asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what communications he has now received in relation to the implementation of the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities have now refused to operate the provisions of the new Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities have now refused to implement the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act; and what action he will take.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities have taken decisions not to implement the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act, 1972; what is the total number of council houses involved by such decisions; what percentage it represents of all local authority houses in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Five local authorities formally notified me that they did not intend to implement the Act; they own 156,392 houses, 19·7 per cent. of all local authority houses in Scotland. I directed these and 18 other authorities to furnish me with information about the discharge of certain housing functions; and in the light of replies I have in the first instance appointed reporters to hold public local inquiries as to whether Glasgow Corporation, Lanark County Council and Falkirk and Kirkcaldy Town Councils have failed effectively to discharge certain of their functions under Parts II and IV of the Act.

Is there not a danger of the right hon. Gentleman being made to look very foolish if the TUC persuades the Prime Minister at the meeting at Chequers that the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act should be withdrawn because it is inflationary? Will he not curb this sort of impetuosity, if it is the belief of the Government that dealing with inflation should have priority in their policies?

I accept that the importance of beating inflation cannot be over-emphasised. I am not being impetuous. I am following out the basic procedures which are laid down in the Local Government Act, 1947.

Is it not the case that the Secretary of State has ratted on his contractual obligations with local authorities concerning subsidies and that this Act is compelling local housing authorities to act as his stooges? Would it not be more honest of him now to take over completely the financing, the building and the renting of all publicly-owned houses in Scotland?

The answer to all parts of that question is "No".

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the action he has so far taken will be welcomed by the local authorities in Scotland which are observing the terms of the Act? Can he assure us and them that he will use all the powers open to him to stop this defiance of the law?

I agree that those authorities which are carrying out the Act have every reason to expect me to follow the basic procedures which I am following as regards others, and this is something which will help Scottish ratepayers as a whole.

How is it possible for the Prime Minister to seek to get agreement with the TUC when the rate increases that the right hon. Gentleman is imposing are at least 50 per cent. for those who will not be eligible for rent rebates? Surely he should seek some kind of spirit of co-operation rather than go for confrontation.

I do not accept what the hon. Gentleman has said. The increases are controlled under the Act. Secondly, the Act introduces rent rebates and allowances in the private sector for the first time and these will help the lowest paid, which is very much part of what the tripartite talks are now about.

Does not my right hon. Friend agree that it is a scandalous state of affairs when certain local authorities take the law into their own hands and decide which laws to obey and which laws not to obey?

I think it would be better if I did not comment at this stage because the procedures which are laid down in the Act are being followed. I understand that right hon. and hon. Members on the Opposition Front Bench themselves have advocated that the law should be carried out.

This is, however, a very serious situation, although it is not one that is unexpected in view of the underestimation of the attitude of Scottish local authorities. They do not want to become puppets. It is as simple as that.

I could not give an answer to that point. I am naturally prepared to consider anything within the law that has been passed by this House. What I would point out again is that the vast majority of local authorities in Scotland are carrying out the Act and do not regard themselves as puppets.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the total sum to be paid to Scottish local authorities in housing subsidies in the current financial year; and what were the comparable figures in each of the previous three years.

About £48 million. The comparable figure for 1971–72 was £39 million, for 1970–71 £34 million, and for 1969–70 £26 million.

Will my hon. Friend make sure that all the local authorities which are refusing to implement the Act are informed officially of those figures, which entirely dispose of the propaganda that the new Act is cutting subsidies?

I entirely agree. I am certain that they will all read carefully in HANSARD the answer which I have given and draw from it the lesson that those authorities which are, apparently, refusing to implement the Act at this time are in most cases denying themselves and their tenants considerable extra financial benefits.

Will not the Minister be honest and say that local authorities are no longer housing authorities, but, at best, are housing agents, and are being stripped of millions of pounds per annum in Exchequer subsidies which it was long since established should be paid? Will he take the advice of my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) and say honestly and openly, "Since the Act gives us power to take over housing—building, finance and the rest—we shall take it over and carry out our part of the Act"?

I disagree with the hon. Gentleman. Local housing authorities in Scotland do not, in the vast majority of cases, regard themselves as puppets, either before or after the passing of the Act. As for their being stripped of money, if anyone will offer to strip me of £1,000 and give me £1,500 in return, I shall be very pleased to accept.

Is it not remarkable hypocrisy for the TUC and hon. Members on the Opposition side to say that they are in favour of giving maximum assistance to the lower paid while at the same time encouraging local authorities to resist an Act which is designed to help precisely those people?

