asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will publish the report on the effect of introducing equal pay into certain key industries produced by a working party of representatives of the Government, the Confederation of British Industry, and the Trades Union Congress.

The report was based on an inquiry carried out by my Department into the cost of introducing equal pay in 13 selected industries. I am arranging for the results of the inquiry to be published in the Employment and Productivity Gazette.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will make a statement on the report of the National Board for Prices and Incomes published in July warning of rapid price rises in the next few months; and what action she proposes to take to safeguard those on small and fixed incomes from these price rises.

The hon. Member is presumably referring to the Board's Fourth General Report. The Report does not, in fact, say that the Board is expecting rapid price rises in the next few months.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity why it took her Department from 12th May until 6th October to implement their undertaking to write to the hon. Member for West Ham, North, concerning the breaching of the Government incomes policy on payments to company directors.

My undertaking was to write to my hon. Friend after seeking further information from a particular firm. It is only recently that we have obtained all the information we needed and have been able to satisfy ourselves that there was no breach of the incomes policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial support he is giving to the Royal Society's plans to further contacts with countries of Western or Eastern Europe.

Disposition of the grant-in-aid to the Royal Society is a matter primarily for the Society, but £110,000 of the current grant of £871,000 is being used to fund fellowships to Western European countries under reciprocal arrangements, and I understand that a significant proportion of a further £96,000 for travelling expenses, delegates to conferences and relations with overseas academies is being devoted to Europe.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now announce the results of negotiations between his Department, the Arts Council and the Society of Authors concerning payment of authors under the Public Lending Right.

I met representatives of all the interests involved on 1st July. They undertook to send me their comments on a scheme which I put to them for their consideration, and I hope to hold a further meeting when they have been received. The scheme did not imply any Government commitment at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will invite local education authorities to extend sex education in schools.

This subject is dealt with in the Department's Handbook of Health Education which was revised and re-issued last year. I would also refer the hon. Member to the reply on one aspect of it given on 6th February by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dame Joan Vickers). I do not think further steps on my part are needed at present. The Department's medical officers and Her Majesty's Inspectors are available to advise local education authorities both in the planning of courses and in training of teachers to give instruction in sex education. I must make it clear, however, that my right hon. Friend has no authority to prescribe what is taught in schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will introduce legislation to abolish the three mile minimum for travelling allowance for pupils attending secondary schools.

No. Authorities already have adequate discretionary powers to provide transport or pay reasonable travelling expenses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now take steps to abolish or curb the delaying powers of the House of Lords.

Not at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to reduce the delaying powers of the Lords.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, South (Mr. Gwilym Roberts) this afternoon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the construction of an island fortress prison as proposed in the Mountbatten Report, in view of the growing numbers of Category A prisoners.

I informed the House on 25th July, 1968, that this proposal would not be pursued because I accepted the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Penal System that Category A prisoners should not be isolated as a group but should be dispersed among other prisoners at selected high security prisons. This process is now taking place.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have left the Mid-Anglia Police Force in the last 12 months; how many have left forces under his jurisdiction in the country as a whole over the same period; and whether he is ascertaining the reasons for the present drift from the police service at a time when their rôle in society is especially important in view of the general increase in crime.

47 police officers retired or resigned from the Mid-Anglia force during the year ending 31st August, compared with 5,274 throughout all forces in England and Wales. National wastage over that period, expressed as a percentage of total strength, was 5·8 per cent. compared with a figure of 5·3 per cent. in the calendar year 1967 and 6·1 per cent. in 1966. The causes of wastage are kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has instructed chief constables to regard as privileged documents letters sent to them denouncing individual police officers, in view of the fact that if and when the denunciation proves after investigation to be baseless and malicious, the police officer concerned is greatly handicapped in any attempt to sue the writer for defamation.

Advice, when asked for, has been given to chief officers of police that it is inappropriate to furnish letters of complaint to assist in civil proceedings, because to do so might deter persons from making legitimate complaints.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue a circular to police forces in England and Wales about the need to be properly instructed in the use of C.S. devices and in their effects.

Chief officers of police are well aware that members of police forces who may be called upon to use C.S. should be given training, and full advantage is being taken of the central facilities for having force instructors trained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances and on whose authority C.S. devices now held by police forces for use against dangerous criminals can be used for purposes of riot control.

