asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to co-ordinate the marketing programme of the Wales Tourist Board with the programmes of the English and Scottish Tourist Boards.

No, Sir. The national tourist boards consult each other but it is for each of them to decide how best to market its own country within the United Kingdom. Overseas marketing is, of course, a matter for the British Tourist Authority.

Is my hon. Friend aware that many people consider that the work done by the Wales Tourist Board is to date outstanding? But the registration and classification proposals which the English and Scottish Tourist Boards are putting forward are somewhat different from those which the Wales Tourist Board is at present successfully operating. Can he do his best to see that there is co-ordination because, for the benefit of overseas visitors, it is important that there should be common standards throughout the United Kingdom?

I am glad to corroborate what my hon. Friend said about the Wales Tourist Board. He is right in saying that there is some difference between the views of the Wales Tourist Board and those of the other boards with regard to registration. Discussions are going on, and my right hon. Friends and I are considering the issues of principle and will announce our conclusions as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has examined the supply capacity of house building materials, other than bricks and building blocks, in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

This is kept under regular review. Supplies of most materials are satisfactory although builders must allow for some delay in the delivery of copper fittings and, to a lesser extent, in deliveries of cast-iron and joinery since stocks have diminished with increasing demand.

Is it not true that since I framed this Question there is an insufficient margin between the manufacturing capacity of bricks and concrete blocks and the requirements of the house construction industry? As a result of this, will there be an extension of the time limit in the house improvements scheme? Overall, is not this in itself, together with the other shortages known and admitted, a deterrent to starts and completions in the house building programme, both public and private sectors?

When there is a period in which there is unbounded confidence in the building industry and improvement grants are being made at an increasing figure, there are bound to be short-term delays in some of the materials which the hon. Gentleman mentioned. But last Friday I had the honour of opening a new brick kiln in Aberdare, which is something that does not happen every day in Wales.

While I take issue with the hon. Gentleman about his claim that there is unbounded confidence in the building industry in Wales, may I ask whether he is aware that there are complaints in Anglesey of a serious shortage of bricks, which is holding up house building there? Will he make inquiries?

If the right hon. Gentleman will bring me details, I shall be glad to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will request the Bowen Committee to report by not later than 31st August, 1972.

I understand that the committee hopes to submit its report to me before that date.

The House, I am sure, will be glad to hear that. Does the Secretary of State acknowledge that gestation on the part of the committee for any substantial period would give the impression that he was perhaps more interested in shelving than in solving this problem?

I assure the House that I am not interested in shelving the problem. The committee has met 21 times and I hope that its report will be before me quite soon. I intend to publish the report as soon as practicable thereafter.

Will the right hon. Gentleman ensure that the report will be a comprehensive one, by which I mean that all the evidence will be published and that the system operating in other countries will be thoroughly investigated?

I cannot give any undertaking as to what the precise publication will be but I will certainly publish the report and I will consider what the hon. Gentleman said.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the amount of land in the ownership or control of nationalised industries in Wales which is categorised as derelict land.

This information is not available and could not be obtained without the expenditure of an excessive amount of staff time.

Would the Minister of State acknowledge that the amount of land which is categorised as derelict is primarily in the hands of those nationalised industries such as the railways and coal which played a great part in Wales' industrial past? Is it not time that the Government considered granting sums of money to such nationalised industries to enable them to remedy the dereliction caused historically by their long tenure in South Wales?

I cannot answer the second question in the hon. Gentleman's supplementary because it hardly arises under the original Question. I agree with the first part of his remarks. Undoubtedly a good deal of derelict land in South Wales is in the possession of the nationalised industries. We have not the figures, for the reasons I have given.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will call a meeting of representatives of the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry in Wales to discuss the effect of the imposition of the value added tax upon the Welsh economy.

No.

:Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the Treasury apparently has no idea at all how much money will be raised in Wales by the imposition of value added tax or how that compares with the amount raised at the moment through SET and purchase tax? Would it not be in the interests of good government to hold an inquiry to see what the effect of value added tax will be in Wales?

The hon. Gentleman suggests an inquiry whereas the Question asked me to arrange a meeting between the TUC and the CBI. I am always happy for those two bodies to get together, but I see no real purpose in my calling such a meeting to discuss value added tax.