I agree, and I find it quite amazing. Not only does the Act concentrate help mose carefully upon the lower paid and those who most need it, but it concentrates it on those authorities which have the greatest problems and, therefore, the greatest need of help.

Reverting to the original Question and the hon. Gentleman's answer, will he give us the number of houses in respect of which the subsidies accrued in each of the four years concerned?

If the right hon. Gentleman will put down a Question, I shall give him all the information I possibly can.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now convene a meeting with the local authority associations to discuss the operation of the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act, 1972.

Discussions with local authorities are held as necessary, but my right hon. Friend has no plans for convening a meeting with the local authority associations.

Is not the Secretary of State getting himself into a ridiculous situation in which he is issuing threats to certain councils which are the only councils in line with Government policies in that they are refusing to implement the Housing Act in view of the price norm? Secondly, will the hon. Gentleman convene a meeting of those which have implemented the Act and are imposing increases of between five and 10 times the 5 per cent. norm? Is there not a danger that if the Secretary of State proceeds to take to court the non-implementers of the Act, his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister may be called as a witness for the defence?

That is the sort of question which I shall require to study for some weeks before being able to pick out the tortuous logic running through it. The simple fact is that the whole tenor of the Housing Act is to concentrate more help on those with lower incomes. I should have thought that the hon. Gentleman, with his constituency, would be especially concerned to see that those who have lower incomes receive more help under this Act. Some are having very small increases in rent, some are having none and some are actually having reductions in their rents. I am sure he will support that.

If my hon. Friend has such a meeting as the hon. Member for Renfrew, West (Mr. Buchan) suggests, will he bear in mind that there are literally thousands of people in Scotland who are paying more rent each week than they need simply because some local authorities are not implementing the Act?

My hon. Friend is quite right. I have in mind especially large families in Glasgow with small incomes who at the moment in many cases are paying higher rents than they should be simply because the corporation has refused to implement the Act.

Will the hon. Gentleman confirm that the Act statute bars any attempt to keep down rents to a 5 per cent. figure, disallowing even those who receive rent rebates? Is he aware that if the Government adopted a policy of restraint in rents to fit in with the prices and incomes policy they would require new legislation? Will he say whether this is possible, and does he realise that we on this side would support that?

The Act lays down in detail what the statutory position is. What is more, the Act very much restricts increases for those on lower incomes, and it reduces the rents of those with the lowest incomes and the greatest needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total estimated cost of publicity on the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act, 1972, under the headings of Press, television and other publicity material.

For the year 1972–73 it is £89,550, including £20,400 for Press advertising, £50,000 for television advertising and £19,150 for booklets and posters.

Would the hon. Gentleman have a look at the tenants' guide—not now, but later—and particularly at page 2, paragraph 2, which seems to be ambiguous if not actually misleading? Would he encourage local authorities to interpret in their own way how they see the Act affecting their tenants, and granting the authorities the same kind of literary licence?

I have studied that booklet and found it excellent and informative, but of course I will again particularly study that passage so that I can express my own opinion on it in detail. The general objective of that and other booklets, which have been widely welcomed by those who have received them, was to inform the public of their rights under the new Housing Finance Act. That is an undertaking that I should have thought would have the wholehearted support of both sides of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his assessment of the effect of oil finds in the Brent field on the Scottish economy.

It was two months ago that the licensees concerned announced that they had enough information from two wells to conclude that a major new field had been discovered, to be called Brent. The group has not yet stated how it intends to develop and move the oil from the Brent field. This and other important discoveries, of which I expect more in the future as exploration spreads to new areas, will be the subject of continuing evaluation by the Government.

Do we not need a complete reassessment of the potentialities of North Sea finds, which should reach at least 100 million tons by 1980? The minimum cost of developing the Brent field may be £400 million. What is the right hon. Gentleman doing to impress upon his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry the need to insert in future licences a strict clause giving the Scottish industry the same type of treatment as the Norwegian industry receives?

What is needed is a continuing process of evaluation. Even the figures which the hon. Gentleman has just given may be proved completely wrong as new discoveries are found. We have made clear already that in each round of licensing the criteria governing licences should include the contribution to the British economy made by an applicant, including the growth of industry and employment, that the Governent will watch carefully to see that the companies give full and fair opportunities to British industry and that they will have regard to this when any future applications for discretionary licences are being considered.

