asked the Secretary of State for Wales what extra employment from the surrounding areas in the construction industry is likely from a decision by Her Majesty's Government to go ahead with the Dee Barrage and an expansion of the Shotton Steel Works, respectively.

There would certainly be opportunities for increased employment, but it would be premature to attempt any detailed forecast at this stage.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that both these schemes are of great interest not only to North Wales but to the whole of the Merseyside area, and that if a decision could be made rapidly it would be a great booster of morale throughout the North-West?

Yes, I agree with my hon. Friend that these schemes are of widespread interest. I can assure him that there will be no undue delay in reaching a decision but, as he will appreciate, consultations with various bodies and authorities are necessary.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman support major expansion at the Shotton Steelworks? Will he come off the fence and say "Yes" or "No"?

The hon. Gentleman talks about major expansion, and I take it that he means expansion further than the development scheme which is already taking place. That is a matter for the British Steel Corporation, and I have no doubt that the Corporation will take into account the claims of Shotton.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will state the names of the organisations he has recently consulted concerning unemployment amongst youths in Wales ; and whether he will make a statement.

I have had no specific recent discussions relating solely to unemployment among young people. Youth employment prospects cannot be divorced from more general employment considerations and these figure prominently in many of my discussions with various organisations.

Is the Secretary of State aware that that complacent reply will annoy everyone in Wales? Is he further aware that this subject has now become one of urgency in that some thousands of our young people will be leaving school this month and large numbers of them will be added to the unemployed? What proposals has he for helping the employment of young people in Wales?

I assure the right hon. Gentleman that I am certainly not complacent and that youth employment is a matter of great concern to us all. Improved employment prospects for young people will come about only with renewed economic expansion, and the Government have already taken steps to bring that about.

Does not the Secretary of State recognise that the answers given by him and his colleagues throughout the last year have been to the effect that all employment opportunities will be improved by competition and the Government's policies, so that the statement which we shall hear shortly is an acknowledgement of the failure of him and his right hon. Friends to provide the job opportunities?

As he is an objective man, the hon. Gentleman will appreciate that we inherited an extremely difficult economic situation. I am happy to say that the measures introduced by the Government are now taking effect, and I hope that they will lead to a reversal of the trend that we inherited.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will convene a conference of young Welsh people who have left school in July 1971, or were entitled to leave school in July, 1971, to discuss the prospects for economic development.

I am keen to keep in touch with young people and with those guiding their careers, and I shall be addressing the annual meeting of the Institute of Careers Officers in September. But I do not think that a conference on the lines suggested would be helpful.

As there are very few economic prospects, I am inclined to agree with the right hon. and learned Gentleman. Will he recognise that the Institute of Careers Officers and the children leaving school are not the same people? The important point is to try to convey to youngsters that there is some future in Wales. Does not the Secretary of State consider that there is an emergency employment problem and that special encouragement for employment should be provided for young people in Wales because we are losing a generation?

As I have said, I am obviously concerned about the unemployment of young people. It is an aspect of the wider problem of employment opportunities in Wales generally. The Government, as announcements last week will have made clear, are taking steps to improve the position.

Has the Secretary of State any specific plan whatsoever for enhancing the employment prospects of young people in Wales?

As I have said, the employment of young people in Wales is conditioned by employment opportunities generally. Announcements have been made recently about infrastructure and about the three-year payback on investment allowances. This shows that the Government are anxious to improve the situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will consider issuing guidance to health and education authorities in Wales over the fire hazards presented by the use of furniture containing rubber or plastic foam.

This matter will continue to be kept under review, and health and education authorities will be informed of any significant developments.

Does not the Minister agree that there is growing evidence from fire service authorities, from trade unions involved in the manufacture of this furniture, and from newspaper and private tests that there is a real fire hazard in using furniture containing foam and plastics? Does he not further agree that it is absolutely necessary to ensure that no school or hospital in Wales uses such furniture?

My Department maintains close contact with the Fire Department in the Home Office on matters concerning fire hazards in schools and hospitals. Foam mattresses are normally obtained by hospitals through contracts made by the Department of Health and Social Security. These are now of plastic foam only ; latex foam ones are no longer bought.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total income, accruing to local authorities in Wales, from the reservoirs in Wales which supply water to statutory water undertakers.

This information is not readily available.

I understand that, but does not my hon. Friend agree that the amount of money coming in this way to local authorities is much less than it would be if they were in a position to sell their water to outside bodies?

