The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 4

THE G.UARQIAN December 16 1977 NEWS Panel Striking miners Sikh and ye shall find 27 Rolls Stubbs appeal succeeds stay out over bonus scheme urges free State nurseries By John Faniiall KlIlllMUOIl Free pro-sL-imol services for rhildren under fiu based on nursery centre. willi child minders and playgroups, should be provided for all who want hem. a JVC working party s.iy.s in a report published yesterday. Sueh serviies should be a duly plated by the Cm-eminent on all loeal authorities Hie report tiroes. Interim measures recommended by the working party unhide the provision of more workplace nurseries, the dii-ect employment by local authorities of all child minders, and cMendetl care and play services for the young schoolchildren of working" parents during school' holidays.

All unions are urged to press for better maternity leave agreements, including an increase in the maternity grant from 25 to 100, 29 weeks' maternity leave on full pay. and two weeks' paternity leave for fathers. The I'lider-nro. Tt'C imi party report. Mit.

By our art sales correspondent A silver dinner, and dessert service weighing almost half a ton, made for the Maharaja! of Patiala in 1921, came up yesterday at Sotheby's but failed to Bidding stopped at 143,000 which was below the reserve Sotheby's had been hoping for 165,000 or moj-e. The metal alone is. worth 40,500 as scrap. Practically everything is there except the kitchen sink cheese knives, asparagus tdngs, ginger spoons, finger bowls; grape scissqrs. melon carvers and rose bowlsias well as the 'humdrum forks, and meat dishes.

The seller's identity, is secret The'-Maharajah, a Sikh, was a man of the grandest, He lived in a pink palace a quarter of a mile long. 'He had 3,500 domestics, 500 horses. 27 Rolls-Royces, hundreds of Savile Row suits, and dozens of champion gundogs. When in London he rented all 35 suites on the fifth floor of the Savoy. The then Prince of- Wales visi.ted him in his- kingdom -in 1922 and the silver was probably ordered for this occasion.

The Prince of Wales went pig-sticking with the Maharajah and one account of the hunt says The day ended with all the Prince of Wales's five pigs laid out in attitudes of extinction on the bloodied steps of the Palace for a souvenir photo- graph." of the unsold dinner service PARLIAMENT By Peter Hetheringlon and Michael Parkin Miners at Scotland's top pro- duction colliery decided yester-. day to remain on at least until Monday appeals by the area president, Mr Mick return to. I The 1,100 men at Solsgirth Colliery, near Dunfermline, walked out early on Tuesday in protest at a decision of an area delegate conference to reject a productivity scheme for the Scottish coalfield. As a result, they, claim that the union has effectively imposed a wage freeze on At a meeting yesterday the men voted to review the situ-, ation after Mr McGahey, who is also vice-president of the NUM. addresses them on Sunday ki a local cinema.

They want him to explain why they cannot negotiate their own productivity scheme which they estimate would increase 'wages by up to 30 a week. Mr Bill Ewing. chairman of the colliery's NUM branch, said after the meeting that the men had decided by an overwhelming majority to stay out until Monday at-least. Production losses at Sols-girth a drift mine opened nine years, ago to serve the power station in Fife-are estimated at 7,000 tons a day bv the NCB. Peter-Shore cuts in services should not 'necessary in 1978-9.

"This is partly a reflection of the improvement in the economy, but the other factor which has made my task this year much less difficult is the way in which local authorities have continued to cooperate with us in -keeping their expenditure to planned limits," he said. Mr Shore announced that spending this year would amount to 12.531 millions. which was in line with central government spending plans. The amounts for free school So far there is little indication of support for the Sols-girth men from other Scottish collieries. There is strong resistance to -productivity schemes at many, pits because men believe that difficult geological conditions would place them at a disadvantage.

At Sunday's meeting Mr McGahey is likely to be pressed for a reconvened delegate meeting In Nottinghamshire collieries coalface workers are looking forward to a 30 bonus, less tax, next week as a payment on account for their extra effort under a productivity scheme. Other underground workers can expect 15 and surface workers 12. The effect of the local incentive schemes can already be. seen in increased output at collieries throughout the Midlands coalfield. Three weeks ago the output record at the Bevercotes colliery in Nottinghamshire, set in 1975, stood at about 20,000 tons a week.