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the pace of his performance so far, but is he aware that there is concern lest the provision of services lags behind the needs of development? Can he assure us that the houses, roads, schools, hospitals and so forth will be provided on time?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This concerns the Government greatly, and the Scottish Office is responsible for a large part of the infrastructure. We have been working out plans to this end, and our plans have to be adjustable so as to take account of new discoveries and new announcements about the development of these oil fields.

The Secretary of State has said that the Government take into account the contribution of companies to British industry. Is he aware that there is great dissatisfaction because Scottish industry has not received sufficient consideration in relation to licences already awarded? What changes will he make in the way licences are allocated in the future to avoid this discontent?

I made a statement earlier about our policy regarding licences, and I repeated it a minute ago. Licencees are obliged under their licences to inform the Government immediately of the facts which they discover. I am pleased that some Scottish firms have reacted extremely quickly and have made special efforts, including visits overseas, to get business. I should like more to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his Department's development policy in relation to North Sea oil.

The Government's policy is to promote the rapid and thorough exploration and development of the oil discoveries in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf for the benefit of the United Kingdom economy including Scotland. The Scottish Office is concerned to ensure that the action necessary to achieve this is undertaken in good time and in an orderly and acceptable way for the benefit of Scotland.

Is the Secretary of State aware that soon upwards of 100 oil rig supply vessels will be required for the servicing of production rigs? Is he aware that the United States Government is giving at least a 16½ per cent. subsidy to vessels built in the United States and that the Scottish shipyards especially are finding it difficult because of that subsidy to get such orders? Will the right hon. Gentleman take urgent action at least to match that subsidy to make sure that the Scottish yards get a high proportion of this work, which is badly needed?

As the hon. Gentleman knows, a subsidy for shipbuilding is not my responsibility, but no doubt his comments will be noted. What he has said underlines the rapidity with which we have acted in order to get oil rig servicing, harbour facilities and so on at Peterhead and Montrose and at other places from Shetland to the Border.

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the success of his oil development policy so far. Does he not agree that there is a need to think and plan now about and for the industry that is to follow the exploration and production phase of the oil industry in order to ensure that the much feared dangers of dereliction do not materialise?

My hon. Friend is touching on an issue which we regard as important, the prevention of possible pollution or dereliction. I am glad to say that those industries that have so far set up have been pollution free and are such as to have caused very little trouble. I have noticed that following the policy discussion document published by the Opposition—"Labour's Programme for Britain"—the Labour Party conference passed a resolution advocating public ownership and control of the oil industry. which does not hold out much hope for the industries that have been mentioned by my hon. Friend.

I am sure that the Secretary of State would agree that it is necessary and desirable that the Highlands and Islands should gain development benefit from oil. Has he seen the page advertisement in The Times today about areas for expansion, omitting both the Highlands and the North-East of Scotland? Will he consult the Department of Trade and Industry about that?

I take note of what the hon. Gentleman has said. Both his constituency and mine appear to have been missed out.

Is the right hon. Gentleman able to say when the report of the study being conducted for the Government by the International Management and Engineering Group of Britain will be completed and published? In view of the importance of this subject and the interest in it, would it not be a good idea if next Session it were to be the subject of special discussion and study by the Select Committee on Scottish Affairs?

The recommendations to be made by the group making the study will become available soon. The right hon. Gentleman's second question is not a matter for me, but it could be considered with other possible subjects for a Select Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has completed his consideration of the proposals of the Highlands and Islands Development Board regarding the complement of its staff.

There are no such proposals outstanding.

When the Under-Secretary of State wrote to me on this subject before the Summer Recess, he indicated that there were such proposals outstanding which the Government were considering. Those proposals related to the number of people employed in the transport division, which amounted at that time to a total of two and a half persons. In view of the critical importance of transport to the Highlands and of the board's role in advising the Government on transport policy—passenger and freight, by air, rail and road—does not the Secretary of State consider that that number is too small, and will he advise the board to increase its complement in order to enable it adequately to continue to fulfil this important role?

The request for an additional transport post referred to, which was made in July, has been dealt with, and there are now no further proposals on this from the board. However, I am always ready to consider any proposals which it may wish to put to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now institute an inquiry into the use of guard dogs to protect private property with a view to introducing legislation to control their use and to protect the public from unnecessary injury.

This matter was very fully considered last year when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the then Home Secretary concluded that special measures of control would not be justified. This has been examined again following the distressing case in the hon. and learned Member's constituency, but my right hon. Friends still do not believe legislation would be justified.