The Secretary of State has missed the point. Is he not aware that my hon. Friend is asking him to get these bodies together to consider the effect of value added tax? Would he not agree that this is bound to increase the cost of living substantially in Wales? Will he now take action?

I see no reason to think that Wales will be adversely affected by the introduction of value added tax and I see no reason why either industry or the consumer in Wales should be affected any differently from industry or the consumer in the rest of the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why permission has been refused by his Department for the establishment of a tourist information centre on the A40 road in Pembrokeshire.

I have now agreed that the information centre may be established in the lay-by on an experimental basis.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware how pleased I was to receive on Friday a copy of the circular he is sending to Welsh local authori- ties and to know that the representations which I and others have made to him have been successful? Is he further aware that I am grateful for the prompt way with which he has dealt with the application made by the Pembrokeshire local authorities?

I thank my hon. Friend. May I say how grateful I am to him for the useful representations he made.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many county councils in Wales have now provided proper accommodation for gipsies and other itinerant caravan dwellers.

Three; they are Carmarthenshire, Monmouthshire and Pembrokeshire County Councils. There are also pitches for gipsy caravans on a local authority site in Glamorgan.

Why is Wales to be seen in this respect in so much less favourable a light than England?

:If the hon. Gentleman would show me to which particular parts of England he is referring perhaps I can look into the matter and give him a proper answer.

Since my hon. Friend is apparently of the view that provision for gipsies in Pembroke has been adequately made, may I ask him whether he is aware that many of us on both sides of the House are concerned that local authorities are being slow to meet their obligations, both legally and morally? If they continue to take this line, what further action does my hon. Friend consider possible?

My hon. Friend will be aware that this is a local authority responsibility. Any further steps taken by Government would of necessity take the line either of circulars of advice or of further legislation, which we are certainly not considering at the moment.

Does the hon. Gentleman appreciate that this is still a considerable problem in Newport and that I have had occasion to write to the Secretary of State about this matter again over the weekend? Will he take steps to see that the local authorities give more urgent attention to these matters in Wales?

I am prepared to agree with the hon. Gentleman that it is necessary to make faster progress in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will draw to the attention of local authorities in Wales the international symbol indicating special facilities for the disabled which is sponsored by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.

We did so in a circular to local authorities issued in February of this year.

I am grateful for that answer. Would the hon. Gentleman agree that it is desirable that this symbol should be used extensively in both public and private buildings so that hardship to the disabled can be avoided? Would he not further agree that the use of these symbols in public buildings would be a good example to others?

:I am happy to agree with the hon. Gentleman and am glad also to say that the Welsh Office has received no complaints that local authorities are failing to make progress in implementing the Act, within the limits of their resources.

Will the hon. Gentleman accept that it would be far more to the point not only to accept my hon. Friend's suggestion but to bring pressure on the Government to ensure that Part I of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act is activated, because it is much more important that the facilities should be there before notification takes place? Would he not further accept that there is in Wales a body which is responsible for this, the Wales Council for the Welfare of Disabled People, at the inaugural meeting of which he was present, at Llandrindod Wells? Would he agree that this body could have much more power given to it in its early growth if Part I of the Act were activated?

I note what the hon. Gentleman says about the Act and I well remember the meeting to which he referred, at which I took the chair at Llandrindod. His hon. Friend's Question relates to the international symbol indicating special facilities for the disabled, and that was the point I was answering.

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

I have no plans to do so at present.

If the Secretary of State were to do so is he aware that he would find that owner-occupiers are very dissatisfied with the compensation being paid for their homes, which they feel is quite inadequate and does not provide them with sufficient money to buy similar property in an equivalent area? Would he not agree that the compensation being paid is now completely out of line with escalating market values?

I was aware that there were expressions of dissatisfaction about compensation. As the hon. Gentleman knows, I have no function in the assessment of compensation. The basis of assessment is laid down by Statute and disputes lie to the land tribunal, an independent tribunal.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for official meetings with Members of Parliament representing Welsh constituencies.

I have no specific plans. As the hon. Member will know, it gives me the greatest pleasure to meet Welsh Members and I am always willing to arrange meetings when requested.

