asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list of the property and/or land sold in Wales by his Department to private persons or groups of persons, giving the price obtained in each case, and, where land sales are concerned. the acreage sold, in each year between January, 1961 and January, 1972, inclusive.

Information on sales of property and land is not assembled and it would be disproportionately costly to provide a list of transactions. It is not in any event Government practice to reveal the price involved in transactions of this nature.

Is not that a scandalous answer? Does not the right hon. and learned Gentleman realise that land is of prime interest in keeping down house prices? Should he not be aware that it is the duty of the Welsh Office to assist in any way in this direction? Is he aware that in South Wales land values are soaring astronomically and that his answer, denying assistance to local authorities in the provision of extra lard, will be received with great dismay?

The amount of land which the Welsh Office has to sell is not very great. It would be a small amount of land which would be surplus to requirements, mainly on the roads. I do not normally sell surplus land to private persons or groups of persons until other Government Departments and local authorities have been given the option to acquire it.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of the date on which a decision may be expected on the proposal for a Dee Barrage.

An announcement will be made as soon as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I have completed our study of this proposal.

Will my right hon. and learned Friend take this and every other opportunity that occurs to deny reports that are circulating that this scheme, which will bring immense benefits both to North Wales and to the North-West generally, is beginning to lose favour in Government circles?

This is a complex scheme, and it could be regarded as being of immense value to both North Wales and the Wirral, but it requires to be looked at extremely carefully because of the complexity of all the matters attached to it.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman not prepared to say that the Government are going to rat on this project and give priority to the Morecambe Bay scheme?

No, Sir. There is no question of the Dee proposals being sacrificed in the interests of the Morecambe Bay scheme. Both will be judged strictly on their merits. In any case, the barrage over Morecambe Bay would not improve links between the Wirral and North Wales, which is one of the purposes of the proposed Dee scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will sanction the Central Flintshire Water Board's application for a Dee extraction scheme.

The report from the independent consultant commissioned to look into the scheme was received only two weeks ago. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I now have it under urgent consideration.

Is the Secretary of State aware that the refusal of the Government to give the go-ahead to this scheme has led to a doubling of the water rate in East Flint this year, to the great disress of elderly people on fixed incomes and young married people struggling with mortgages? Will he please shake himself out, and take urgent steps to relieve this problem in East Flint?

I am aware of the cencern felt by everyone interested in the scheme. A decision will be reached very soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the British Steel Corporation about the future of the industry in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

I am in regular close contact with the Corporation.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman appreciate that his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry promised a statement early in the new year about the future investment programme of BSC but that we are still waiting? Meanwhile, will he bear in mind that BSC is going ahead with the proposal to close the tube works at Newport, Monmouthshire, and has also taken a decision to take the iron ore trade from Newport Docks, which will in turn have a major effect on the Spencer Works, which is the cornerstone of the economy of the Newport area? Will he appreciate that this major works will then be at a distinct competitive disadvantage compared with Port Talbot, which is in a development area and has iron ore on the doorstep? How much longer—

Order. The hon. Gentleman has done very well so far.

As the hon. Member knows, I have been in correspondence with him on the matters he mentions. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will be making a statement very shortly.

Has my right hon. and learned Friend noted reports of probable massive development of the industry in Scotland? While not objecting in principle to development elsewhere, may I ask my right hon. and learned Friend to look carefully at the claim of Wales to modernisation of a similar kind?

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. My hon. Friend will appreciate that the BSC investment programme for 1972–73 is a major step forward—a figure of £265 million at 1971 prices compared with £81 million in 1969–70—and that Welsh projects will account for about one-third of the Corporation's investment in 1972–73.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman recollect that on 16th December his hon. Friend the then Minister of Industry told the House that the report would be available shortly in the new year? Is he aware that hon. Members on this side of the House know that the report was in the hands of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 7th March this year? Is publication delayed because there is a deadlock between the views of the Govern- ment and the views of BSC on the effect of entry into the European Economic Community?

