say whether it is behind schedule, and if so by how much, and for what reasons? Is he satisfied that the Longannet mines will be in a position to supply the power station with coal when it is in full production?

The answer to the first point is, "Yes, it is behind time by six months." The reasons are certain labour troubles, delivery of steel work for the peculiar kind of construction that is taking place there, and adverse weather. The answer to the second point is that we are confident that the full load of 5 million tons could be met by the pits nearby.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied with the precautions taken to ensure against contamination of water supplies in Scotland; what facilities are available for detection of contamination; and if he will make a statement.

I have no reason to think that water boards do not take all reasonable precautions in discharging their statutory duty to provide wholesome supplies, or that they do not make full use of the medical and laboratory services available to them.

In view of the scare at Auchtermuchty, may I ask the hon. Gentleman whether he is satisfied that the use of chemicals which may be dangerous should be permitted in catchment areas? This is emphasised by what happened in the Rhine the other day.

There is a difference between the position in Germany and that in our country, because we take a lot of our water from upland sources. When water is taken from a river, there are precise arrangements about filtration, and so on. The hon. Gentleman will know that Circular 32/68 lays all this out. I am concerned about what happened at Auchtermuchty, and I have looked into it closely.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement on the mileage of motorways and dual carriageway roads completed in each of the last three years; and if he will make a forecast for completions in the next three years.

The answer given on 2nd July to my hon. Friend the Member for Rutherglen (Mr. Gregor Mackenzie) sets out the mileages up to 1968–69.

Is it not a fact, though, that although the recent White Paper said that the trunk roads would be completed by 1971 at least the northern half of the road from the Forth Bridge to Perth will be far behind that date?

Without notice I should not like to make a precise comment on that. A number of roadways have been delayed due to the statutory procedures and arguments over the line of the road. I think that this is inevitable. But we are up to date on mileage.

Can my hon. Friend inform the House how many miles of motorway we had in 1964, and the mileage that we have today?

In October, 1964, which I think is the month usually taken for these questions, we had two miles of motorway in Scotland. By the end of 1970, 60 miles will have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what have been the main causes of delays in implementing the programme for building motorways and dual carriageways in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Delays in building particular roads arise through procedural and constructional difficulties, but as my right hon. Friend told the hon. Gentleman on 24th June, our target for 1970 will be achieved.—[Vol. 785; c. 259–60.]

Is it not highly unsatisfactory that three of the major projects included in both the 1963 and the 1966 White Papers have according to the Minister's answer to me, been delayed until 1972 or 1973? Is not that a delay, and may we be told why it has happened?

We have been fortunate with the line of the road in some cases and unfortunate in others. Near my constituency we have had a particularly bad disappointment due to the objections of certain individuals. We cannot get over these difficulties. We have laid down certain rules, and we have to abide by them.

As my hon. Friend said, the latest White Paper shows that some important sections of dual carriageway trunk road which, according to the 1963 and 1966 White Papers, were to be completed by 1970 will not be completed by then. Is the Minister saying that these delays are entirely due to these procedural hold-ups, and nothing else?

If the argument is mainly about money and Treasury authorisation, the hon. Gentleman is wrong. We have kept within our estimates, and we shall achieve the mileage up to 1970. If the hon. Gentleman would be good enough to put down specific Questions about specific sections of road, I shall try to answer them. I hope that my hon. Friends will ask me all the favourable ones.

Is my hon. Friend aware that I have a letter in my file dated 1955 in which it was promised that the double carriageway between Glasgow and Carlisle would be completed in 10 years? We are only getting it done now.

That is entirely due to this excellent Government. I envy my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary who is responsible for the Health Department in answering a Question about the Nine-wells Hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is now taking to speed up the construction of motorways and dual carriageways in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Within the limits of available resources the construction of these roads is proceeding as quickly as the engineering problems and the statutory procedures allow.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in Cmnd. 2864 the Secretary of State said that the major links to the South would be completed by 1970? Is he further aware that the A74 cannot possibly be completed for another two or three years? How does he think those waiting in Glasgow traffic jams this weekend will bless him?

The hon. Gentleman would be the very first to come to the defence of any objectors who raised questions with us about side road orders. Difficulties have arisen in this matter over side road orders. I am glad to say that on the Scottish side most of our difficulties have been overcome, but on the English side there are difficulties and we must respect the rights of persons concerned. I hope that we shall start construction on this vital section early in 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to hold a public inquiry into the proposed widening of the Great Western Road, Glasgow.