I must express dissatisfaction at that reply. Ministers are aware that a six-year-old Leith boy had to have over 60 stitches for injuries done to him by untended guard dogs in a timber yard. The dogs were destroyed for doing what they were trained to do. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that, in general, guard dogs should not be left untended on premises, and, if he does so agree, will he take the next logical step and accept that statutory safeguards ought to be introduced? If he considers that they should not be introduced yet, will he at least accept that there is urgent need for an inquiry into this matter so that the public may be safeguarded and, indeed, justice be done to dogs, which are often very helpful to people?

I appreciate the hon. and learned Gentleman's concern on this matter. As I said in my original answer, we went into it very fully, and the action we took was taken only after consulting the police and other interested organisations. One should put the problem in perspective. In 1970, out of 1,856 incidents involving dogs, only 69 concerned guard dogs, and in 1971 the figure was 53.

Still far too many.

One must keep the matter in perspective.

Does the hon. Gentleman recognise that he bears some responsibility here, since the matter was raised on the Floor last year by some of my hon. Friends and myself? Will he concede that the figures he gave cannot be regarded as acceptable since, if his Government's confidence is justified and there is more industrial activity in Scotland, we shall in consequence have more guard dogs? Will he accept the case for an immediate investigation into how guard dogs should be used, since, as my hon. and learned Friend has said, they certainly should not be allowed to wander around buildings and premises without any control whatever?

We had an inquiry into the matter and examined it very closely a year ago. The hon. Gentleman will also be aware that, as was very clear to the House then, the firms associated with the British Security Industries Association have taken certain action on it. There is another line of action which follows certain suggestions made by the hon. and learned Gentleman a year ago, which are being looked into by the Scottish Law Commission in relation to the law of obligation. I hope to be able to write to the hon. Gentleman on that point.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Scottish crime statistics, in view of the increase in serious crimes in Scotland and particularly in Dundee.

My right hon. Friend and I share the concern about the increase in crime and we shall continue policies to combat it.

Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that those are the worst figures ever recorded, that they are causing a great deal of public alarm and that the Government appear to be doing nothing to alleviate the problem other than paying lip service to it by saying they are concerned? Will the hon. Gentleman arrange for an early debate so that if the Government have no ideas they can hear from other people who have ideas on what to do about the problem?

Sadly, the figures have been rising over the years, and every year that they rise the figure can be said to be a record. The question of a debate is one for my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House. As to action, the hon. Gentleman should take account of the support we have given to the police with the increase in police strength that there has been over the past two years, and should give as much support as possible to the work of the police in their active combat of crime.

Is my hon. Friend aware of a great and growing feeling in Scotland that at least part of the cause of the frightening rise in crime is the absurdly light sentences passed in our courts? In particular, is he aware that violent assaults on the police now commonly result in a fine of less than £20?

I am aware of concern in Scotland, concern which I share. But penalties are a matter for the courts. There has been a tendency to higher penalties in recent years. I remind my hon. Friend that there is no limit to the period of imprisonment which can be imposed by the High Court.

We are all very pleased that the Tory Party is learning the facts of life. Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the hysterical campaign that was conducted by himself, his right hon. Friend the Member for Moray and Nairn (Mr. Gordon Campbell) and the hon. Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger), not forgetting the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward Taylor)? What hysterical representations have they made to him about the recent figures? We on this side will continue to treat the problems seriously and not in the kind of cheap, vulgar, squalid, political way that the Tory Party have done.

My right hon. and hon. Friends and I always treated the matter seriously, to the extent of taking action in a way that the hon. Gentleman never did when he was in power. He should recognise that the problem is being considered by the Thomson Committee on Penal Procedure. The most important thing we can do to combat crime is to give the police our support. When we came to power in 1970, police establishments were frozen. The net increase in police strength over the past year was greater than in the previous five years put together. That is a measure of the action we have taken.

Will the hon. Gentleman get his facts right? Police establishments were not frozen in Scotland. In view of what the hon. Gentleman said, is it not a singularly inopportune time to get into difficulties with the police over their present pay claim?

If the right lion. Gentleman had been in the House on another occasion, he would know that there were questions to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on the pay claim. I cannot add to what my right hon. Friend said last week. It is a fact that no review of establishments was taking place when we came to power. Since then, the majority of police establishments in Scotland have been reviewed, and many police forces in Scotland have been able to recruit above the establishment figures they had when we came to power in 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many regional hospital boards in Scotland have sought his advice in respect of the provision of private out-patient facilities in hospitals within their area; and if he will make a statement.