My hon. Friend may well be right on that, but to make inquiries from 1,300 reservoir holders and from 46 holders of other reservoirs which were constructed before 1931 would be a considerable operation from our point of view.

Do not many of these water undertakings make a very substantial profit from the sale of water, and is it not reasonable that the area from which such water is drawn should have a share in that prosperity?

Yes, indeed, and some of the areas referred to by the hon. Gentleman benefit considerably, some more than others.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what will be the approximate estimated expenditure on building and improving principal roads in Wales during 1971–72 ; and how such expenditure will compare with the expenditure of each of the previous two years.

£6·4 million compared with £5·2 million in 1969–70 and a provisional figure of £6 million in 1970–71.

As road building of this kind may be deemed to constitute an important part of the infrastructure, which we talk about a lot these days, will my right hon. and learned Friend say to what extent his latest projects in road development are related to the industrial needs of Wales and, in particular, of the Welsh development area?

So far as principal roads are concerned, I am anxious that local authorities should put forward schemes for improvement in the principal road preparation list, and I have already asked them to do so.

Will my right hon. and learned Friend be ever mindful of the truly appalling state of the A55, and give it the highest priority?

I am fully aware that considerable improvements are necessary on the A55. I am anxious that it should be a dual carriageway all the way along as soon as possible, and, as my hon. Friend knows, I have already announced some' far-reaching plans for the A55.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what action he proposes to take in order to put an end to the differential rates of housing improvement grant now available for property inside or outside the Welsh development area.

The increased grants for house improvements, which will become available under the Housing Bill introduced on 23rd June, apply only in local government areas wholly or partly within development or intermediate areas. There are no plans to extend these grants to other areas.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that this decision further aggravates the anomalies which prevail in Flintshire? Is he further aware that every Government announcement about additional incentives for development and intermediate areas further exaggerates these anomalies? Does he appreciate that I shall go on nagging him until he nags his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to do something about the situation?

I suggest that my hon. Friend's point on whether or not the area should be a development area is another question. The main aim of this Bill is to mount a sharp attack on poor housing and drab surroundings in our development and intermediate areas by bringing forward work which otherwise might not be done for many years. Its purpose is also to create further employment and to make areas more attractive to incoming industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to transfer the St. Lawrence Hospital, Chepstow, to Cardiff ; and whether he will make a statement.

I cannot give a firm date. The transfer of the plastic surgery and burns unit is being planned together with the reorganisation of hospital services in the Cardiff area.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the uncertainty about their future is undermining the morale of people engaged in this hospital? Although I in no way assume that the Secretary of State has yet paid a visit to this hospital, I should like to ask whether he is able to announce a firm decision so that people can make arrangements accordingly.

With regard to the second part of the right hon. Gentleman's question, I am glad to be able to say that in the last year I have visited over 20 hospitals in Wales. With regard to his other point, this is part of a complex reorganisation of hospital services in the Cardiff area ; the planning and execution of the necessary work inevitably will take some time.

May I press the Minister : when does he expect to make an announcement about the transfer of this hospital? This matter affects the people in the whole of South Wales, and everybody has a right to know.

Yes, I am happy to be pressed by the right hon. Gentleman because this is a most important matter, but I cannot be more specific about the date as this depends on the completion of adaptations of the Cardiff Royal Infirmary, which will house the burns unit, and the Prince of Wales Orthopaedic Hospital, which will accommodate the plastic surgery unit.

Is my hon. Friend aware that there is great pride in Chepstow over the St. Lawrence Hospital, and that many of the staff, built up over the years, with great experience of this specialist and most important field of medicine, will probably be unable to make the transition to Cardiff? Is he also aware, with regard to staffing at the top level, that consultants at the hospital are below the establishment necessary, and are grossly overworked, and that a speedy decision is vital? Should not the future of St. Lawrence Hospital be given very serious consideration?

I am grateful for my hon. Friend's remarks ; I know his interest in this matter, and I accept a great deal of what he says. However, it is a fact that the present unit is not well situated. Plastic and burns surgery is a highly specialised matter, as my hon. Friend said, and needs to be provided at a regional centre. I assure my hon. Friend that we will continue to give this matter every possible urgent assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to make a Ministerial broadcast on B.B.C. Wales and Harlech Television.

I have no immediate plans to make a Ministerial broadcast. My hon. Friend the Minister of State and I give many interviews on both sound and T.V. channels in Wales and hope to continue to do so.