Following the example set by the Minister for Industry in arranging a meeting with his parliamentary colleagues, may I ask the right hon. and learned Gentleman to do likewise, because I understand from the reports in the Western Mail on 9th June that some profitable decisions could arise from the meeting which the Minister for Industry held with his colleagues? If this is the way in which we are to have profitable decisions for Wales, will the Secretary of State take such initiatives?

I am very happy to consider any suggestions for a meeting which may be put to me by my colleagues on both sides of the House. As I said, I am always willing to meet hon. and right hon. Gentlemen whenever they request such a meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what progress is being made in acquiring land for the new General Hospital for Caernarvon and Anglesey at Bangor; and if he will make a statement.

Negotiations for the acquisition of the land are progressing but have not yet reached the stage where they can be finalised. The planning of the hospital is not however being delayed thereby.

Yes, but is the Minister of State aware that there is a good deal of disquiet in North-West Wales at the delay in acquiring land in Bangor for the new general hospital? Can he give the House an assurance that the starting date of 1975, which has been clearly given as an undertaking by successive Governments, still remains the date for the commencement of work on the new hospital?

I am very much aware of the right hon. Gentleman's concern and that of his constituents in North Wales about this matter. The land, as he knows, is in multiple ownership, and numerous points of detail have to be settled before negotiations can be finalised, and how much of the land to be severed by the hospital site is also a matter now under discussion. But I repeat my assurance that there will be no delay in the projected position of the hospital.

Is 1975 still the starting date?

I would need the right hon. Gentleman to write to me on that point, when I shall be glad to be able to answer. I have nothing to hide here. It is just that I want to be certain that the answer is correct.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the methods of control in existence to scrutinise Welsh Office expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

As with all Departments, the Welsh Office accounts are subject to scrutiny by the Exchequer and Audit Department, certification by the Comptroller and Auditor General and examination by the Public Accounts Committee.

Will the Secretary of State not agree that the existing avenues open to Welsh Members of Parliament to investigate, scrutinise and study Welsh Office expenditure are very inadequate? Would he consider having a working party to consider Welsh Office expenditure, or that the Welsh Grand Committee or even an expenditure committee on the Welsh Office, should consider Welsh affairs?

That is another and very important question. I suggest that the hon. Gentleman puts down a specific Question on that matter if he wants a considered answer.

Is the Secretary of State aware that there is a very strong feeling that the time has come for the Welsh Grand Committee to be given greater responsibilities and that the investigation or consideration of Welsh Office expenditure is a vital field in which we could play a useful part?

I was not aware of that because, as the right hon. Gentleman will know, the Department's Votes are subject to examination by the Expenditure Committee, as are those of other Departments. I personally think that the system of scrutiny of Welsh Office expenditure at the moment is thoroughly adequate.

I must press the Secretary of State. Is he aware that Welsh Members, as Welsh Members, would like the opportunity to go into detail, in a way in which other hon. and right hon. Members of the House may not want to, on the question of expenditure in Wales, and does he not agree that this would be a useful further step in the participation of Welsh Members in our own Welsh affairs?

That question is similar to the supplementary question of the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Gwynoro Jones). As I say, this would be a very new departure and one which, obviously, would have to be considered carefully. Naturally, if the right hon. Gentleman tells me that views have been expressed by hon. Members that this is a question which should be considered, one would consider it, but it is one on which there should be a specific Question put down so that there can be a considered answer.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has examined the forecasts of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, wherein they apply to Wales; and what action he intends to take as a result.

I always read the reports of the Institute with care. Wales will continue to benefit from the measures the Government have taken to stimulate the economy.

:That reply was fallacious. Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman not realise that in terms of this forecast storm signals are flashing for the economy of Wales, because, if the forecast proves true, there will be at the best 35,000 to 40,000 unemployed in the Principality? Is he further aware that the forecast is of a lower growth rate than the Government admit? Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that value added tax will add 1 per cent. to Welsh prices? How can he support a Government so failing in their duty, as indicated by a vote of no confidence in them, since on Friday they required £500 million to support the pound?

What I am aware of is that there is in Wales a universal consensus, which I find in my meetings with people in Wales, including industrialists and members of the Welsh Council, that things are improving rapidly in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations have taken place between the Welsh Office and local authorities regarding the proposal to establish a Welsh National Water Development Authority.

Consultation papers on various aspects of the Government's proposals to establish a Welsh National Water Development Authority have been sent to the Local Authority Associations. Their comments are now being considered.