Three regional hospital boards have asked for and received authority to treat private out-patients, but only four hospitals in all are involved and these only in respect of certain, specified facilities.

I appreciate that the number of hospitals with private out-patient facilities is minimal in Scotland, but does the hon. Gentleman agree that extension of those facilities would further worsen the position of the ordinary National Health Service patient? On occasion such patients have to wait several hours on any day to receive the treatment they require. Will the hon. Gentleman thoroughly investigate any application by any hospital to extend those services?

I assure the hon. Gentleman that when an application has been made—and only four have been made since 1968—it is investigated very carefully. I also assure him that no hardship to any other out-patient is caused. That matter is taken very carefully into consideration.

Will my hon. Friend assure the House that he does not think there is anything wrong in private outpatient facilities? Why should out-patients who wish to pay extra not be catered for?

Jumping the queue.

I share the view of my hon. Friend and remind the House that the Expenditure Committee recently concluded that private practice operates to the overall benefit of the Health Service.

This is a very serious point. Surely the Minister cannot maintain that there is no queue jumping. Everyone is aware that there is. Will he give us an indication of the cost to the National Health Service of such special facilities? Are they paid for out of the fees paid to the consultants who allow people to jump the queue?

The hon. Gentleman must keep the matter in proportion. I said that only four hospitals had made such applications, and three of the approvals were given by the last Labour Government. Therefore I think the hon. Gentleman is making a mountain out of a molehill.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the shortage of secondary teachers up to the most recent convenient date.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current shortage of secondary teachers; and what were the comparable figures in each of the previous three years.

I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT the numbers of pupils and teachers for the years requested and the pupil-teacher ratios. Whilst there are shortages of teachers in certain subjects, particularly mathematics and physics, these are diminishing and there has been a marked improvement over the past four years in staffing overall. My right hon. Friend hopes to publish proposals for staffing standards in the next two or three months.

Has the hon. Gentleman been informed that at 1st September there was a shortage of 175 secondary teachers in Lanarkshire—teachers of mathematics, the sciences, technology, English, art, modern languages and so on? Is he aware that school pupils are studying at evening classes as well as through the day in order to obtain passes in certificate subjects? What concrete proposals has he to end this most unsatisfactory state of affairs?

My right hon. Friend and I have never hidden the fact that in special areas, such as Lanarkshire there is a shortage of teachers. The general improvement in the situation will certainly help those areas. The special recruitment scheme is still in force.

While the general improvement is greatly welcomed, can my hon. Friend say whether it has been possible to eliminate part-time education in secondary schools in Scotland?

I hope that we shall eliminate it as soon as possible. If my hon. Friend has particular cases in mind, I hope that he will let me know of them.

Although the hon. Gentleman says that there may be a general improvement in Scotland, there is continuing difficulty in certain areas such as Lanarkshire. Will he undertake to consider increasing the number of designated places in schools to try to deal with the problem in such areas?

I am always prepared to consider any constructive proposal, and that is what I will do.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, as a result of the inquiry into events at Stirling University, he has been able to establish how many students from other universities than Stirling were present in the university buildings during the disturbances and to what extent they were responsible for the disorder which occurred; and if he will make a statement.

It is not at present clear what part, if any, was played by students from other universities. The university authorities and the police are however still pursuing their inquiries into this most unfortunate episode.

Does not that answer imply that unless strict and just disciplinary action is taken against the students responsible for this behaviour, the university will acquire a reputation from which it will never recover?

It is for the university authorities to consider whether any of their students should be dealt with under their code of discipline. I am sure that the whole House deplores this incident.

I agree with the Secretary of State that the whole House will deplore this incident. It was unpardonable behaviour towards a guest. However, do not we have to be extremely careful not to prejudice the careers of a great many students in the university who are anxious to get on with their studies and not to impute bad relations between them and members of the staff of the university who are also anxious to preserve academic freedom and progress?

I am sure that the university authorities will bear this in mind. My information is that it was a minority who caused the trouble.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost to public funds of security arrangements for Her Majesty's recent visit to Stirling University.

I understand that the additional costs incurred by the Stirling and Clackmannan Constabulary were about £600.

I thank my right hon. Friend for that information, but would he not agree that if the mass of our constituents are to be reassured that the contribution they are required to make through rates and taxes to pay for the enjoyment by students of the privilege of university education is justified, they will need to be assured that those who were directly implicated in that disgraceful affair are no longer a charge on the education budget, otherwise there is surely a real danger that the vast majority of hard-working students will suffer for the misdemeanours of a very small minority?