This autumn, if necessary.

Will this inquiry be able to consider the wisdom of widening the road in view of the relief provided by the Clyde and Lomond motorways and in view of the bottleneck which will be created on the eastern stretch of the road for very many years? Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind the strong feelings not only in the locality but throughout the whole of Scotland that this is an instance where traffic should take second place to people?

The hon. Gentleman is not supported by Glasgow Corporation in his last remarks. There are 135 objections, and the corporation is negotiating with the objectors. If some objections are outstanding, there will be an inquiry and these points will be taken up.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland for how long he has been considering the issues raised by the rating of certain agricultural buildings and the anomalies which this has created; and when he now expects to make a statement.

Since these issues were clarified some two years ago following a series of court decisions, the case for a change in the law has been discussed on a number of occasions with the National Farmers Union of Scotland. I have considered their views with great care, and I shall announce a decision as soon as possible.

If it is by any chance a lack of enthusiasm on the part of his English colleagues for a change about which he himself expressed the need for considerable urgency, will the hon. Gentleman recollect that prior to 1956 there was a different form of rating legislation for Scotland? If the worst came to the worst, would he consider separate legislation to clear up this matter?

We are considering every aspect of the problem. It is a very complex one, as the hon. Member knows. As soon as we are ready to announce a decision we will let the House know.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now consider introducing legislation to establish an Ombudsman for local government affairs in Scotland.

I would ask my hon. Friend to await the statement promised by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his Answer on 24th June, 1969.—[Vol. 785, c. 1209–10.]

In view of the negative replies which my hon. Friend has received from local authorities to his inquiries about their having set up complaints offices, does not he agree that in any case it is quite unsatisfactory that members of the public with grievances should have to rely on local authority officials who in many cases are bound to have to act as judges in their own causes?

We fully discussed this point in the House earlier. I reiterated that I thought that this would be a very useful development. I still exhort local councils to carry this through. As to my hon. Friend's other point, we should await developments.

Can the hon. Member say whether any delay in making use of this excellent proposal is merely out of a consideration of cost, or is there any other reason?

The main problem is one of principle. We are examining this and other aspects of local government, and we shall be examining even more aspects of local government when the Wheatley Report comes out.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the effects of current financial measures on the Scottish economy; and what reply he has sent.

I have received 11 representations since November, 1968. In the majority of cases the reply emphasised that the financial measures operated since then are necessary to strengthen sterling and to bring the economy into better balance.

Does not the Secretary of State recall that answers given to me recently have shown that S.E.T. is a net burden on Scotland of £58 million and that even taking into account R.E.P. the net burden next year will be £18 million? Does this not suggest that those of his hon. Friends who are saying that this is a financial benefit to Scotland have been talking through their hats?

I do not think so. The hon. Gentleman over-simplifies the issue. He cannot ignore the overall effect upon the country.

In view of the serious effect of S.E.T. and the increase in S.E.T. on the north of Scotland, can the right hon. Gentleman assure us that evidence relevant to the situation there will be given to the committee which is said to be examining the whole matter?

I think that it is a committee of one man. There is nothing to prevent any information being given or forwarded that would be relevant to consideration of this matter.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that in this year and until 1970 the net burden on Scotland will be £8 million, and that immense benefit is coming to Scottish industry, as distinct from some hotels and shops? Will he see that this policy is continued and extended?

My right hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the advantages corning to Scotland's manufacturing industry in respect of R.E.P. Bearing in mind that people who are employed in manufacturing want to maintain and extend their work, other people who are complaining should appreciate that if their customers had no money their businesses would be very much worse off.

Is it the Government's intention to extinguish small businesses in Scotland? That is what their measures imply?

Unlike what happened under the previous Government, it is not out intention to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what evidence he has received of the extent of overcharging where private electricity meters are installed; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received only a few complaints of overcharging since 1st July, 1965. when maximum resale prices of electricity for domestic purposes were first fixed by the Scottish electricity boards, but the Government are not satisfied with the present arrangements and we are considering what further action is necessary to improve them.