As my hon. Friend knows, chief officers of police in England and Wales do not contemplate the use of C.S. to control public disturbances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that it is the practice of some police, investigating crimes for the Juvenile Bureau, to visit the homes of suspected juveniles, and with the juvenile out of the room, to ask the parents if their son has admitted the crime to them; and if he will take steps immediately to prevent juvenile bureaux carrying out this type of investigation.

I am not sure why my hon. Friend objects to the practice he describes; but if he has a case in mind I will gladly look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances accused or convicted persons are obliged to wear handcuffs on their way to or from court or on other occasions; and if he will give guidance to prison governors and others on the exercise of their discretion in this respect.

General guidance is given, but individual decisions must be left to the discretion of the governor on the spot. He is answerable if a prisoner escapes from custody.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will give Mr. Nikita Venizelos, Leader of the Liberal Party of Greece, the necessary documents to enable him to reside in the United Kingdom and to travel overseas, in view of his application to Her Majesty's Government for political asylum.

Mr. Venizelos is in Italy, and so no question of the grant of political asylum in the United Kingdom arises. An application by Mr. Venizelos to come to the United Kingdom is being sympathetically considered in the light of all the relevant circumstances, and there should be no difficulty about this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what firm makes the gas masks used by the police in conjunction with C.S. devices; and whether he is satisfied that there are adequate security arrangements at this firm to prevent the theft of these masks.

The gas masks were assembled in a Royal Ordnance factory and supplied to police forces by arrangement made with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why information on the number of spot checks on road traffic to ascertain to what extent the law is being broken with regard to tyres, lights, brakes, insurance, seat belts. road tax licences, exhaust fumes and noise and steering is not readily available to him and Members of Parliament; and whether he will take such action as may be necessary to ensure that this information is made available.

Since there are limits on the amount of information which I can appropriately ask chief officers of police to provide; and I have not felt justified in requesting them to supply me with such information as they have on these particular matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his latest visit to Northern Ireland.

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply which I gave to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) and Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose) this afternoon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now introduce legislation to ensure that victims of actions which give rise to criminal prosecutions can receive better protection, particularly where the leniency of magistrates resulted in injustice to aggrieved parties, and against which no appeal by the Home Secretary is available.

It is for the criminal courts to decide what use to make of the various powers which they have to require offenders to compensate their victims. Whether more can be done generally to improve the prospects of reparation by offenders is a matter on which my right hon. Friend is awaiting a report from the Advisory Council on the Penal System.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it was with his approval that polythene bags were recently distributed on the North-East Coast by one of his Parliamentary Secretaries in a campaign to increase fire precautions, in view of concern about the dangers to children of unventilated polythene bags.

These bags were made from thick film. They do not have the properties which make polythene bags made from thin film dangerous to children.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the result of his Department's inquiry into the removal of passports; and whether he will make a statement.

If the hon. Member is referring to the denial of United Kingdom passport facilities to supporters of the illegal Rhodesian régime, the Advisory Committee of which the House was informed by the then Commonwealth Secretary on 27th June, 1968 has completed its task of review and continues to advise my right hon. Friend on further cases as they arise. Its recommendations are confidential.—[Vol. 767, c. 126–30.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the fact that official figures of Swedish, French, Italian, Japanese, German and United States imports from South Africa in 1968 exceeded the official figures of South African exports to those countries by 20 per cent., 30 per cent., 33 per cent., 33 per cent., 48 per cent. and 74 per cent., respectively, and that this shows the scale of each of those countries' imports from Rhodesia, he will now abandon the sanctions policy.

No. Even if the hon. Member's assumption were correct, which it is not, this would not justify the abandonment of sanctions which, as my right hon. Friend said at the United Nations General Assembly last month, should be applied steadily and resolutely.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the report, published recently by the European Economic Commission, on the expected consequences of the enlargement of the European Economic Community to include Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and the Republic of Ireland.

As soon as an approved English translation is available arrangements will be made for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proposals his Department has for the development of internal airlines between London and development and inter- mediate regions; and if he will make a statement.

This is one of the questions which will be dealt with in the Government's White Paper on the Edwards' Report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a further statement on the progress made by the committee which is reviewing the organisation and structure of the United Kingdom shipping industry.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Dorset, West (Mr. Wingfield Digby) on 18th June.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the staff employed at the Board of Trade offices in Cardiff were born in Wales; and what proportion of the whole is Welsh-speaking.