I certainly agree that the vast majority should not be allowed to suffer because of the bad behaviour of a small minority, and I dealt with this in a previous answer. I would like to take this opportunity of saying that I consider that the chief constable and the police are to be commended for the extremely good way in which they dealt with this delicate situation.

Is the Secretary of State really agreeing with the rest of what his hon. Friend the Member for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne) said?

No. I noted what my hon. Friend said. His main point was whether the majority should be allowed to suffer because of the minority, and, as I said in reply to an earlier Question, discipline is a matter for the university authorities, who are considering this. I could not myself withdraw the grants to students without a recommendation from the university authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an early ministerial broadcast on the prospects for the Scottish economy in the coming 12 months.

I have taken part in broadcasts regularly since coming into office—nine since the beginning of this year—and my intention is that this should continue at appropriate times.

I take it that that is a "No" to my request for a ministerial broadcast, which is of a special character. Am I right in assuming that the reason for the right hon. Gentleman's reticence is that he is apprehensive about having to admit to the people that even the new range of Government regional policies is inadequate to the task of substantially reducing Scottish unemployment, especially in view of this morning's article in the Glasgow Herald which indicates clearly that the right hon. Gentleman has already lost the battle for steel in the Cabinet and 18,000 Scottish jobs with it?

I consider the publication of the Scottish Economic Bulletin to be the most suitable way of describing economic trends and commenting upon them. On the subject of unemployment, I hope that the hon. Gentleman will be pleased with the figures announced last week. As for the report in one of the Scottish papers today, that is pure speculation. The hon. Gentleman will know, as the House knows, that over recent months there has been a great deal of speculation in both directions and, therefore, contradictory.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that he has every reason to be proud that the regional aids available to Scottish industry for machinery and buildings are greater than ever before in the history of Scotland? Will he confirm our confidence in him by assuring us that before any decision is made on the plans presented to the Government by the British Steel Corporation he will be fully consulted?

My hon. Friend is quite right, and I might add that this combination of regional measures is specially tailored to the problems facing us in Scotland today. As for decisions on steel, the Government have stated that regional development considerations will be taken into account and, of course, I shall be consulted.

Is the right hon. Gentleman still prepared to stake his political reputation and future on the construction of a green field integrated steel mill at Hunterston, thereby guaranteeing the jobs of 26,000 Scottish steel workers?

As it was the hon. Gentleman who invented the idea that my political reputation was so involved—

It was the Daily Express.

I agree that I was perhaps the first person in this House, even before the hon. Gentleman was a Member, who started a Supply Day debate and chose the subject of the deep water and other assets of the Clyde and, therefore, I am perhaps associated with using those assets to the best advantage of Scotland. But I do not think I am involved, as the hon. Member suggests, in the specific project he has in mind.

I agree that it was not my hon. Friend the Member for Central Ayrshire (Mr. Lambie) who invented the right hon. Gentleman's political reputation. We did not realise that he had one. It is to be hoped that the right hon. Gentleman will not be complacent about the present position. If the pessimistic forecasts in today's Glasgow Herald about the future of steel prove to be true, will the right hon. Gentleman make a ministerial broadcast explaining the position to the people of Scotland? Secondly, will he pay tribute to the one factor which has reduced unemployment in Scotland, which was the raising of the school leaving age and the return of students to universities? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that they account for about 50 per cent. of the last drop in unemployment?

To deal with the right hon. Gentleman's first point, he knows that there has been continuing speculation in the Scottish Press and that the speculation has contradicted itself over recent months. Today we have yet another newspaper speculating. In due course the Government will be taking and announcing decisions on the recommendations by the BSC. As regards the raising of the school leaving age, I remind the right hon. Gentleman that it was his own Government, when he was Secretary of State, which postponed the raising of the school leaving age because of the economic crisis at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the growing incidence of alcoholism in Scotland.

The available evidence suggests that the prevalence of alcoholism has increased in recent years. The Government continue to take every possible step to make the dangers known through the campaigns conducted by the Scottish Health Education Unit which, over the the last four years, have been increasing in scope and in the current calendar year are estimated to cost £15,000. A grant of £1,000 is also made to the National Council on Alcoholism to support the work of its industrial organiser. I am also in touch with the Chairman of the local Councils on Alcoholism in Edinburg, Glasgow and Dundee which have recently combined to form a Scottish Council on Alcoholism which, it is hoped, will be representative of all the interests in this field. The council has been given a grant of £6,000 for the current year.