Is this unsatisfactory state of affairs not due to the fact that so many rents are uneconomical? Would it not be far better to allow a reasonable return in rents and give the electricity boards power to check private meters at the same time as they check the main meters in the houses?

I do not accept the hon. Member's point. However, I concede that we might bring this abuse within the scope of rent restriction. Even though it is a minor matter, the case of Miss Hocking, in Edinburgh, is a shocking one.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he has now had with Scottish local authorities and industry about the potential of the Clyde Estuary to accommodate ships of over 300,000 tons and the consequent prospects of development in that area, in view of the continuing trend towards larger tankers and ore carriers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he has had with local authorities in the Firth of Clyde area with regard to an ore terminal.

I refer hon. Members to the comprehensive reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State in the debate on 7th July.—[Vol. 786, c. 1012–23.]

Does the Secretary of State not agree that this potential is likely to be of great significance to the Scottish economy, and especially to the steel industry? Since it is apparently taking from March to October simply to consider changing the terms of reference of the Advisory Committee, what is the Secretary of State doing to promote a good planning system for the whole area? This is essential, since a change in local authority organisation and in planning procedures is likely to take several years.

If we had taken the advice of some hon. Members opposite and had waited until we had received the report of the Wheatley Commission, it would have taken a great deal longer. What we have done is to bring local authorities together. We have created growth, and there has been more co-operation and co-ordination. If hon. Members opposite were sincere, I am sure that they could have given a little more help. I can think of only one outspoken defence of what was done, and that was put forward by the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor).

Most hon. Members thought that the Wheatley Commission would have reported long before now. Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that there is a great deal of concern at the thought that planning may be going on on an ad hoc basis? Surely there should be much more co-ordinated effort between planning authorities on major projects both nationalised and private enterprise.

Much of what we have done and are doing in anticipating the coming together of planning authorities could have been done before.

Instead of getting so angry, could not the right hon. Gentleman use some of his energy to concen- trate on development in an area which is already industrialised, instead of allowing it to proliferate along a coast of great beauty and tourist value?

What makes me slightly angry is the fact that the Opposition speak with two voices. The hon. Member does not want this project to go through. He has said so. This was evident in the speech that he made when we discussed the matter fully.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has given to local authorities and building agencies in Scotland on the incorporation in public buildings of basic aids for seriously disabled persons.

Two pamphlets on "Access to Public Buildings for the Disabled" and "Design of Public Conveniences with Facilities for the Disabled" were issued to local authorities in 1965 and 1968 respectively.

Are the Secretary of State and other Ministers concerned satisfied that in all public buildings being designed or built in Scotland there are provisions for at least one point of access for wheel chairs?

I am glad to tell the hon. Member that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works is at present considering revising and reissuing the earlier pamphlet on access in order to bring it home to the disabled and others that these facilities are essential. Statutory responsibility lies with the local authorities, but we have no reason to believe that they are unsympathetic. I should like to look into the point that the hon. Member has raised specifically and write to him about it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action the Highlands and Islands Development Board is taking to follow up the report of the Working Party on the Development of Wick and Thurso; and if he will make a statement.

The board is working closely with the Caithness county development officer to ensure that sites and facilities are available for such industrial projects as they can attract to the county, and the board has already been authorised to feu land at Ormlie, Thurso, on which to build an advance factory. The board has also lent its support to the purchase by Caithness County Council of 35 acres of land, with buildings, at Wick Airport. Management consultants are being commissioned by the board to help in its efforts to attract fresh industry.

While I welcome this increased sense of urgency over the need to develop that area, may I ask my hon. Friend whether he would accept that, although there is employment assured at the Atomic Energy Authority Establishment for five years, nothing would so greatly restore the confidence in the potential of the area as a statement from the Government that in principle they accept the long-term need to retain a research establishment there?

I have no doubt that my hon. Friend will have been encouraged by the personal visit of the Prime Minister at the weekend and his subsequent remarks. My hon. Friend should remind his constituents that the working party which has been concerned with this for some time has begun to show positive achievements and is engaged in a number of major surveys concerned not only with industry but with fishing, agriculture and tourism.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the starting date for the building of the new general hospital for the Borders on the site recently acquired for the purpose near Melrose.

I am unable to add to the reply given to the hon. Gentleman on 12th March.—[Vol. 779, c. 285.]