Is the Secretary of State aware that certain local authorities and water undertakings in the County of Carmarthen feel inhibited in taking part in these discussions because of the delay in the publication of the Crowther Commission Report because they feel that certain recommendations which might be made in it might have a bearing on the establishment of this authority? If the Commission does not report by the end of this year, will the Secretary of State give an assurance that at least a report relating to Wales will be published by then?

I am aware of the feelings which were expressed in Carmarthenshire because they were put to my Department at a conference attended by representatives of the local authorities in Carmarthenshire to discuss the implications of the reorganisation of public water supply in the area. As to the publication of what is called the Crowther Report, I cannot give the date, but I hope that it will be published about the end of the year.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that even those of us who warmly welcome the Governments plans for reorganising the water cycle are nevertheless unhappy at the proposed abolition of the British Waterways Board and the fact that there will be no national authority responsible for inland waterways?

Many anxieties have been expressed, and that is why there will be a continuous process of consultation between my Department and associations representing local authorities and other organisations before a final decision is taken on the composition and powers of the new authority.

Will the Secretary of State reconsider his earlier decision to exclude from the jurisdiction of the Welsh National Water Development Authority an area of great strategic significance in mid-Eastern Wales, namely, the Severn basin? That is the very area in which there are likely to be agonising conflicts of interest between small Welsh communities and adjoining areas in England.

Discussions are taking place on this matter. The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that the proposals are that the Welsh Authority will have authority over river basins, many of which go outside Wales. The arrangement envisaged in respect of the upper reaches of the Severn ensures that the Authority will be able to safeguard Welsh interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the clearance of derelict buildings on land previously occupied by the Ministry of Defence in Pembrokeshire.

:I am aware of the problems in Pembrokeshire and have authorised the Derelict Land Unit to discuss with the County Council the preparation of a programme of clearance. When this has been drawn up and costed, priorities can be specified and I expect the County to submit the most urgent schemes to the Welsh Office for consideration.

:Is my hon. Friend aware that many people will be pleased that at last the obligations for so long neglected by Governments of both parties are being met?

:It has always been understood that the wartime dereliction of Pembrokeshire required treatment, but that the very much worse problems of industrial dereliction in the Principality also required treatment. The time has come for Pembrokeshire sites to be looked at favourably, and I am glad that it has.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals his office has made for further new hospital building in the Cardiff area.

None. Proposals for new hospital building are, in the first place, the responsibility of the Welsh Hospital Board.

Arising out of a recent report in the South Wales Evening Post, will the Minister categorically deny that pressure has been brought by the Welsh Office to secure the building of an additional hospital in Cardiff in the late 1970s or early 1980s? Does he agree that that would be unacceptable to valley communities who are desperately awaiting improvement in the standards of their hospitals to enable them to cope with the increasing population?

:I give that assurance. The Welsh Hospital Board is undertaking a critical review of the proposed building schemes costing less than £500,000 in the Cardiff area. As yet proposals have not come to me.

:Will the Minister accept that many people in Wales will be glad to hear this. The Heath Hospital in Cardiff in recent years has taken a great chunk of expenditure. I hope that priority will be given to Newport and Monmouthshire, where the demand is so great.

:I am sure the hon. Gentleman will agree with me that the Heath is the best example of a teaching, district general hospital in Western Europe, but the problems of Monmouthshire and Newport are never left out of our thoughts.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many official opening functions he has performed in Wales in 1972; what was their nature; and where they were located.

Five. They were varied in nature and took place in both North and South Wales.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman tell the House who are Mr. Hywel Evans and Mr. John Clement? Is he not aware that it has been customary in Wales for opening ceremonies to be conducted by elected representatives? Why cannot he carry out more of these functions, particularly as he has shed his onerous responsibilities at the Conservative Central Office? Does it mean that he is making up lost time in Hendon, South.

:The position, as the hon. Gentleman should know, is that, because of the attitude of the Opposition, members of the Government and their supporters are kept in this House day after day. I am, therefore, unable to perform many of the ceremonies I should like to perform. For that reason I am extremely grateful to the high-ranking civil servants in the Welsh Office who step into the breach where necessary.