The answer to the last part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question is "No ". As to the other part, I cannot add to what I said a moment or two ago, which is that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from representatives of the Welsh tourist industry about regulations under the Fire Precautions Act, 1971; and what reply he has sent.

I have received one letter on behalf of Llandudno hoteliers. This matter is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, and the letter has been passed to him for reply.

Is my hon. Friend aware that there is a good deal of anxiety in Welsh holiday resorts and that these fears would be much alleviated if more time were allowed for applications and if the industry were treated as an industry qualifying for free depreciation? Will he please make these points to his colleagues in the Home Office and the Treasury?

I note what my hon. Friend says, and I am more than prepared to pass on his comments to my right hon. Friends.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will institute a survey into land prices for housing development in Wales; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the increase in building land prices in South Wales in the period 31st March, 1970, to 31st March, 1972; and what proportion of the increased cost of building a house in South Wales is attributable to the increase in the price of building land.

Information on which to base a reliable estimate of increases in land prices for a sub-region is not available. I am considering whether it is practicable to improve our information, but I am very doubtful of the reliability or usefulness of figures purporting to show changes in land prices within a limited area.

Does not the Secretary of State care about the fact that land prices have been soaring in most parts of South Wales in the last year and a half? Does he not realise that both local authorities and private housebuilders have been rooked by the land hoarders and the land sharks that we have in Wales, as elsewhere? Is he aware that the price of land in South-East Wales has risen from about £5,000 to £15,000 an acre for housing, and that this rise is inevitably passed on in increased housing costs? Does not the right hon. and learned Gentleman intend to do more than just say that he will think about it? Will he not get on and try to do something about controlling land prices?

I certainly care about the increase in prices. There is no evidence, in fact, that the price of building land offered for sale has markedly risen for Wales as a whole—[Interruption.]—for Wales as a whole, in the last two years, but undoubtedly prices have risen sharply in certain areas, particularly, as a result of demand having been stimulated, in South-East Glamorgan and Cardiff. To help meet this situation, I am applying, as appropriate to Wales, the major measures announced last week by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

Is it not scandalous that the right hon. and learned Gentleman should reply that he cannot say that land price information is available? Is he further aware that the increase in land prices in the Swansea area is scandalous, and should be stopped? Is he aware that registration fees are being taken from my constituents at Ynysforgan, the date agreed and the price determined but that the house is not forthcoming at that price? Is he further aware that, in a case about which I could furnish him information, a deposit of £420 was taken in August last and that last week the prospective purchaser was told that he could not now have the house? Is he aware that land prices are being used as an excuse for this practice, and that interest-free loans are being taken from people? Should not this scandalous practice be stopped?

The hon. Gentleman asked me whether it was not scandalous that I could not give figures for a particular area or for Wales as a whole. Regional figures of changes from year to year are of limited usefulness, and, indeed, could be positively misleading. They must be based on actual sales, and the amount and quality of land sold in a particular area is bound to vary from year to year. I accept that there is a problem of land prices, in particular prices in Cardiff and South-East Glamorgan, but those cannot be put together and averaged to provide a meaningful figure for the whole of Wales. We recognise that there is a land problem in those areas and are adopting policies to solve it, but misleading figures would not help us to do that.

Has my right hon. and learned Friend noted that in numerous cases in South Wales, as elsewhere, houses which have just been purchased are almost immediately resold by the purchasers at a greatly enhanced figure, which suggests that the real problem is the insatiable demand for houses, backed by the enormous amount of mortgage money available?

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment explained the position in the debate last Thursday. There has been a stimulation of demand recently, and therefore an increased demand on available building land.

Is the Secretary of State aware that there will be surprise and disappointment in Wales that he does not show a greater sense of urgency in this matter? Land prices are galloping up all over Wales and I am very surprised that the right hon. and learned Gentleman has been unable to find the evidence of it. If he paid another visit to the Principality I am sure that local authorities would provide him with the evidence.