Is the Secretary of State aware that such a forecast on the Common Market could give the Welsh people facts and figures from the officials of the Welsh Office who visited the E.E.C. headquarters in Brussels, facts which have never been revealed to this House? Does he accept that Wales is seriously worried about the matter of investment and the consequent lack of employment and reduction in the standard of living if we join the Common Market? Does he not agree that his failure to give these facts is a clear abdication of his responsibility to the Welsh people?

No, Sir ; I would not agree. I have already expressed the view that entry into an enlarged European Economic Community would give Britain new economic opportunities and substantial advantages and that Wales would share in these ; it also would enable us to deal more effectively with regional development, and, therefore, Wales should benefit

Will not such a Ministerial broadcast give the Secretary of State the opportunity to explain to the 1,600 steel workers who have been made redundant in Wales in the last 12 months, and the many hundreds more who are to be made redundant in the next two years about the job opportunities that may exist for them in Western Germany if we are unfortunate enough to join the Common Market?

I am sure the hon. Gentleman was pleased and relieved to hear the views expressed by Lord Melchett and the other B.S.C. leaders about the advantages to the British steel industry if we join an enlarged Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many qualified architects dealing with school affairs are employed in the Welsh Office.

One senior architect.

Is this work force sufficient to meet the needs of the schools in Wales? What is the average length of time between the taking of a decision to modify or extend a school and undertaking the work?

It is considered sufficient at the moment. The senior architect not only maintains close liaison with professional colleagues in the Department of Education and Science but also has the support of a specialist team of Her Majesty's Inspectors who work closely with local authorities. I am afraid that, without notice, I cannot give an answer about the average length of time taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the outbreak of gas gangrene at the Pembroke County Hospital, Haverfordwest.

Two cases of gas gangrene have occurred recently. One patient died, and the operating theatre concerned has been temporarily closed. For the time being emergency operations are being transferred to the West Wales General Hospital at Glangwili and a temporary theatre is being erected at the Pembroke County War Memorial Hospital.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, and I should like to express my sympathy to the relatives of the unfortunate person concerned. Could my hon. Friend take the opportunity of congratulating those responsible for the prompt action they have taken and the doctors who are working under such difficult conditions? Is he able to assure me that every possible action will be taken to get the operating theatre back into action?

I can certainly say "Yes" to the last part of my hon. Friend's question. I agree that great praise should be given to those responsible. I myself saw the conditions to which he referred when I last visited Haverfordwest.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to increase expenditure on public works in Wales up to March 1973.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 15th July to my hon. Friend the Member for Barry (Mr. Gower).—[Vol. 821, c. 160.]

Does the Secretary of State not realise that hon. Members on this side of the House find it inexcusable that the right hon. and learned Gentleman, unlike his right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Secretary of State for Scotland, was not prepared to come to the House to make a statement on this matter and make himself available for questions to be put to him from hon. Members on both sides of the House with Welsh interests? Will he give an undertaking not to make such an important statement in the form of a Written Answer in future? What effect will the new expenditure have on the chronic unemployment situation in Wales?

The projects proposed for Wales will account for about 14 per cent. of the total sum which was announced by my right hon. Friend, which is a very fair percentage. My officials will now see officials of local authorities and the hospitals and schools to ascertain what projects can be accelerated and put into action quickly. We shall then be in a better position to be able to say what effect it will have on the unemployment situation in Wales?

Is not the percentage my right hon. and learned Friend has mentioned somewhat higher than would be required to accord with the proportion of people in the United Kingdom and in Wales?

The 14 per cent. has to be compared with the 13·7 per cent. in Wales of all assisted areas employment, and, perhaps more significant, the Welsh share of assisted areas unemployment is just over 12 per cent.

Is the Secretary of State aware that we note that on a number of occasions he does not make a statement as do his right hon. Friends when these matters affect his Department? Would it not be better if he submitted himself to questioning, as other Ministers do when statements are made to the House, so that Welsh affairs could also be discussed in proper conditions? Further, is he aware that this effort to make up for the errors of the past, welcome as it is, does not go far enough?

It is a matter of the convenience of the House whether or not separate statements are to be made for Wales when a joint statement is made on England and Wales. The right hon. Gentleman will agree that I certainly submit myself to plenty of questioning from right hon. and hon. Members not only in the Chamber but also in the Welsh Grand Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much each local authority in Wales has allocated in its financial estimates for the implementation of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

The information is not available.