The Secretary of State should not dismiss the matter lightly in that way. Is he aware that he should be spending week-ends in the Principality and that it is wrong for civil servants to be given duties that properly belong to Ministers? We acknowledge with gratitude the ability of both the gentlemen who have been mentioned, and others who serve in the Welsh Office, but it is asking for trouble for civil servants to be called upon to make at opening ceremonies public speeches which should properly be made by elected Members who can be questioned in the House.

:As the right hon. Gentleman knows, I am willing to take full responsibility for anything that any civil servant may say on my behalf in Wales. I am in Wales almost every week-end, and I am very happy to perform any of these ceremonies if I am able to do so, but at present it is impossible to get to Wales during the week because of the pressure of parliamentary business.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many dwellings in Wales in respect of which improvement grants have been paid are second homes; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities are not required to inform the Welsh Office of the use made of houses for which improvement grants have been paid. Every house improved is a gain to the stock of good housing, but, of course, local authorities can withhold discretionary improvement grants if they so choose.

Is the Minister of State aware that the percentage of part-time second homes for which improvement grants have been given in rural Wales is increasing? Does he agree that the object of these discretionary grants is to increase the provision of permanent homes in the area, and will he remind housing authorities of their duties in these matters and encourage them to acquire some of these cottages to provide homes for people living in the area?

With respect to the right hon. Gentleman, local authorities know the position very well. They share the view of the Government that it is the stock of houses which we are aiming to improve. Sometimes a holiday cottage becomes a home for retirement and then of course the owner becomes a local resident.

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind the large number of Mid-landers, notably from Herefordshire and Worcestershire, who have second homes in Anglesey in places such as Rhosneign, thereby bringing substantial wealth to North Wales? Should not this be encouraged in the interests of the Principality?

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his pronunciation. I also congratulate him and his friends on seeking out the most beautiful part of the Principality.

Does not the Minister of State agree that it is ironic that substantial sums of public money should be expended on the provision of second homes when some people are not able to acquire a first home? Does not he appreciate that we take a serious view of his reply that he has no information on this matter and that it is impossible for him to gauge how much money is squandered on the subsidisation of the luxury of a second home? Is he willing to get the figures?

I am disturbed by the hon. Gentleman's approach to this matter because the attitude of the present Government is the same as the attitude of the previous Government to this problem. I remind him that local authorities can withhold discretionary grants for the improvement of second homes. The grant is given only for putting in standard amenities, such as a bathroom and hot and cold water.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will seek to pay an official visit to the European Economic Community Commission headquarters at Brussels.

I shall do so when and if necessary.

Does not the Secretary of State agree that he should make an early visit to Brussels to ensure that, if we are to enter the Common Market, Wales is adequately represented on delegations to Community bodies? What studies are going on in his Department to that end?

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that it is important that these matters should be considered. Arrangements are being made by my hon. Friend the Minister of State to visit Brussels, but a firm date has not yet been agreed. I shall certainly pay a visit when I consider it to be in the interest of Wales to do so.

What consideration has been given to the appointment of Welsh and Scottish Commissioners to sit permanently in Brussels to represent our interests throughout these enormously important developments?

:Consideration is being given to the appointment of Commissioners, and all these matters are taken into account. No decision has yet been taken about appointments.

On how many occasions have officials from the right hon. Gentleman's office visited Brussels, and how many visits are proposed in the near future?

I cannot give the exact dates without notice, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that officials from my Department—the previous Permanent Secretary, the present Permanent Secretary, the Under-Secretary who was referred to earlier and other officials—have visited Brussels and have had extremely useful talks with Community officials.

How often?

I have told the hon. Gentleman that I cannot give the dates without notice.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what increase is envisaged in the staff of the Welsh Office in order to establish direct co-ordination between his Department and the institutions of the European Economic Community.

My Office is joined with other United Kingdom Government departments in establishing links with the institutions of the EEC; as United Kingdom involvement deepens and work increases, appropriate additional staff will be made available in the Welsh Office.

Does the Secretary of State appreciate that we would have been happier to have had a more specific reply than that? When the Secretary of State himself, in this as in other related problems in Wales, maintains a planetary distance between himself and those problems he cannot properly discharge his stewardship to the Welsh people without apprising either himself or the people of Wales of vital effects in every field following our entry into the EEC. That is something we have never had.