Let me first say how pleased I am to see the right hon. Gentleman back in his place, particularly after his recent bereavement.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the right hon. and learned Gentleman's replies, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials in his Department are engaged in securing additional industrial development in Wales; and how many additional officials will be required in his Department as a consequence of the proposals in Command Paper No. 4942, Industrial and Regional Development."

A wide range of the work of my Department, involving a large number of my officials, is directly or indirectly related to making Wales more attractive to industrial developers. The office will continue to be fully staffed to carry out the duties laid upon it.

Was not that a classic, fluffy parliamentary answer? Does not the Secretary of State recall that it is over a month since this very important White Paper was published, which at least gave the first breath of hope to the people of Wales since the present Government took office? Is it not time the Government girded up their loins and tried to introduce these improvements in regional policy, because there is great confusion and anxiety among industrial developers and it is costing Wales jobs?

I am glad that the hon. Gentleman welcomes measures which were introduced. This will require legislation, as he knows, and it is not for me to say when legislation will be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of pupils in Wales due to be leaving school in July but for the raising of the school leaving age.

None, because pupils whose fifteenth birthday falls before 1st September, 1972, will not be affected.

When the time does arise, does not the Secretary of State realise that the numbers will be very low, because increasing numbers are staying on as there are no jobs for them? Would he consider paying these pupils a grant while at school, because they will be losing unemployment pay to which they would have been entitled?

I answered the hon. Gentleman's Question, and the answer was "None."

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will request the Welsh Economic Council to make a study of the part which the development of flying facilities could make to the growth of rural areas in Wales.

I understand that the Council is already looking at civil aviation facilities in Wales and will shortly be considering a report on this subject by the former Welsh Advisory Committee for Civil Aviation.

Will the Secretary of State request the Council to pay particular attention to mid-Wales, which is not at present served by any air facilities? The establishment of even a small air strip could play a very important role in the development of this sub-region.

I am sure that the Welsh Council will pay attention to what the hon. Gentleman said. As he knows, the Council has recently commissioned a survey of public transport in Wales, for which I have made a research grant. There is no reason why this should not include the role of civil aviation in the transport system. There is no reason why the rural aspect should not be considered.

Would the Secretary of State consider making bridging finance available for the Swansea airport? I am sure he appreciates that in the days of multi-branch and multi-national firms, an airport at a place such as Swansea would be of great attraction to firms looking to South-West Wales.

Yes, I appreciate that one can attach some importance to the Swansea airport. As the hon. Gentleman knows, the recently established Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for securing the general development of civil air transport in the United Kingdom, and I shall continue to put to that Authority the claims of all the aerodromes in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representation the Welsh Office sends to planning conferences in Wales.

This depends on the nature of the conference.

Does not the hon. Gentleman realise that the failure of the Welsh Office to respond to an invitation from the Town Planning Institute to attend a recent regional planning conference caused the gravest disappointment to members of that Institute—as the hon. Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Michael Roberts) will no doubt confirm—and has inculcated the impression that the Welsh Office just does not care about regional planning? That impression is reinforced when one realises the miserable economic record of the present Government in Wales.

I cannot agree with any of the hon. Gentleman's comments. The chief planner from the Welsh Office was invited to attend this conference. He explained to the chairman of the branch that, as a civil servant, he could not accept the invitation because that conference seemed likely to develop along party political lines. The chairman of the branch said that he quite understood the reasons for this decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he last visited a Remploy factory in Wales.

In October, 1970, when I had the pleasure of opening the Treforest factory.

Would not the Secretary of State consider visiting these factories again? Is he aware that the Remploy workers in Wales are feeling extremely disgruntled at present, that they feel that they are being treated as second-class citizens and are extremely dissatisfied with the miserable wage offer recently made to them, and that their conditions of service are such as to take away any form of confidence they have? Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman make a special effort to visit Remploy factories in Wales to talk to the workers, and will he consult his Cabinet colleagues to ensure that our disabled workers get a fair deal?