Will the hon. Gentleman accept that there is growing concern in the Borders that if economic development goes ahead, as we hope it will, it will be necessary to replace this old wood-hutted hospital with something approaching modern requirements? Will he accept that the doctors and nurses do a remarkable job in this hospital in what are really very bad sub-standard conditions?

I do not know that I would accept the description of this as being a very bad sub-standard hospital. I do agree that this hospital ought to be replaced. We have in mind the economic development in the Borders as one of the factors to be taken into account in determining a priority for it.

What capital expenditure has there been on this site so tar, and what does it represent in terms of annual interest so long as it is not built on?

About £1,000 per bed has been spent on this hospital in the last twenty years. Compared with other hospitals in Scotland, it has not been badly treated from that point of view.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will ask the Scottish Economic Planning Board to undertake a study of available facilities for direct travel between Scotland and other European countries and their effect on the Scottish economy with a view to their improvement.

This matter is kept under review by the Transport Committee of the Scottish Economic Planning Council.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Transport Committee of the Economic Planning Council has considered the rather ludicrous situation where Loganair is required to charge fares from Glasgow and Aberdeen to Norway based on the assumption that one travels via London? Is this not outrageous? Ought we not to be able to get a fare structure for the flights which the public need direct from Scotland to parts of the Continent?

I agree that we want as many direct routes as we can. This is a matter not for me but for the licensing authority. If the hon. Gentleman has any point in mind I would be very glad to have a look at it. We do have the links, at present, provided by B.E.A., B.U.A., Iberia, S.A.S. Seaboard, Ice-landair, K.L.M. and Panam.

Since Edinburgh Airport is subject to low cloud and fog, is there not a priority requiring B.E.A. to install automatic landing gear for Tridents at this airport before any other United Kingdom airport outside London?

My hon. Friend should put that point to the President of the Board of Trade.

Surely this is a rather ridiculous charging system, and it is a matter for the Secretary of State, representing Scotland? Is it not also an example of the importance of ensuring that when we go into the Common Market, if we do, all travel is not taken through London? Would the right hon. Gentleman agree that if we are to achieve adequate links from Scotland to the Continent, planning must begin now and this ridiculous nonsense of charging must be stopped and the system simplified?

I do not know whether it is ridiculous nonsense until I know something about it, and that is why I suggested to the hon. Member that he should write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he has had with organisations concerned with secondary school teaching reorganisation; and what plans are being proposed.

I have at present no plans to change the organisation of secondary school teaching.

Is my hon. Friend aware that teachers associated with secondary education assure me that the staffing position is not a very happy one and that over any given period of, say, seven years one out of three teachers is now leaving, which in turn is placing a demand upon graduates engaged in the primary schools? Does my hon. Friend not regard that as a serious position, to which he should attend?

I know that there are shortages of teachers in secondary schools but recruitment is increasing at the same time. This is true not only of graduates but of honours graduates entering colleges of education.

Has the hon. Gentleman discussed with secondary teachers' organisations the question of the future of the selected schools in Glasgow once fees are abolished? Does he appreciate the very big problems which will arise then, and can he assure us that he will not try to create comprehensive territorial secondary schools in areas where hardly anyone lives?

That has nothing to do with the Question on the Order Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress of the scheme for additional payments in areas of teacher shortage.

A total of 73 secondary and 80 primary schools, mainly in the west of Scotland, have been designated as schools of severe teacher shortage. Provisional figures for the secondary schools are encouraging. These show that between January, 1968, and January, 1969, the pupil/teacher ratio in the designated secondary schools improved from 22·7 to 21·8 despite a slight worsening of the ratio as a whole in Scotland. I do not as yet have figures for the designated primary schools.

While thanking my hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him to keep in mind that the scheme should be furthered and its great success in Glasgow borne in mind?

This will happen in any case when the present schemes comes to an end in 1971. So far, the results are very encouraging, and it is something of which we want to take account in our future planning for teacher supply.

Does the hon. Gentleman recognise that, while these results are encouraging, any suggestion of direction of teachers would be totally unacceptable?

This is not a question of direction; it is a question of giving financial encouragement to teachers to go to the schools where the shortage is most acute. I should have thought that that would be acceptable to all sides of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons have now been turned down by reference panels for registration with the General Teaching Council in Scotland; and now many such persons are now in the employment of Scottish education authorities in schools, specifying the number in each authority and the jobs these persons are engaged to do.