The Question is about staffing. The staffing needs of the Welsh Office for this and other purposes are kept under constant review. In advance it is not possible to say precisely what the eventual needs will be, but I expect that some additional posts will be created this year.

Can my right hon. and learned Friend give an assurance that the Welsh Office will indeed be mindful of the very great opportunities which will open out for Wales after British entry into the Common Market and that provision of information of those opportunities is not missed as a result of under-staffing of his Department?

I can give my hon. Friend an unequivocal assurance on that matter.

To what level of expenditure will the Welsh Office have to be raised for Permanent Secretary status to be established, with full Permanent Secretaryship, as opposed to having only a Deputy Secretary without full supporting staff? Is there any other Cabinet Minister who is the head of a spending Department who has not such support?

What the right hon. Gentleman says may well be right. This is a matter which does not follow on the Question asked by his hon. Friend. It is an entirely different matter, and perhaps he will put down a specific Question.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has prepared an integrated development plan for Glamorgan; and if he will now publish it.

No, Sir. This is the responsibility of the local planning authority.

Is the Minister aware that many people in Wales will consider that he should at least have taken some initiative, in view of the fact that a proposal for a new town was about to come forward and that such a proposal would have a considerable impact on the surrounding areas? Is he further aware that the Welsh Council even in its own document pointed to the serious psychological impact which this proposal might have and called for an impact study of Llantrisant New Town? Will he give an undertaking that he will not implement any decisions about the new town until an integrated scheme for development in Glamorgan is made and until a thorough impact study is supplied to the people of Wales?

No, Sir, I cannot give the undertaking for which the hon. Gentleman asks in the latter part of his supplementary question. As for his question about the taking of an initiative, I must point out that the Glamorgan County Council's old-style development plans under the Town and Country Planning Acts 1947 to 1962 were submitted many years ago and are out of date. Therefore, we are anxious that the county council should proceed as quickly as possible with the preparation of a new-style structure plan in accordance with Part II of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1971.

Has the right hon. Gentleman seen the plea made by a large number of authorities which are presenting evidence at the public inquiry that an impact study should be instituted before any final decision is taken? Whatever the merits or demerits of the new town scheme, does he not think that he should initiate such a study so that before any irrevocable decision is made we shall know what impact the new town will have on the existing community?

I do not think that such a suggestion was put forward by Glamorgan County Council. As for deferring any decision on the new town, I must point out that sufficient work has been done to enable me to put forward my proposals. The public inquiry will produce further information which I shall take into account before coming to my final decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now publish the findings of the inquiry into the central development area of Cardiff.

I am considering the Inspector's report. His findings and my views will be made public as soon as possible.

:Is the Secretary of State aware that people in Cardiff in particular, and people throughout Wales generally since Cardiff is their capital city, are very concerned that the findings of this inquiry should be published as soon as possible? Is he further aware that many people in Wales feel that the findings should have been available before the inquiry into the Llantrisant New Town began since it was felt that, whatever happens in regard to the Cardiff Development Plan, developments at Llantrisant are bound to influence the situation? Will he not accept that there are valid criticisms to be made of the whole approach both to the Cardiff Development Plan and to Llantrisant New Town?

The Cardiff Development Plan is a complex matter and the inquiry lasted 14 weeks. It ended in March, 1971. The inspector did not report until January, 1972. I have had the report for five months and.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, although we appreciate the difficulty and complexity of this problem, it is a matter of major concern to the people of Cardiff that a decision on this matter should not be too long delayed? Will the give a guarantee that he will come to the House to make a statement about his decision before the House rises at the end of next month?

I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that this is a matter of major concern to the people of Cardiff. I have no intention of delaying a decision any longer than is absolutely necessary. I hope that I shall be able to reach a decision—I can take it no further thanthis—before we go into recess.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will seek to introduce legislation to provide that in Wales planning permission must be obtained for the erection of new buildings or for the use of existing bulidings to manufacture silage.

Planning permission is required except where proposals are permitted by the Town and Country Planning General Development Order, 1963, as amended. The scope of this exception is being considered as part of the current review of the order.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the increasing nuisance caused to many of my constituents through the manufacture of silage by modern farm methods over which they have no control? Will he look into the matter to see whether effective control procedures can be introduced?