Everyone is anxious to see that our disabled workers have a fair deal. I assure the hon. Gentleman that my interest in Remploy has existed for a considerable time, ever since I was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour. I am aware, also, of a dispute involving some Remploy workers in South Wales. but it would not be useful for me to comment on that.

Would the Secretary of State consider changing the policy for Remploy, which requires that they should be profitable organisations, because many disabled people are unable to be accommodated there as managers are afraid that production would be slowed down?

The question of any change in policy for Remploy is not for me but for the Department of Employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consider seeking to initiate a study by representatives of the local authorities and the Welsh Council to make proposals for a new regional strategy for Wales.

I see no need at present for some new strategy. I believe that the policies we are following are comprehensive, sound and appropriate to meet the needs of Wales but I shall not hesitate to commission a further study if I think it is necessary.

Would my right hon. and learned Friend agree that regional development in England is likely to be encouraged and helped by the regional studies now being undertaken by his right hon. Friend in the Midlands and in the North-West? Would he also agree that at least "Wales: The Way Ahead "could be brought up to date? Would he reconsider his answer on this matter?

Our strategy, which adopts many parts of "Wales: The Way Ahead ", is continually being up-dated and adjusted to suit changing circumstances. As I said, I shall not hesitate to commission a further study if I think it necessary, but I am not persuaded that this is needed at present.

Will the Secretary of State indicate when unemployment in Wales will next come to the level of June, 1970?

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman must know by now that one never forecasts levels of employment or unemployment.

I thank the Secretary of State for his personal remarks, which I much appreciate. Is he aware that the complacent note on which he addressed the House in reply to his hon. Friend will not be shared by either his hon. Friends or my hon. Friends? Is he aware that Wales has never been in a bigger economic mess than she is today and that there is need for urgent action?

The right hon. Gentleman knows that I am pursuing with added vigour, and certainly greater expenditure, many of the plans which were deferred, which were set out in "Wales: The Way Ahead ". If he considers that any of these are not worth it, perhaps he would let me know. We are proceeding on matters of transport, the dereliction of land and house improvement at a level which has never previously been known.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has studied the report of the conference held in Venice, details of which have been supplied to him, at which representatives of the Common Market countries and the applicant States discussed regional development policies; and what conclusions he has drawn for the future of development policies in Wales.

The official report is not yet available. A wide range of topics was, I understand, covered and I will certainly give careful attention to any implications for Wales.

Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that the reported proceedings of this conference bear out what has been said by a great many of us all along, namely, that entry into the Common Market will result in the faster expansion of regional development throughout Europe? Does he further agree that Flintshire should be glad that a Conservative Government are in power in Britain, first because when the Labour Party were in office Flintshire had no assisted area status and would not have been eligible for the increased aid and, second, because under Labour the regions would not have had the expanded regional benefits that will come from membership of the EEC?

I was in Flintshire about a fortnight ago, as my hon. Friend knows. It was clear that the change of status is very much welcomed there. I understand that at the Venice conference there was a useful and heartening discussion on the subject of regional policy.

Who were the Welsh representatives at this conference? Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman agree that something would have been lacking without Welsh representations? What, in the right hon. and learned Gentleman's view, would be our development policies in the unlikely event of our joining the Common Market? Would such policies produce jobs for the 54,000 unemployed in Wales, for whom there are only 6,000 or so vacancies notified? In other words, what, in his view, is in it for Wales in terms of regional development if we join the EEC?

The conference was broadly of an industrial nature, as the hon. Gentleman knows, and for that reason representatives of the Department of Trade and Industry were present, but no Welsh Office officials were present. It was clear from the discussion that the situation in Britain was well understood. Those who attended the conference came away feeling that it would be of great benefit to Britain, from an industrial point of view, if we were to become full members of the EEC.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what further steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Welsh Council's Report, "Wales: Employment and the Economy."