This information is not readily available and to obtain it would involve disproportionate effort and expense. In any event, I do not think the place of birth and languages spoken by the Board's staff in Cardiff has any bearing on the job they are doing.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that talcum powder purchased at prices between £18 to £35 per ton is sold retail at prices between £345 to £27,238 per ton; and whether he will refer this to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

The figures of £18 to £35 per ton refer to the cost of the crude raw material bought in bulk. They cannot be directly compared with the price of the finished product including, amongst other things, purchase tax. The N.B.P.I. examined manufacturers' prices of toilet preparations and reported on 3rd June, 1969. This report (No. 113) gave some facts on the relationship between material costs and retail prices. I do not think a further reference so soon would be appropriate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now publish figures showing the corrections that have to be made to the corrected trade figures to arrive at the correct trade figures for recent months.

The information is given in Note (d) of the Press release on trade in September, issued on 13th October, 1969, a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library, and it will also be published in the Board of Trade Journal of 22nd October, 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on progress in Scotland following the study carried out by the Government Social Survey into the location and problems of the severely disabled.

The results are now being analysed and tabulated, and consideration is being given to the publication of information in sections as it is formulated. The information will be of considerable interest to hospital boards and local authorities in Scotland, as an aid to the planning of services for the disabled, and will be sent to them as soon as available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding increases in council house rents.

We have repeatedly made it clear that any necessary increases should be moderate, and that there should be rent rebate schemes to protect the less well-off tenants.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many road accidents have been caused by deer in the last three years; and whether he will authorize more warning signs to be erected in districts where red deer are common.

The information requested in the first part of the Question is not available. I am always prepared to authorise warning signs where they are shown to be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many nursery schools have been built in Scotland in each of the past five years; and what is the programme of nursery school building in the current year.

The information for the past five years is as follows:

	Number of new nursery schools provided
Year	By new building	By Conversion	Total
1964	—	1	1
1965	1	—	1
1966	—	—	—
1967	—	1	1
1968	3	—	3

In addition, nursery classes were provided at 10 schools in 1967 and at 6 schools in 1968.In 1969 to date one new nursery school has been completed; 3 are under construction; 4 have been approved in principle. In addition, nursery classes at 12 schools have been approved in principle.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what quantities of C.S. devices are held by police forces in Scotland; and by whose authority they can be used for purposes of riot control.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 30th April, 1969, to the hon. Member for Hamilton (Mrs. Ewing).—[Vol. 782, c. 242.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to authorise the replacement of Kirkcolm and Drum-more primary schools.

The replacement of both schools has been approved in principle, but starting dates have not been fixed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now issue an up-to-date version of the planning document, The Task Ahead.

Current discussions with key sectors of industry have not yet been completed nor the results considered in the National Economic Development Council.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the total of privately-owned wealth in Great Britain is at present owned by the wealthiest 1 per cent. of the population, and what was the equivalent figure for the financial years 1950–51 and 1963–64; what steps he is taking to effect a further redistribution of private wealth; and if he will make a statement.

In 1967, the latest year for which an estimate has been made, the wealthiest 1 per cent. of the population aged 15 and over owned 33 per ceint. of the estimated total wealth owned by individuals and, in 1963, 37 per cent. These figures, however, a re not directly comparable because the coverage of the estimates of total wealth varies with the coverage of the statistics of estates passing on death upon which the estimates are based. Since the coverage of the smallest estates was greater in 1963 than in 1967, the figure given for 1967 slightly overstates the percentage owned by the wealthiest 1 per cent. when, compared with the 1963 figure. No comparable figure is available for 1950–51. I am afraid that I cannot make any statement on the possibility of measures for the purpose my hon. Friend mentions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the total revenue secured by the Exchequer was formed by estate duty receipts in the financial year 1968–69; Viand what were the corresponding percentages for the financial years 1964–65 and 1966–67.

3·2, 4 and 3·3 per cent. respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now consider increasing the £100 tax-free allowance for blind people which has remained unchanged since 1962.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion

asked the Minister of Technology what investigations he has made into the effects of present investment incentives on the distribution of capital and labour intensive industrial developments inside and outside development areas.

The study of the effectiveness of the investment grant scheme put in hand by my right hon. Friend the then President of the Board of Trade will assist an understanding of the effects.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will publish a memorandum setting out the extent to which his Department answer for the activities of the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation.