Suggestions have been made by various bodies for amendment of the General Development Order provisions. Particular attention is being paid to suggestions that farm buildings should not be erected within a prescribed distance of any dwelling other than one occupied in connection with the holding.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if information is now available to enable him to estimate, on the basis of information supplied to him by local housing authorities, the average increases both in cash and in percentage terms in the rents of local authority housing in Wales as a direct consequence of the Housing Finance Bill.

Firm estimates cannot be made until local authorities have assessed the fair rents for their houses and these have been confirmed by the Rent Scrutiny Boards.

Has my hon. Friend any reason to suppose that the increases in Wales will turn out to be any larger than appears likely in England, and does not this give the lie to the vicious campaign conducted by the Labour Party to frighten council house tenants into thinking that their rents will double or treble?

Yes, my hon. Friend is absolutely right. There is no reason to believe that council house tenants will face substantial increases in rents. Rebates and allowances will help those tenants who need it.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in view of the widespread unemployment in Wales, particularly in areas like Cwmbran New Town where there is a large amount of rented property and unemployment, he would be wise to invite applications under Clause 63(6) of the Housing Finance Bill to minimise some of the effects of the legislation, which otherwise would be bound to encourage the feckless, humiliate the unemployed and penalise the frugal?

I cannot agree with the hon. Gentleman. He has tabled a Question later on this subject and I hope to be able to answer him then.

:In view of the proximity of the definition of gross values to the definition in the Housing Finance Bill of what rents should be, will the hon. Gentleman accept that the new gross values will be the new fair rent level for council houses?

If the hon. Gentleman looks at my original answer he will see that I have already answered his question. I repeat that there is no reason to believe that council house tenants will face substantial increases in rent; rebates and allowances will help those tenants who need it.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the total Exchequer contribution to be made to local authorities in Wales in the first year of operation of the Housing Finance Bill as a contribution to the rent rebate schemes to be introduced under the terms of the Bill.

About £5 million.

Is it not the case that the anxieties of certain local authorities that the rebate scheme will place a great strain on rates are partly misplaced in that the greater part of these rebates fall due to be paid from the Exchequer, and that in the early years this will apply to virtually the whole of the rebates?

Again my hon. Friend is right. The Exchequer will meet 90 per cent. of these costs in 1972–73, dropping to 75 per cent. by 1975–76. The remainder, together with any excess rebates over the model rebate and allowance, will be met by the rates.

:Does not the hon. Gentleman realise that the costs of paying rent rebates which will be borne by local authorities were once borne by the Supplementary Benefits Commission, and that this is a regressive redistribution of responsibility for those most in need from a rich central Government in many cases to poor local authorities?

:I cannot accept that. With his undoubted knowledge of the Bill, the hon. Gentleman will realise that in both the public and the private sectors, those who cannot afford rents will be helped to pay them with allowances and rebates.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many council houses were sold in Wales in 1970, 1971 and so far in 1972.

99 in 1970. 489 in 1971, and 449 to 30th April, 1972.

Will the hon. Gentleman tell us whether he believes that this policy of selling council houses will lead to a bigger supply of homes in Wales and. if so, how many?

I am not able to give the exact figure. However, I can say that the Government believe that it is in the best interests of our people that they should be encouraged to buy their homes. That is why this Government have sent out a circular lately to housing authorities which is designed to help them in their deliberations on this matter.

Will the hon. Gentleman explain why neither Minister from the Welsh Office came to this House to give us an opportunity to question their circular on the sale of council houses, whereas English Members had the opportunity of raising a great many questions about the circular sent out in England?

If the right hon. Gentleman is so upset about that, he had every opportunity to put down a Question about it today. Why did he not do so?

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to improve safety conditions and prevent traffic congestion on Manor Way and North Road, in view of the proposal to use these roads as a temporary link between Eastern Avenue and the M4 from Coryton to Capel Llaniltene.

This is a most important issue and officials are examining the problems likely to arise. Decisions should be reached shortly.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that this road is already over-congested and that there is very grave alarm in the area, especially as regards the safety of children? Will my right hon. and learned Friend assure us that adequate preparations will be made if this is to be used as a motorway link? Will he assure us, further, that every step will be taken to expedite the construction of the M4 east of the Merthyr-Cardiff trunk road?

Certainly I can give my hon. Friend the assurances for which he asks. The whole route is being examined, and my officials are considering all the points and representations being made.