I will keep the report under review. A very substantial part of it has already been implemented through the Government's economic measures.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that there is growing concern in South Wales now at the recent trend whereby long-established factories in South Wales are closing and withdrawing to places in non-development areas? One such closure is taking place at present in my constituency, and another is taking place in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Mr. John). What does the right hon. and learned Gentleman propose to do to rectify this position very quickly, before the rot sets in?

The question asked was about the Council's recommendations. To a very large extent, the recommendations of the Welsh Council were covered by the massive measures announced in the recent Budget and in our White Paper on regional policy, and these measures have been warmly welcomed by the Welsh Council.

Can my right hon. and learned Friend think of a single suggestion emanating from the other side of the House which would prompt firms to set up profitable enterprises in Wales and thus to improve employment there?

Unless right hon. and hon. Members opposite radically change the policies they were pursuing when in Government, I cannot.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman so ignorant of the statistics that he does not know that firms were coming in at a massive rate under the so-called unprofitable Labour Government but are not coming in at all now? Will he stop being complacent about the problem of Welsh unemployment? Is he now pretending that the answer to unemployment is what his hon. Friend the Member for Conway (Mr. Wyn Roberts) said last week, namely that one million unemployed is not such a grim prospect after all?

The hon. Gentleman is not correct. There has been a considerable upsurge of interest in Wales in the last few months.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what further consultations he plans to hold before reaching his decision on the future of the old Swansea General Hospital.

The Welsh Hospital Board has consulted local interests on its proposals for the future of geriatric services in the Swansea area, in which it was not proposed to re-open Swansea General Hospital. I have no present plans for further consultations, and I now await the Board's recommendations.

Has the Secretary of State seen the petition which I sent him recently? Does he realise the overwhelming support that exists in Swansea among all sections of the community for the partial reopening of the old Swansea General Hospital? Is he aware of the feeling that a Government who could give away £1,200 million should be able to devote a small part of that sum to improving the health services?

The petition to which the hon. Gentleman referred has been received. The hon. Gentleman will be aware, concerning the second part of his supplementary question, of the great increase in expenditure on the health services in Wales in the last two years. The answer to the first part is that I am certainly aware of the strong local feeling on this subject. Not many months ago I saw a deputation from Swansea, and I assure the hon. Gentleman that I realise the feeling in the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will pay an official visit to Newport, Monmouthshire.

When a convenient opportunity arises I shall be very pleased to visit Newport again.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman come to this part of Wales and tell the electors about the "Better Tomorrow" which his party promised two years ago? Does he appreciate that that will be of interest to the 3,000 men who are unemployed, to the 1,500 others who are to be made redundant and to the dockers who are finding the bulk of the local trade being taken away, this at a time when the area is faced with great competition from the Bristol West Dock which the Government recently authorised? Does he appreciate that his fairy tale has an unhappy ending because by Government decree the County Borough of Newport is being wiped out?

As the hon. Gentleman knows, when I go to Newport I do not do so to make political speeches to the electors. I go there to act in my capacity as Secretary of State for Wales. Some of the remarks which the hon. Gentleman has made recently about Newport have not helped the situation. For example, for him to describe, presumably for political motives, Newport as about to become a ghost town is not only untrue but does a great disservice to the fortunes of the electors he represents.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what efforts he has made to find a new tenant for the Teddington factory, Merthyr Tydfil; and whether he will make a statement.

I have satisfied myself that the factory has been and will continue to be brought to the attention of industrialists seeking premises in Wales. I understand that since the premises became available they have been visited by five firms seeking additional production space.