Is the Minister of State aware that many local authorities have not made any allowance at all for expenditure to implement the Act? Is he not disturbed by that fact? Will he tell us what action he proposes to take to encourage these local authorities so that we may have the Act implemented, or does he believe, like his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, that every hon. Member should look after his own constituency?

I understand that in the hon. Member's constituency both Breconshire County Council and Radnorshire County Council are providing services under Section 2 of the Act, and are planning to develop them further.

Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that the dilatoriness of his Government has led large numbers of people throughout the country and, in particular, in Wales to feel that the disabled are being deliberately deprived of the benefits they could receive if the Bill were fully implemented, and that many people in Wales are categorising the Government's action as being on a par with that in the shabby Bill which withdraws school milk from children?

The hon. Gentleman is wrong. The present Government fully accept the need to improve the services available to the chronically sick and disabled and, as is shown in the White Paper on public expenditure, Cmnd. 4578, have made additional resources available for the next four years for the development of these and other health and personal social services, and the recent rate support grant Orders allowed for appreciable development of these services over the next two years.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many copies of the Western Mail and the Liverpool Daily Post his private office receives every day.

One copy of each.

I hope that the right hon. and learned Gentleman reads both copies with interest. Is he aware that on 8th July the chairman of Rio Tinto Zinc claimed that but for the Labour Government's investment grant the £50 million aluminium smelter would never have come to Anglesey? Is he further aware that a C.B.I. survey has shown that the withdrawal of investment grants has done a great deal of damage to Wales? Will he not admit that he has created havoc and chaos in the Welsh economy?

I would certainly not admit the last part of the hon. Member's supplementary question. I assure him that I read these papers with interest, and find that occasionally they are extremely complimentary. As to the point about investment incentives, I take it that the hon. Gentleman also will be pleased by last week's Amendment of the Finance Bill, which gives a very good new differential incentive to development areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will publish an account of the discussions concerning regional policies which his officials have now had in Brussels with representatives of the European Economic Community.

No, Sir. On 28th June, in answer to the hon. Member for Abertillery (Mr. Jeffrey Thomas), I outlined the points covered in the discussions, but the details of such discussions must remain confidential.—[Vol. 820, c. 3–5.]

The right hon. and learned Gentleman's answer is entirely predictable, because this is one of the topics which the Government are desperately anxious to sweep under the carpet. As past experience in Wales and in the United Kingdom has been that capital investment always congregates in the most prosperous areas and that labour is forced to follow, can the Secretary of State say how entry into the European Economic Community will retard rather than accelerate that trend?

The hon. Gentleman knows that in the European Economic Community capital investment has certainly not been concentrated in the populated areas. The nationalised industries of Italy, for instance, are under statutory obligation to allocate 40 per cent. of their new investment to development areas. The hon. Gentleman, if he studies the different regional policies in the European Economic Community, will appreciate that Britain has quite an important part to play in formulating any common regional policy at which the European Economic Community may in future arrive.

Is it not a fact that unless Britain has a much larger domestic market we shall not have the global resources to divert to the implementation of this regional policy?

I agree with my hon. Friend.

Is not the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the people of Wales are intensely dissatisfied not only because there has not been a separate Welsh White Paper on the Common Market but because not even a separate paragraph or a separate sentence dealing with Wales appears in the White Paper? Does he realise that they will be even more perturbed to hear that he does not intend even to take part in the four-day debate in order to explain his assessment of the impact on Wales, and undergo examination of his assessment?

We followed the example set by our predecessors. Our predecessor Government, of which I believe the hon. Gentleman was a member, came to the conclusion that this matter must be viewed on a United Kingdom basis, and that it would be wrong to try to assess the effect on individual regions. On a United Kingdom basis, we have come to the same conclusion that our predecessors came to.

Does not the Secretary of State agree that Wales has a right to know at this stage the details of how her economy will be affected? Wales, we accept, was dealt with as part of the United Kingdom, but the right hon. and learned Gentleman must now have at his disposal what the previous Administration could not have at their disposal, the detail of how the agreement reached by his right hon. and learned Friend at Brussels will affect the differing industries in the Principality.