But will not the hon. Gentleman agree that this is a disease which is spoiling the whole of Scottish family life? Did he see the figures published during the week which said that one family in 10 has a drink problem, that one in 50 Scots are alcoholics, and one in five of the alcoholics in Scotland is a woman and that alcoholism is the third highest cause of death in the country?

This Government are.

In dealing with the cause of this curse of the whole of Scotland, will the hon. Gentleman consider, because of the seriousness and urgency of the problem, setting up a high-powered committee to investigate and to report to him and to this House the outcome?

I certainly share the hon. Member's deep concern about this problem. A number of investigations have been made, particularly by the Standing Medical Advisory Committee, and of course I await information from the research projects. If we still lack knowledge of this at the end of these inquiries, I shall consider whether it is necessary to set up a further inquiry. I would like to thank the voluntary organisations which are putting so much effort into this and hon. Members on both sides of the House who have attended conferences and indicated the concern of Parliament about this problem.

Does my hon. Friend accept that there is an appalling connection between drink and crime, particularly in Scotland as opposed to the rest of Great Britain? Is he aware of the recent extraordinary estimate by the police that between 50 and 75 per cent. of all crimes committed in Scotland have drink as a causal element in them?

I could not express an opinion on this, but what my hon. Friend has said will be looked at very carefully by my Department.

In making his study of the effects of alcohol in relation to crime, will the hon. Gentleman consider how great is the effect of social drinking, and stress drinking which has driven people to pilfer?

It is extremely difficult to get accurate statistics of this problem. I do not think anything which has been produced by the Health Education Unit would cover the point made by the hon. Member.

How much help has the Health Education Unit had from the brewers and distillers of Scotland? Have they provided any finance towards the research?

The companies to which the right hon. Member refers have made subscriptions to help with this problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional provision for the education of handicapped children is now being made by those local education authorities which had been sending children to Corsbie Hall School in Fife.

The education authorities which sent pupils to the school have made no new plans for additional provision since it closed though Dundee, Edinburgh and Renfrew were already planning new day provision for maladjusted pupils. Glasgow and Dumfries, whose social work departments sent pupils to the school, were also planning day and residential provision, respectively, before the school closed.

Is the Minister aware that it is still the case that there is more private fee-paying provision for this kind of child in Scotland than there is public provision and that this is highly unsatisfactory? Is he further aware that the whole case of Corsbie Hall is now in the hands of the Parliamentary Commissioner, who is looking into the various aspects of it, and that criminal charges may well be preferred against the proprietor, Mr. Taylor-Bryant, and will he take further steps to ensure that this man is brought to heel and that this kind of exercise is not engaged in any more in Scotland or anywhere else in the United Kingdom?

In relation to the first part of the supplementary question, besides those authorities I have mentioned Aberdeenshire and Fife also intend to provide residential schools. In relation to the second part, I shall leave that to the Parliamentary Commissioner.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on electricity policy for Scotland.

The Scottish electricity board's proposals for meeting Scotland's future needs were set out in their brochure "Plans for the Future 1971–78", copies of which were placed in the Vote Office in January, and since then the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board has decided to proceed with an oil/gasfired power station near Peterhead.

Will the Minister take this opportunity to dispel the rumour that there is to be an amalgamation of the two boards? Secondly, will he tell us when he proposes to make a statement on energy policy for Scotland, particularly on the future of the Scottish coal-mining industry?

The second part of the supplementary question should correctly be directed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who deals with fuel policy generally. As for the first part of the question, I have no plans for amalgamation of the two boards. I am sure that the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the South of Scotland Electricity Board will continue the close co-operation which can best secure the interests of consumers in all parts of Scotland.

As my right hon. Friend has control over the use of coal or gas in electricity generation, would it not be right now to withdraw the surcharge on oil?

I note what my hon. Friend has said, but that again is a matter which would have to be directed to the Ministers whose responsibility it is.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to seek early implementation of the interim report on criminal appeal procedure recently published by the Thomson Committee.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Advocate are considering this report but are not yet in a position to make any statement about further action on it.

The Secretary of State and the Lord Advocate acted with commendable urgency in requesting an interim report from the Thomson Committee on this matter, and the Thomson Committee in turn produced an early report which is clear, brief and to the point. Does not the Minister agree that it would be unfortunate if this commendable urgency were not shown by the Government in concluding this chapter of events?