The right hon. and learned Gentleman may have satisfied himself, but we in Merthyr Tydfil are not satisfied because this factory remains empty. Does he realise that hundreds of people who worked in this factory for 20 years or more have been thrown on the scrap heap and have remained unemployed or have had to take jobs which require far less skill? Has the right hon. and learned Gentleman taken any new initiatives to find a new tenant for this fine factory which housed one of Merthyr Tydfil's stable industries?

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that this is a fine factory. I am satisfied that the Department of Trade and Industry is doing its best to find a new occupant. It is, of course, primarily a matter for that Department. As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, my responsibility is one of oversight, and I have been and am discharging that responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what efforts he is making to ensure an expansion of industrial employment opportunities for young people in Wales.

The major measures already taken or announced by the Government to stimulate general economic growth will help to provide additional employment opportunities for our young people.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman appreciate that, having heard all this before, we want to hear something different? Does he recognise the chronic unemployment situation which is affecting the whole of the working population, in no sector more than among young people? Does he appreciate that it is time that he did more than talk about the problem? Will he take emergency action and institute an emergency youth employment premium to encourage the employment of young people in Wales?

The hon. Gentleman will be glad to know that the number of young people in Wales placed in employment is now rising again. Employment opportunities for young people cannot, of course, be considered in isolation. What matters most of all is the state of the national economy. We have taken massive steps to increase the rate of growth and to sustain that increase.

The Secretary of State keeps talking about "massive steps" and "massive measures ". Does he understand that since his coming to office only five new advance factories have been established in Wales, while one factory after another has remained empty, not only in the remote areas but at first-class sites, such as the Gramic Engineering factory at Port Talbot? When can we expect some fruits from the Government's recent change of heart?

The interest which is being shown by industrialists in Wales has considerably increased lately, and particularly since my right hon. Friend's recently introduced measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the present position on derelict land clearance in Wales; whether he is satisfied with progress; and if he will make a statement.

The present situation is satisfactory and future prospects are encouraging. Since its inception, the Welsh Office Derelict Land Unit has approved over 150 schemes covering nearly 4,000 acres for reclamation. Gross cost of these works is £7·5 million and grant of £5·8 million has been authorised. Additionally, Welsh local authorities are firmly committed to an ambitious forward programme.

Is my hon. Friend satisfied that this rate of progress can be maintained? How does our record compare with that of the Labour Government?

The record of the previous Administration virtually started in 1967, with the starting of the Derelict Land Unit. Since then the amount of land for reclamation has increased year by year. I assure my hon. Friend that the future picture is very good indeed.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that we welcome the way in which the expansion of the work of the Derelict Land Unit is being undertaken but that until the last Administration there had been no effort at all at clearing derelict land in Wales and that the setting up of the unit is something of which we are particularly proud?

I have never sought to deny the fact that the setting up of the unit was a wise step. We have carried it on and the House will accept that we have improved upon what it had done.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make an early Ministerial broadcast on the problems facing Wales in 1972 and the Government's plans for dealing with them.

I have no plans to make a Ministerial broadcast as such, but I have accepted an invitation to be interviewed on BBC Wales TV next month, when no doubt there will be occasion to discuss Government policies in Wales.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that we are not entirely surprised that he has not an incandescent enthusiasm for such an exercise? Does not he appreciate that the problems of Wales are far greater in magnitude than he seems to indicate, and that the number of new jobs necessary is more by many tens of thousands than at the time of publication of "Wales: The Way Ahead "? Is he prepared to use every energy and artifice in Cabinet to get long-term contracts placed by Government Departments for firms in those unattractive areas of Wales which would not otherwise get development by way of private enterprise?

The last part of that supplementary question was a little different from the Question which the hon. Gentleman asked about a Ministerial broadcast. In the course of the broadcast I hope to be able to point out the wide range of measures already taken by the Government which undoubtedly will be making Wales a far better place to live in.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman devote a few minutes of the broadcast to telling the people of Wales why the Government first abandoned investment grants and then reintroduced them 18 months later, in the meantime having caused thousands of people in Wales to be needlessly unemployed or needlessly redundant?