It is certainly possible to give an assessment of the effect on differing industries. For instance, Mr. Ezra, of the National Coal Board, has said that the coal industry will benefit. [Interruption.] Lord Melchett, of the Steel Board, has said that the steel industry will benefit. The National Farmers' Union is in agreement with the arrangements that have been made for hill farming, and agrees that we shall be able to give continuing assistance to maintain the incomes of hill farmers. All those can be assessed, but they are individual things, and it would be wrong to try to assess what may be the growth of industry generally in any part of the country. One has to take the United Kingdom as a whole.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to seek to pay an official visit to the European Economic Community Commission in the near future.

I have no immediate plans to visit Brussels, but will be ready to do so should it appear to be necessary.

On the issue of Wales and the Common Market, does not the Secretary of State accept that he has married the maximum confidence with the minimum knowledge? Would he accept that the people of Wales would have greater confidence in his competence and his honesty if he were prepared to make a detailed and comprehensive study of these matters so vital to the life of Wales? The Welsh people will not be impressed that he is willing to subordinate the interests of Welsh people in this matter to saving the face of the Government.

The Welsh Council agreed at its last meeting to investigate the terms and to report. We maintain, as did our predecessors, that Wales will share fully in the benefits that will accrue to the United Kingdom from membership of the Community. The increased growth which will be stimulated in the United Kingdom as a result of entry, allied with an effective regional policy, will be of special benefit to Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether, in view of the possibility of the United Kingdom becoming a member of the European Economic Community, and the current formulation within the Community of a policy on investment incentives, he will ask the Welsh Council to undertake a study of the different forms of investment incentives available within the existing Community countries and the effect of their implementation upon Wales.

At its last meeting the Welsh Council decided to consider the White Paper "The United Kingdom and the European Communities"—Cmnd. 4715—and the possible implications for Wales of the United Kingdom becoming a member of the Community. The Council hopes to complete this study by October. It is for the Council to decide on the scope of its study.

I thank the right hon. and learned Gentleman for that reply. I remind him that this report should be available for consideration over the summer. It is rather late to produce it in October just before the vote is taken in Parliament. As the Prime Minister indicated in the House a few weeks ago that if the E.E.C. Commission recommended a system of investment grants as opposed to investment allowances he would be prepared possibly to revert to that system, would the right hon. and learned Gentleman tell us whether we can conclude that the Government are at last persuaded that grants are superior to investment allowances?

Certainly not. The Government are not persuaded of that at all. As the hon. Gentleman knows, each member of the Community pursues its own regional policy. The members of the Six have not yet reached any harmonisation of their policies, but they hope to do so. If after discussion, in which Britain will play its part, it is decided that there should be a change, certainly Britain would accept the change.

Will the Secretary of State give an undertaking that the report of the study which is being undertaken by the Welsh Council into Wales and the E.E.C. will be made public and available to Members of the House?

It is for the Council to decide how it wants to handle the outcome of its study. It may decide to report its views to me with a request that its report should be published. I will consider whatever request is put to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what effect will Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community have upon the employment of civil servants in the Welsh Office.

It is too soon to give any precise estimate.

We have just heard about the creation of jobs. Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that an authoritative estimate has stated that between 4,000 and 5,000 extra jobs for British civil servants will be created if we enter the European Economic Community, and that these jobs will be created not in Wales or Scotland or in the North-East or the South-East but in Brussels, which will be highly welcome to the Belgian people but wholly unwelcome to the people in Wales? How does this accord with the Tory policy to reduce civil servants?

I remind the hon. Gentleman of what the Parliamentary Secretary to the Civil Service Department said in the House on 14th July, 1971.

May we therefore take it that once again the right hon. and learned Gentleman's answer is that he does not know, as with his answers to other Questions?

My answer is that if Parliament decides that we should enter the European Economic Community there will be some switching of staff to new tasks but that does not mean that an increase in the overall number of civil servants is inevitable. We are on the look out for economies in staff in all areas of the Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when a decision will now be made on the multi-purpose Dee Barrage scheme.

The views of the local planning authorities and others are being sought on the complex of proposals for a crossing. It is too early to say when a decision will be reached.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that this scheme will give a good return in the social, recreational and transport aspects? As it has been discussed for years, if not decades, is it not time that a decision was reached?

As my hon. Friend will appreciate, the engineering consultants' report has been published only re- cently and that deals with very diverse matters such as road communications, water services, fisheries, recreational amenities, and industrial, shopping and residential development. It is important that this report should be properly considered. I assure my hon. Friend that we will not drag our feet on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received about the effects of the disposal of sewage and industrial effluent on the Welsh coast of the Bristol Channel ; and what new policies he will adopt to lessen such disposal in the future.