My right hon. Friend is assuming the responsibilities for the I.R.C. which were formerly undertaken by the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs. These are as set out in the I.R.C. Act, 1966, and since there is no change we see no need to publish a memorandum.

asked the Minister of Technology what is the total cost, so far, of the nuclear power building programme; and what is the value of reactors exported from the United Kingdom.

Capital expenditure on nuclear power stations by the electricity boards up to 31st March, 1969, was £765 million. For the latest figures on reactor exports, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. J. H. Osborn) on 13th October.—[Vol. 778, Cols. 38–40.]

asked the Minister of Technology what is the estimated loss of revenue arising from the need to operate Magnox nuclear power stations at low capacity because of the corrosion of parts of the reactors recently discovered.

As stated in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, West (Mr. Judd) on 13th October, the 6 Magnox stations affected by oxidation are still in continuous operation at above their design load factor. As the Board are confident of maintaining supplies there should be no loss of revenue.—[Vol. 788, Col. 38.]

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning if he will now give details of the additional expenditure on roads in selected areas and the proposals for the provision of new housing associated with industrial growth in connection with the Government's policy on the Hunt Committee's Report.

I am considering the views of Economic Planning Councils about developmental roads in the intermediate areas. I will consider sympathetically proposals by local authorities for the provision of new housing associated with industrial growth.

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning whether the Government propose to implement the Hunt Committee's recommendation that there should he industrial estates in selected growth zones in Yorkshire and Humberside and the North-West Region.

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning, if he will request the North-West and Yorkshire-Humberside Economic Planning Councils to provide him with reports identifying the potential growth zones in their areas.

As my right hon. Friend said in his statement on 24th April, the Government accept the Committee's view that industry in intermediate areas should be encouraged particularly in places which have real scope for growth. We are considering the views of the Economic Planning Councils concerned on suitable locations, and will take these views into account when, after legislation has come into force, we consider Government factory building in intermediate areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Government's plans for the grey areas of Yorkshire and the Humberside.

As my right hon. Friend said in his statement to the House on 25th June, a Bill will be introduced as early as possible next Session to give effect to the Government's proposals for intermediate area assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning what progress is being made on implementing the Humberside Feasibility Study; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's decisions on the Humber Bridge and on intermediate area status for parts of Humberside have already been announced. For the rest, the Government is awaiting the views of local planning authorities and the Regional Economic Planning Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning what representations he has received from firms in development areas in Scotland following the decision to withdraw the selective employment tax additional payment of 7s. 6d.

I am advised that there were no such representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning why he has not included a representative from the Isle of Wight on the South East Economic Planning Council; and if he will immediately take steps to appoint the nominee of the Isle of Wight local authorities.

Members of the regional Economic Planning Councils are appointed as individuals having a wide knowledge of their regions as a whole, not as representatives of particular areas or authorities. The South East Economic Planning Council currently has a full complement of members and at the moment I am not expecting to make further appointments.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that, owing to delay in printing, copies of Statutory Instrument, 1969, No. 1192, published on 5th September were not available for nearly three weeks to members of the public affected in the Merstham area; and whether he will therefore consider objections raised after the expiry of the statutory period.

No. As stated in the public notice issued on 5th September, copies of the Statutory Instrument were available to the public from that date and plans for inspection were on deposit at specified places in London, Reigate, Oxted and elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in publishing schemes of draft schemes under the Highways Act, 1959, he will ensure that the public has adequate opportunities of studying the implications of such schemes by extending the list of local offices where plans are available to include all branches of public libraries.

We try to achieve full publicity for published trunk road proposals, and the places where the plans are on display are chosen as appropriate for each scheme. We are now considering whether further improvements can be made, and I should like to give further thought to the right hon. Gentleman's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the latest progress towards conclusion of an international agreement to prohibit or restrict fishing for salmon in the North Atlantic.

At their meetings this summer, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries accepted, by substantial majorities, recommendations for a ban on the fishery for Atlantic salmon outside national fisheries limits. Two countries have submitted memoranda setting out their objections to the recommendations, but it is not yet clear what the final outcome will be. In the meantime, the position is being kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the dates of the last two refits of H.M.S. "Eagle". "Ark Royal" and "Hermes", respectively, and the sum expended on each of these refits.