It is clear that the hon. Gentleman has never understood the measures which have been taken by the Government. The grants they introduced recently are confined to the development areas. The grants which were given by the last Government, in the absence of any free depreciation, were of general application. In fact, far more money was spent in grants outside the development areas than within them. What we have done is to have free depreciation, tax allowances and grants which are linked not only to the development areas but also to profitability, with a bigger differential than ever before.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will issue a circular to local authorities in Wales reminding them of their responsibilities under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

No, Sir. General guidance has already been issued to local authorities and they are fully aware of their responsibilities.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that many groups of disabled persons throughout Wales feel that the Act is not being implemented, that some local authorities feel that they are unable to finance its implementation, and that some further guidance is necessary if our disabled are to receive the advantages which they believed the Act was intended to give them?

I understand the hon. Gentleman's concern. General guidance was provided to local authorities in August, 1970, and information about the performance of local authorities in implementing Section I has been requested by 1st May, 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he is giving to the dispersal of Government offices into the special development areas in Wales.

The needs of special development areas in Wales are carefully considered.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman give special consideration to the valley communities for the dispersal, for example, of the smaller Government offices, particularly where central sites are available, as is the case in my constituency?

Yes, Sir. Special consideration is given to the dispersal of smaller Government offices. I shall be writing shortly to the hon. Gentleman about the question of the value added tax office which he raised with me and which it has been decided should go to Merthyr. Necessarily, major office dispersal is more likely to be made to large towns and cities, but experience shows that such dispersals provide significant employment opportunities over wide areas, including special development areas.

So far we have seen no new dispersal of Government offices throughout Wales since the right hon. and learned Gentleman came to power. Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that he put the position regarding the dispersal of Ministry of Defence personnel to Cardiff inaccurately in the last debate, when he said that it was not a question whether they would go but to what part they would go? Will he make the correction in a statement to the House as he made it to me in a private letter?

Work is going ahead to provide accommodation for some 1,500 civil servants dispersed to Cardiff, mainly at Mainly Barracks. The decision about which Department will provide the staff has yet to be made. I am glad to make the position clear. In reply to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question, I remind him that a review is taking place now and that a decision will be announced in due course about the dispersal to various parts of Britain of Government offices.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that 11,000 jobs in Wales were to be created by the decision taken by the last Government for the dispersal of Government offices? Can he tell us how many jobs have actually been created by decisions taken in the almost two years since he undertook responsibility?

The right hon. Gentleman knows that decisions taken by one Government frequently take some time before they take effect. I have told the House that a review is taking place at the moment of further dispersal of Government offices and that an announcement will be made in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the prospects for the Welsh economy since the Budget; and if he will make a statement.

The Welsh Council and others have told me that they welcome the measures announced in the Budget and in the White Paper "Industrial and Regional Development ".

Has the right hon. and learned Gentleman read the outrageous article in last Wednesday's Western Mail by his own Parliamentary Private Secretary and headed

" Million jobless figure is not as grim as it looks ",

The article was not only excellent but extremely readable and was much appreciated by people who wish to see in detail what these figures represent. For instance, the hon. Gentleman has referred to recent unemployment figures. The April figure was significantly distorted by the presence of 2,500 students who were temporarily on the unemployment register.

Following that article, did the right hon. and learned Gentleman read the magnificent letter written by the hon. Member for Bedwellty (Mr. Kinnock), which appeared on Friday morning and which agreed that there was a need for deeper analysis of the unemployment problem but cautioned that the Government should take into account the vast army of unemployed who do not now appear on the register? When is he going to do something about this?

That goes to show how extremely interesting this matter is. One need to go into the figures to find out where the truth lies. I have not read the hon. Gentleman's letter because I was in North Wales on Friday and did not get a copy a the Western Mail. I will make sure that I get one when I return to my office.