Apart from representations forwarded by my hon. Friend on behalf of a constituent, we have received fewer than half a dozen letters. The Working Party on Sewage Disposal recently recommended a review of measures for controlling the disposal of waste to coastal waters. This is under consideration, and a Government announcement will be made soon.

In view of the widespread recognition of the importance of the preservation of the purity of the environment, will my right hon. and learned Friend and my hon. Friend give extra attention to this matter because it is one of some controversy, as they must be aware?

I accept what my hon. Friend says. With my right hon. and learned Friend, I will certainly continue to take an active interest in the matter.

Would not the Minister agree that the hon. Member for Barry (Mr. Gower) had full opportunity to put those points of view, if he is so concerned about these matters, in the debate a fortnight ago on the Bristol West Dock scheme?

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if, in view of the continued run-down of the rural bus services of Wales, he will commission an emergency report on the situation.

The Welsh Council is about to undertake a detailed study of rural transport problems. It will be reporting its conclusions to me.

Is not the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware of the insidious dangers posed by the heartless slashing and trimming of these services? What special and determined action will he take on behalf of villagers in isolated communities who do not possess cars?

Parliament has made available the necessary powers in Section 34 of the Transport Act, 1968. It is up to local councils to make full use of them.

Is the Secretary of State aware that one of the major problems about rural transport is the fantastic cost of travelling on the buses at present, and that in about six months' time there will be no need to subsidise some of these services because passengers will not be travelling on them because they cannot afford to do so?

I accept that cost has been quite a serious factor. I note that when services were withdrawn in Pembrokeshire some of the services were taken up by local operators, and they appear to be running the services without any subvention.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the hindering factor in the present phase of construction at Cefn Hengoed School, Swansea, due to be completed in September 1971 ; what will now be the new completion date ; what steps he is taking to assist Swansea Local Education Authority in this regard ; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the original completion date of September 1971 was extended by the Swansea Council by four months to compensate for delays outside the control of the contractors.

I thank the right hon. and learned Gentleman for that reply. My constituents are becoming seriously perturbed that the date of completion of the school is being delayed. Will the Secretary of State assist Swansea City Council as far as he is able, so that pupils from the catchment area will be offered the opportunity, as early as possible, to continue their education in this very fine school?

As the hon. Member will appreciate, my Office is not responsible in any way for the delay. That is a matter entirely for Swansea Council and the contractors, between whom there is a binding contract.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of acres of land in Wales planted by the Forestry Commission and the number planted by private owners ; and what are the corresponding figures for the latest period of 12 months for which figures are available.

At 31st March, 1971, the Forestry Commission had 312,000 acres of plantations in Wales ; the estimated area of productive privately-owned woodlands was 141,000 acres. In the year ended 31st March, 1971, the Forestry Commission and the private sector planted 6,200 acres and 3,700 acres respectively.

Is not the Minister of State concerned about the increasing proportion of forests that are in private ownership due to taxation benefit? Is not the time now ripe for altering the arrangements so that private foresters come under the same obligations as the Forestry Commission?

In answering this Question I must declare an interest. I am not aware that the Commission's planning programme has been significantly affected by the activities of the private groups or of other private owners.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many councillors were surcharged in Wales in 1970.

None, Sir.

Is not the Minister of State aware that by the end of this year he could face a massive rebellion by Welsh local authorities on the question of free school milk for children? Is he further aware that in Swansea the councillors have voted funds available for the continued provision of free school milk and that those councillors are apparently willing to face the risk of surcharge, distraint of property, and even imprisonment, rather than see our Welsh children denied the free school milk which we consider necessary?

It is the duty of the District Auditor under Section 228 of the Local Government Act, 1933, to disallow every item of account which is contrary to law.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue a circular to local authorities in Wales listing the powers under which they are entitled to use rate income for the provision of free milk in primary schools.

No. The Government's policy in relation to the provision of milk in schools has been fully explained by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science in the debates on the Education (Milk) Bill.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the Under-Secretary of State pointed out that there is no provision in the Education (Milk) Bill which affects the provision—Section 6(1)—of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act, 1963, which allows an authority to incur expenditure in the interests of its area or of the inhabitants of its area—the so-called penny rate? Will the hon. Gentleman now make clear to Welsh authorities whether if they continue to supply free milk it does or does not come within the ambit of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act, 1963?