The hon. Lady is confusing different things. Reference panels are concerned not with the registration of teachers, but only with temporary appointments of unregistered teachers.

Does the Minister think that that is a satisfactory reply? Is he aware of the concern of the Educational Institute of Scotland in the matter; and that the Lanarkshire section of the Educational Institute asked for the question to be raised in Parliament? Is he not aware that there is a belief that if that has happened, and we have not heard, it looks like the back-door entrance of unqualified staff?

Whatever the E.I.S. in Lanarkshire may have done, it has not asked for this Question to be put on the Order Paper because, obviously, the Question shows lack of understanding of the purpose of the reference panels. If the hon. Lady referred to the situation in Lanarkshire, where there is controversy about the continued employment of unregistered teachers who have been disqualified by the reference panels, I must say that I have already met the education authority and have obtained what I think are satisfactory assurances on these matters.

Will my hon. Friend also tell the House that I wrote to him, and that I received a reply from him acceptable to Lanarkshire teachers, and particularly the Lanarkshire section of E.I.S.?

I am glad to hear that.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers in schools had not re-registered with the General Teaching Council at the latest convenient date; and if he will make a further statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of teachers currently employed in schools in Scotland, who have failed to register with the General Teaching Council since 1st April 1969; and if he will state the numbers in this category employed by each local authority in Scotland, respectively.

I have not asked education authorities for the information that would be needed to bring up to date the figure of 2,139 at 1st July that I announced during the Estimates debate in the Scottish Grand Committee on 3rd July. As regards the situation generally, I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member's Question of 25th june.—[Vol. 785, c. 277.]

Will the Minister agree that the constructive course for teachers to take is probably to re-register pending the outcome of the present review? Would he also agree that he cannot allow the present position to drag on, and that the final decision must be seen to be equitable and fair to those teachers who were dismissed earlier this year?

I certainly agree that those who are not registered or who have not re-registered should do so now. The figures of registrations have gone up by 673 in the last fortnight since I announced the previous figures. I agree that the matter of equity between teachers dismissed last year and those not registered this year has to be borne in mind. I also have no wish that this matter should drag on indefinitely.

rose—

Mr. Hannan.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I have Question No. 73.

A late question does not entitle the hon. Gentleman to be called. Mr. Hannan.

Will my hon. Friend make it known that this is essentially a matter for the teachers themselves to resolve? Will he also try to make it clear that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State should not be seen to be carrying the responsibility for untoward things that happen as a consequence?

The responsibility for dealing with teachers who have not registered is certainly with the local education authorities. There is also now the question of general support for the General Teaching Council. The continuing responsibility is on the teachers individually and through their associations, and I certainly would not wish to derogate from that responsibility.

The Minister has referred to the inequity as between those teachers sacked last year and those who have not been sacked this year although they committed precisely the same supposed technical offence, but does he intend to do something about equity? Does he also intend to do something about the situation in which every local authority is in breach of the law, and has been in breach of the law since the beginning of May?

I did not mention any inequity at all. What I said was necessary was the maintenance of equity between the two years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made with the discussions with local education authorities following the publication of the recent report on secondary school staffing.

Copies of the memorandum "Staffing of Secondary Schools in Scotland" and of my Department's Circular 714 were sent to all education authorities and to the teachers' and local authorities' associations. I have received comments from some of these bodies. I am arranging a series of discussions with interested bodies in the early autumn.

Does my hon. Friend accept that everyone in Scotland is anxious to see the Government, particularly by a set of incentives, tackling the problems of staffing in the less fortunate areas, but will he also accept that there is anxiety in areas such as Aberdeen that it may be in the mind of the Government to impose ceilings which would not permit the maintenance of the present excellent staff-pupil ratio in this area? Has he anything to say to reassure us?

I do not want to add anything at the moment to the scheme adumbrated in Circular 714 but we are anxious to have a scheme of distribution which will improve the position in areas which at present suffer from an acute teacher shortage.

Will the hon. Gentleman now answer the question I put to him earlier? Will he give the House an assurance that there is no question of direction of teachers being resorted to to ease the shortage in these difficult areas?

I have answered that already; there is no question of direction.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what grant and guarantees were made to the Scottish Arts Council in respect of music throughout Scotland for the years ended March, 1968, and March, 1969; and how these figures compare with those for the financial years ended March, 1963, and 1964.

