asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to introduce legislation concerning public libraries and museums in Scotland.

Legislation ought in my view to await the outcome of the present review of local government organisation. I have had no representations from local authorities that it is urgently needed.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the speech made by the Chairman of the Scottish Libraries Association regretting the fact that Scotland was excluded from the provisions of the recent Public Libraries and Museums Bill, and that although the Bill was very limited in scope there were nevertheless certain advantages which Scotland could have derived from it but of which she has been deprived? Will he consider the question again?

I was aware of the speech. We are in the process of considering a complete reorganisation of local authority functions and boundaries in Scotland, and I think that we should await the result of that.