§ Mr. MATHERSasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received representations from the Convention of Royal Burghs of Scotland complaining of the inadequate financial support accorded to the Scottish National Library and the Scottish Record Office, in contrast to the assistance given to similar institutions in Wales; and if and when it is proposed to raise the Scottish grants to a more equitable figure?
Mr. ADAMSONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second, I can assure the hon. Member that the Government will give full consideration to the reasonable requirements of the Library and the Record Office. As regards the former, he is no doubt aware that until the proposed new building is erected the1302W development of the Library is necessarily restricted, but certain proposals with regard to staffing and cataloguing are at present under consideration. As regards the Record Office, a Keeper of the Registers and Records has been appointed under the Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Act, and one of the tasks before him is the examination of general questions of record policy. The hon. Member may rest assured that any expansion or improvements in the record services which may be found necessary as the result of that examination will receive my most careful consideration.