As the Answer includes a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to increase his power of supervision over the activities of the Herring Board, particularly where staff is concerned.

No, Sir. Ministers' powers are in general adequate, and as regards staff I consider that the board should be responsible for its own arrangements.

If an injustice arises one must deal with the board. Should there not be some system of appeal or supervisory arrangements whereby an outside body or person can give a final answer?

I know that the hon. Member is referring to a specific case, and that he may be meeting the chairman of the board to deal with the case. The statutes are clear. It is the function of the board to look after certain aspects. I know something of the situation. As I understand it, the decision was in line with the requirements of the statutes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses have been started and completed, respectively, in Scotland in the first six months of 1969; and what were the comparable figures for the first six months of 1968.

The precise figures will not be available until later this month. In the corresponding period last year 21,509 were started and 18,573 completed.

Would the hon. Gentleman agree that the figures for starts and for completions will be down, and, bearing in mind the figure for starts so far this year, when does he think that his specific pledge of 50,000 houses by 1970 will be achieved?

The hon. Gentleman is terribly out of date. I cannot give precise figures. When he sees the figures for the second quarter, he will find a substantial improvement on the first quarter, bringing us very close to the figures for 1968, a record year. We shall expect from him his usual congratulatory telegram praising the Government for their superior housing record over that of the Conservatives.

Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that the alarming thing about the housing figures is the much bigger proportional fall in starts than completions compared with last year? Does not this make his target for 1970 an absolute dead duck?

The hon. Gentleman has not seen the figures for the second quarter, so how can he make these assertions? We have constantly warned him not to calculate performance on one quarter. I expect him also to send a telegram to us.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total value of the standard improvement grant and the discretionary grant, respectively, over the past four years in Lanarkshire County Council.

With permission, I will circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Obviously I do not know what the figures are. Will my hon. Friend give thought and consideration to enlarging this scheme whereby other householders who do not qualify at present could come into it and, as it were, save some of the houses which are badly needed in Lanarkshire?

My hon. Friend will be proud to know that Lanarkshire County Council on standard grant has more than doubled the grants paid in 1965 and discretionary grants over the last three months were 15 per cent. up. As he knows, we debated the Housing (Scotland) Bill recently, and we shall be issuing a guide book on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses for sale have been built in Glasgow for each of the last three years.

57, 93 and 77 respectively.

Do not those figures demonstrate the great shortage of land for building within the City of Glasgow? Does this not emphasise the need for Glasgow Corporation to move and agree in the matter of the Erskine development for both private and public building?

Yes, I quite agree with my hon. Friend, and I hope that the corporation will allow us to get on with the development in Erskine.

On the availability of land, does not the hon. Gentleman agree that the very low level of rents discourages people from providing houses for themselves?

If the hon. Member acquainted himself with present-day facts about housing in Scotland he would know that one of the complaints of private developers in Scotland is lack of land and that my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mr. Hannan) was on a good point when he spoke about land at Erskine because there is land for 4,000 houses there.

Will my hon. Friend institute inquiries into the social problems which spring from lack of facilities to provide land for owner-occupation housing?

We have much evidence about this already before the Scottish Housing Advisory Committee. We want to see an increase in house building in both the private and the public sectors.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pupils in Scotland were receiving part-time education at the latest date for which figures are available; and what percentage of this total was at Glasgow schools.

11,785 in the week ending 30th May, of whom 55 per cent. were in Glasgow schools.

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that Glasgow is still carrying far more than its fair share of part-time education? Will he at least give an assurance that he will bear these rather worrying statistics very much in mind when considering the possibility of teachers being suspended because of the G.T.C. issue?

I do not think that the G.T.C. issue arises out of the Question, but the position in Glasgow is still worrying. The figures which I have just given for Glasgow are affected by a fairly large number in primary schools. This year there has been a change in arrangements. The second transfer to secondary schools has been discontinued, but there is still a second entry in primary schools, which means that there have been particular difficulties this year. I hope very much that they will not be repeated in subsequent years.

Is not a large part of the difficulty in Glasgow due to the fact that a very substantial number of teachers prefer to teach in the agreeable areas and schools and will not go to the difficult areas where they would be very valuable?