It is for the local authority in any particular case to decide in the first instance whether it has powers to proceed in this way. My right hon. and learned Friend is not empowered to interpret the Statute any more than I am.

What duties will head teachers and teachers be called upon to undertake if the Education (Milk) Bill becomes law in October? If they have none and authorities employ ancillary workers, and as there is no Money Resolution to the Bill, will local authorities be acting illegally?

The hon. Gentleman was a member of the Committee which sat upstairs discussing this matter. He will realise that this matter was considered in very great depth.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I point out, in clarification of the hon. Gentleman's statement, that I was not a member of that Committee?

I had in mind another Committee which sits upstairs and which we all know and of which the hon. Gentleman is Chairman. Therefore, I apologise to him for making that mistake. Local education authorities will be advised in due course by circular on the implementation of the arrangements for school milk.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will ask the Welsh Economic Council to undertake a study of mining potential in Wales ; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will ask the Welsh Council to conduct an inquiry and produce a report on the potential for mineral exploitation in Wales.

The Welsh Council's report on "A Strategy for Rural Wales" included a section on the mineral resources of Wales. The Council recognised that the exploitation of the mineral resources of Wales could give rise to major conflicts of interests. It urged, therefore, that the planning and other authorities concerned should use their powers to balance the need to conserve the natural beauty of Wales and the economic advantages of mineral development.

Does the Secretary of State accept that two things have happened since that report was published? First, the Environment Ministers have talked about strengthening the planning powers of the national parks where these minerals lie. Second, the Department of Trade and Industry has made £50 million available in cash grants to assist mining ventures in these areas. In view of this conflict, is it not time for the Council to look again at mining potential in national parks and to formulate a policy which will enable the Government to participate in the development of any mining potential which may exist?

The views of the Welsh Council still obtain. The important thing is to hold the balance between the various interests concerned.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that many mining experts consider that the £50 million mineral development incentive scheme referred to by the hon. Member for Merioneth (Mr. William Edwards) is a matter of immense importance to the Welsh economy and should do a great deal to stimulate industrial investment and job opportunities, particularly in areas where they are most needed because of the lack of other industries?

Yes ; I am aware that that might well be the case. The Government's decision was based on the need to encourage mining companies to prove our mineral resources so that they could be used to the best advantage. The full details of the scheme have not yet been worked out, but I want to emphasise to those who support this kind of activity and those who oppose it that the scheme will in no way affect the operation of the planning controls under the Planning Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of jobs likely to be created by the increased sums of money made available for infrastructure work in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what effect his Department estimates the £14 million infrastructure expenditure announced by the Government will have on the Welsh economy.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of new jobs which will be created in Wales in consequence of the Government's plan to combat unemployment.

The purpose of the increased expenditure on infrastructure projects in Wales announced last week is to strengthen the economy and improve employment opportunities. The detailed work involving discussions with local authorities and other interested organisations is now proceeding and it would be premature to attempt any more specific estimates in terms of employment or other factors.

Is it not remarkable that the right hon. and learned Gentleman is proud of a measure when he now confesses that he has no idea of the number of jobs involved? Is his statement not just strictly pious verbiage, and is it not the fact that he has no idea what he is doing in spending this £14 million?

What I have said is that I cannot go into detail. All I know is that £14 million extra capital allocation is to be made in Wales in order to improve the infrastructure, to create employment opportunities and to make development areas more attractive to incoming industry. I should have thought that hon. Members opposite would have welcomed it.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman not aware that last November, in answering a Question on this subject, he declined to carry out such a programme? Therefore, is there not an admission of failure in the announcement last week?

All I can say is that the investment grants certainly do not show great results in Wales. The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that in the place of investment grants has been given a unique incentive in development areas of free depreciation, and many other measures have been introduced by this Government. The package as a whole is considered to be a very attractive inducement to industry.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman recollect the syrupy promise that he made to the Welsh people on taking office that he would improve the quality of life in Wales? Has he calculated the number of jobs which would be necessary to reduce unemployment in Wales to the United Kingdom average, and did he have that figure in mind when he pleaded the case within the Cabinet for a bigger share of this money—if he pleaded at all?

The hon. Gentleman will remember that I have made announcements about roads and about schools in Wales, and this is an added announcement which shows that more money is being spent in Wales which will bring benefit to Wales and improve the quality of life there.