I am grateful to the hon. and learned Gentleman for the welcome he has given to this. We must remember two things. First, the report was published only at the beginning of August. Secondly, some of the recommendations are highly controversial and involve majority and minority views within the committee. It is only when one studies the report that one realises that very careful consideration is still needed before one can come to a conclusion on it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have died from paraquat poisoning since this product has been on the commercial market.

Between 1st January, 1960, and 30th June, 1972, a total of 11 deaths were registered in Scotland as being due to paraquat poisoning. Five of the deaths were stated to be accidental and three suicidal; in the other three cases there was no evidence to show whether the deaths were accidental or intentional.

Does not the hon. Gentleman agree that the figures he has given show that there is now an urgent need to discuss with the manufacturers of this product some method of dyeing it so that it is clearly not potable, or a method of adding some noxious substance that would have a pungent odour so that people could not bring themselves to drink it? If the manufacturers will not co-operate, will he not take action to have the substance withdrawn altogether, as I understand that there is no known antidote to it?

I have every hope that the manufacturers will co-operate. The very matters that the hon. Gentleman has mentioned are now being actively discussed with the manufacturers. I think that the hon. Gentleman is right to say that accidental deaths from drinking the liquid occurred because it had been decanted into soft drink bottles. That is why we ought to follow the hon. Gentleman's ideas.

Does not the hon. Gentleman recall that, following a tragedy of this nature in my constituency, after representations that I then made to him, he undertook that the manufacturers were actively pursuing some method of trying to prevent this liquid from being taken accidentally? Has he nothing further to report on what he said six months ago?

No, except that we are continually trying to find a solution. It is no use thinking that it is easy to discover or that there is any lack of effort on the part of the manufacturers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to make compulsory the provision of adequate facilities for disabled persons in wheelchairs at football grounds in Scotland.

The provision of facilities for disabled persons in premises open to the public is already dealt with in Section 4 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970.

Is my hon. Friend aware that for 18 months Aberdeen Football Club has consistently refused to provide facilities for supporters in wheelchairs and that it is now the only First Division club in Scotland so to do? Does he not agree that such a refusal is totally contrary to the spirit of the Act?

I certainly commend the many football clubs that have provided very good facilities for the disabled and I should like to see such facilities universally offered in Scotland. It is up to the clubs and they have to think about it carefully. I would much rather that this was done by persuasion. Local authorities, of course, have the right to discuss the provisions of the Act, particularly in relation to these occurrences.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the conduct of his officials in relation to the dismissal of the arehitects of the proposed Edinburgh Opera House.

I announced last year that the Government were prepared to contribute a very large grant to the building of the Opera House in Edinburgh on the basis that the project is carried through successfully and without delay. My officials have subsequently assisted with advice to Edinburgh Corporation, whose responsibility this project is and with whom any contractual relationship with the arehitects lies. At the corporation's request they took part in discussions with Sir William Kininmonth.

What hard evidence is there that these arehitects did not have adequate resources?

The number of professional arehitects in the firm and the fact that no firm could be expected to be wholly devoted to one project. The technical advice was what caused the corporation to take this action.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what studies he has made into the cost of extending the rebate scheme for unused portions of television licences.

I have been asked to reply.

Will not the hon. Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend to reconsider the shameful treatment that his Department has meted out to my constituent Mrs. Storer, who recently moved into old people's accommodation, having conscientiously paid her £7 television licence, only to be told that she qualified for the 5p concessionary licence? Will he ask his right hon. Friend to tell the Post Office to stop being so petty and miserly and to give my constituent back her £6·95?

My right hon. Friend has carefully considered the case of the hon. Gentleman's constituent and has concluded that in all the circumstances he would be right to continue the practice of the Labour Government in following the rules that that Government laid down.

Is the Department giving any consideration to the general problem of old people and making further concessions regarding the licences that they took out—say, half-price licences or something of that kind?

I am sure the hon. Gentleman will accept that this is a matter on which he would no doubt like to put a Question to my right hon. Friend when he returns.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that recently I have been in correspondence with his right hon. Friend and suggested that he might consider quarterly licences for pensioners as one way of getting round the problem but that I got a very dusty answer on the lines that he could not consider selectivity in this way? Why cannot the Government, who are so wedded to selectivity in every other sphere, exercise a little selectivity on behalf of pensioners in this sphere?

I think that, having considered the policy of the Labour Government in detail, they probably found that on this rare occasion they were right.