That may be a factor. So far as it is, the scheme for inducement payments to which I referred previously is an important element in putting the question of distribution on a more satisfactory basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the amount of investment in plant and machinery in Scotland for the first half of 1969; and how this compares with the same period in 1968.

Half-year figures are not available; the amount of investment in plant and machinery in Scotland in 1968 will be published in the October issue of the Digest of Scottish Statistics.

I am sorry that my right hon. Friend has imparted so little information. I had read that there was a fall in investment over last year, but, as one may assume at least constant investment, should not one expect the population, instead of shrinking, as it appears to be doing, to begin to show an increase, too?

I think that my right hon. Friend is referring to a survey by the C.B.I. which referred to the possibility of a fall in relation to plant and machinery.

Yes, I am.

The same survey suggested that there would be a proportionate increase in investment in buildings. It is a very complex business, and expectations are not always borne out by facts. We shall need to watch the matter. Population is being held at the moment.

Is not this anxiety about a fall in investment a very serious matter for the Scottish economy? If it is, does it not indicate that R.E.P. is not doing what the Secretary of State claimed it could do; namely, increase investment in machinery?

If the hon. Gentleman looks at the statistics on plant and machinery published by the Board of Trade and at the published Scottish statistics, he will find that, compared with the time when the Conservative Party was in office, every year has been a record year for investment in plant and machinery under the Labour Government. I am glad to say that the figures for 1968, which will be published later, will show an improvement over the previous year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of patients in Scotland is in mental hospitals at the latest convenient date; and how this figure compares with the average for the last five years.

The average number of patients in mental hospitals during the year to 31st March, 1968, represented 33·01 per cent. of the average number of patients in all hospitals; the average during the five years to 31st March, 1967, was 34·16 per cent. If mental deficiency hospitals are included, the figures are 44·52 per cent. and 44·76 per cent.

Would my hon. Friend agree that these figures are disturbing? Would he ascribe the very high percentage of inmates in mental hospitals to the increased alcoholic drinking habits of the people and the strains and stresses of the ever-quickening pace of modern living? What steps have been taken to investigate this very serious illness among the population in Scotland?

The figures has not increased proportionately; they have remained about the same. The numbers of patients being admitted to mental hospitals with a diagnosis of alcoholism have gone up and they now represent about a quarter of all male mental hospital admissions. This is a very worrying factor indeed. A good deal is being done in the health education and other fields on this problem.

Would not the hon. Member agree that one of the reasons for the high figures is that so many beds in these hospitals are full of geriatric patients simply because there is nowhere else for them to go? Would he agree that the figures could be substantially reduced if we concentrated on making proper provision for geriatric patients?

The provision of geriatric beds in the hospital service has been very substantially increased in the last few years. The effort of local authorities on community services for mental deficiency has increased very considerably in recent years. But the total numbers and the proportion are not increasing. That does not mean that we are happy that we have the right balance between hospital and community provision. I should like to see the balance tilted towards the latter rather more than it is.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of all surgical transplants carried out in Scotland during the last year.

I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL. REPORT a detailed list of all surgical transplants carried out in Scotland during the year ending 30th June, 1969. There were 15, all renal transplants.

I thank my hon. Friend for his reply and look forward to reading the information in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Has he formed any view on the recent report of the MacLennan advisory group on transplants in general, and, in particular, has he any views on the creation of a central register of donors who can contract in for transplants?

It is a little early for the Government to take definite views on these matters. We were very anxious that the report should be published so that we could test public reaction to it. The comments in the Press have been very valuable from that point of view. But we should like to have more idea of the general feeling before coming to any firm decisions.

Why have the Government done so little to encourage people voluntarily to allow their organs to be used after death for transplant surgery?

I am not sure that that is an accurate comment. I think that the report of the MacLennan Committee deals with this kind of development as well as

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to implement the proposals of the Kilbrandon Report on the Marriage Law of Scotland.

My right hon. Friend is in the process of seeking views on the report from the churches, the local authority associations, bodies representing the legal profession, organisations in the social field and the Governments of several European countries. When these consultations have been completed, he will decide what action should be taken on the committee's recommendations.

Will my hon. Friend ensure that these consultations do not take too long, as consultations on similar matters have sometimes taken in the past? Will he accept that the report contains a very large number of useful references in an important field of law, and is right to emphasise the need to deal with the rather sad and tarnished trade in runaway marriages which continues to lead to embarrassment and complications in our courts?