The following is the reply:

Ships	Dates	Total Production Costs
		£
"Eagle"	1/2/60–15/5/64 (modernisation)	27,614,029
"Eagle"	3/10/66–7/4/67 (refit)	3,174,127
"Ark Royal"	27/3/61–10/11/61 (refit)	1,315,888
"Ark Royal"	6/1/64–12/1/65 (refit)	3,855,760
"Hermes"	16/10/61–16/4/62 (refit)	730,230
"Hermes"	9/3/64–22/6/66 (special refit)	10,985,725

These refits exclude H.M.S. "Eagle" docking 14th October, 1968 to 21st February, 1969; "Ark Royal" current special refit; "Hermes" docking 14th April, 1969 to 15th August, 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make available Lloyd's register of shipping for use by Naval Control of Shipping personnel.

Lloyds register of shipping contains more information than is required by Naval Control of Shipping personnel. Such information as is required is provided more economically in official publications.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Government policy for the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service.

The R.N. Auxiliary Service is a uniformed civilian force whose task is to provide naval support in war-time for Resident Naval Officers and Naval Officers-in-charge at ports and anchorages in the United Kingdom. Local units are raised and trained in peace-time at the ports concerned. Members attend for training once a week and are called for longer periods on exercises. The force, whose present strength is about 4,700 men, provides essential support for our war planning arrangements and I intend that it shall be maintained.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the number of dwellings at present controlled which will under the Housing Act, 1969, be eligible for rent increases in 1st January, 1971, 1st July, 1971, and 1st January, 1972, respectively.

The increases will be chargeable only where the dwellings were provided (or in process of being provided) with the standard amenities at 25th August last and are in good repair and in all other respects fit for habitation; transfer to rent regulation will be allowed in these circumstances on the dates in question, but any increases in rent will be subject to phasing. The Act includes a number of safeguards for the tenants of such properties. The numbers depend on the action taken by owners but it is possible that between 60,000 and 70,000 dwellings will he affected on each of the three dates in question.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he proposes to raise the rate support grant to local authorities to match the increase in wages proposed by the Joint National Council for manual workers in local government; and by what amount.

Increases in pay which are unforeseen when a rate support grant order is made cannot be taken into account before the details of the award are settled and its cost can be quantified.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the numbers of postcards, second-class letters, first-class letters, packages, parcels and telegrams handled by Portsmouth Post Office in each of the past five years.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications to what extent the introduction of first and second class mails has affected to the latest convenient date the finances of the Post Office since that introduction occurred.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Acton (Mr. Kenneth Baker), and other hon. Members.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will review the pay and professional status of qualified physiotherapists with a view to giving greater recognition to their services; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the Whitley Council in the first instance.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the result of the inquiry into the fire at Carlton Hayes Hospital; and what action has been taken subsequently.

Copies of a Report of a special Committee of Inquiry set up by the hospital management committee to inquire into the cause of the fire at Carlton Hayes Hospital on March 11th, 1969, have been placed in the Library of the House.The recommendations have been endorsed by the regional hospital board. The hospital management committee have now taken steps to ensure that there are more frequent visits to those wards which are not continuously observed: they have introduced a stricter policy towards controlling smoking, and the usage of those side wards considered most suspect in relation to the siting of lounge and sitting room areas has been changed so that no one sleeps in them. The Committee have replaced the locks and door catches as recommended and replacement chairs will be of a type in which matches or other combustible materials cannot lodge.I accept that there has been no neglect that the fire precautions at the hospital worked efficiently and that staff acted promptly and in accordance with the training given. I am quite satisfied with the measures taken by the hospital management committee to implement the recommendations of the report.In consultation with other interested Government Departments the degree of fire risk in items used in hospitals including furniture and fabrics is constantly under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what check was made recently on the availability at post offices in the Manchester area of prescription claim forms for low-paid workers; whether there was any subsequent improvement in the situation revealed in June, 1969, by the inquiry undertaken by the Manchester and District Branch of the Child Poverty Action Group, details of which have been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed that inquiries, which were begun on receipt of the Manchester report last month, are still in progress and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as they are complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the inspectors who hold public inquiries on behalf of the Welsh Office under various Acts are Welshmen, live in Wales, and are Welsh-sneaking, respectively.

13 Inspectors live in Wales. Two of these and three others living in England are Welsh speaking.