The organisations we are consulting have been asked to let us have their views by 30th September next. At that point, we shall be able to decide whether legislation is necessary and, if so, the form that the legislation should take. It would not be proper for me to comment on the various aspects of the report, but my hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps

I regret that there is no prospect, in the present economic situation, of an extension of the Legal Aid Scheme to such proceedings.

Will my hon. Friend at least keep the matter within his view? Is he aware that there are some genuine cases in which legitimate defences cannot be properly argued because of insufficient financial resources to employ the necessary legal representatives for that duty? Will he bear that point in mind when considering any future liberalisation in policy?

We will take all aspects into account.

Apart from the question of expense, does the hon. Gentleman take the point that these courts are often those in which members of the public come up against the force and majesty of the law for the first time, and that it might be more important to ensure that no one is denied legal representation through lack of funds in these courts more than in any other court?

I agree with the first half of the hon. Lady's supplementary question: I disagree with the second half.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy towards the closure of single-teacher primary schools in remote rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Any proposal of an education authority for the closure of a school requires my right hon. Friend's approval, and he considers each case on its merits. In general, children are believed to gain social and educational advantages from being taught in a larger school community and in more homogeneous age groups than obtain in one-teacher schools, but other factors such as the condition of the existing buildings, the availability and economic use of teachers, the distances which children would have to travel, and the wishes of parents are also taken into account.

I thank the Under-Secretary of State for his reply. I am well aware of his views on the subject. Will he confirm that he agrees that where the closure of such schools might lead to difficulty and danger to young children travelling in winter conditions, those schools should be maintained, if possible, even though the cost appears to be unjustified?

I certainly take the view that traffic conditions involving any question of danger to the children concerned are a very important factor to be borne in mind in any such proposal.

Has my hon. Friend ever given any thought to the employment of small aircraft in order to obviate altogether the necessity for this type of school?

No, Sir. I must confess that I have never given it any thought.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress of the review of the General Teaching Council.

I have nothing to add to my reply of 1st July to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor).—[Vol. 786, c. 72.]

In view of the urgency of the situation in that some hundreds of teachers have not registered under the G.T.C., will the right hon. Gentleman promise to press for a review in order to try to keep every one of these vital teachers on the payroll?

It is not a question of my pressing for a review; I have instituted the review. I have received representations from many organisations and individuals in respect of many aspects of the G.T.C. The final date for the receipt of representations was 30th June, but I am not being entirely rigid about that. If anyone has missed the date, I shall still be pleased to hear from him. I hope to make a statement on this subject, probably in the autumn.

Will the Secretary of State assure the House that he will treat this review with the utmost possible urgency in view of the need, as soon as possible, to assist in the harmonious establishment of the G.T.C.?

Yes, Sir. But I do not think that in this case speed is necessarily the right thing. We want urgency in relation to the adequacy of consultation and the depth of consideration to be given.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement about the progress achieved in meeting the 1970 employment target set out in e White Paper, The Scottish Economy 1965–70.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave the hon. Gentleman on 12th March.—[Vol. 779 c. 280.]

Is not the Secretary of State yet aware that there are now 35,000 fewer jobs in Scotland than four years ago?

I have already pointed out to the hon. Gentleman that in respect of the targets we have come well up to the provision of new jobs. I have also stated that we have been subjected to a far speedier rundown of the older industries of mining, railways, agriculture and the rest than was expected.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total amount of radiographers currently employed in the hospital service; and how this compares with the last five years.

At 30th September, 1968 radiography staff employed in the hospital service in Scotland numbered 550 in whole-time equivalent. The corresponding figures for preceding years were 543 in 1967, 538 in 1966, 516 in 1965, 494 in 1964 and 504 in 1963.

Is my hon. Friend aware that for the past few years there have been serious staffing difficulties in radiography departments in certain parts of Scotland? Does his answer mean that these problems will be overcome?

I am not aware of any general staffing problems of radiographers. We do not keep a general register of vacancies in the service. If my hon. Friend knows of any particular difficulties in hospitals which he has in mind and will let me know, I will look into them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost of drugs in Scottish hospitals in the periods 1960 to 1964 and 1964 to 1968, respectively.