The miners pushed that first to 22,000 and then last week to 27,000. A move Yorkshire, Kent and South "Wales miners to step the introduction of loeal pit productivity' schemes failed in the Court yesterday. After a 21-hour private hearing, Mr Justice Jupp dismissed an application for a' temporary order against the NUM president Mr Joe Gormley, meals had been increased, extra provision had been made for the urban pro- gramme, and there had been further increases for personal social services and Home Office services. The significance of all the changes was that the planned level of local authority current spending would be broadly the same in 1978-9 "as in 1977-8. "This is not, of course, to say that it will be easy for -jsevery local authority to-melr'f the' target figure.

Far from it Complaining about, discri-' mination against the shire counties, Mr Heseltine said There is a willingness to accept the need for public constraint, if it is fairly balanced, but there is no justice one can. put to electors in these, counties to say they should bear this disproportionate part of the burden." He challenged Mr Shore to say what rate increases the ratepayers should look forward to, if there were to be no cut in services or man- power. Intervening, Mr Shore replied I am imposing no limit on the kind of rate increases they may wish or have to, make. It's for them to decide the value of their ser vices. Local authority spending now Grants 'help child sex group' under control, says Shore Two trusts which receive grants from Government funds are supporting the Paedophile Information Exchange the group which wants to legalise sex between adults and children an MP claimed in the Commons yesterday.

Sir Bernard Braine (C, SE Essex) said he had evidence that both the Albany Trust and the Princedale Trust gave encouragement and publicity to PIE. Sir Bernard said PIE was dedicated to the corruption of children. He asked for an assurance that public money was not going to a disgusting Towers death 'like Biko case' peer By Derek Brown LOCAL authority spending is now under control, the Environment Secretary. -Mr Shore, told the Commons yesterday. Opening a debate on the Government's rate support grants to councils, he said that excessive growth in local spending had been halted, and thus no preventive action by central government was needed.

Opposition spokesman, Mr Michael Hcseltine, complained that the shire counties had been discriminated against. They would be getting 350 millions less than if they had been treated the same as urban authorities. Mr Shore told the Commons that there were major differences between this year and last year. The economic situation had greatly improved, inflation had eased, and unemployment, although very high, was no longer- increasing. In addition, local authority spending was demonstrably under control, and was well on target.

Therefore, his approach to this year's grants was quite different to last year's. Then he was seeking cuts in spending, reducing the grant, and contemplating cuts in manpower. This year he was doing none of these things. Although the need for restraint had not disappeared, By our Art Sales Correspondent The Ttate Gallery has raised 7,74,000 to buy two paintings by it was announced yesterday. They are The Ilay-- makers and The 1 Reapers, both' dating from 1785.

The paintings were owned by Major John Lycett Wills, a. member of the tobacco Both were in. danger of being sold abroad if the Tate's appeal failed. The paintings are probably worth more; than ,1 million ontb.e open The lower price to the Tate was made possible because Major Wills gels tax concessions A substantial amount- 'of the total sum came, from, the Tate's own funds. The Pilgrim Trust, gave' 30,000, the Friends of the Tate 50,000, and the National Art-Collections Fund 20,000.

The Gpy-ernment matched 'public donations pound for pound, giving 190,000. The Tate would like to buy a portrait by Gainsborough of Sir Benjamin Truman, the brewer. A reproduction of the portrait appears on the Truman brewery's labels. The owner, Mi-Maxwell Joseph, the property millionaire, wants to sell the portrait to the Mellon Foundation for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut, for 450,000. But the Minister for the Arts, Lord Donaldson, has put an embargo on the deal until April 5, still examining information on child pornography.

On the legal side, there were difficulties of definition that had to be tackled seriously. He was having discussions with Mr Cyril Townsend (C, Bexleyheath), who has a Private Members Bill on the subject. Mr Townsend himself asked Why doesn't the Government take instant action to try to cut down the distribution of the material But Mr John said he did not think that a matter cf the crime inal law should be rushed into without being considered first. THE Guardian lias produced the first book on the Wind-scale inquiry summarising the evidence given at the 100 daily sittings. The book draws on the Guardian's contemporaneous reports and special articles during the 100 sittings' and provides both laymen and specialists with a succinct and absorbing account of the evidence and the arguments.

Mr Justice Parker must soon recommend, and the Government must soon decide whether British nuclear Fuels, Ltd, "should be allowed to build a new reprocessing plant for thermal oxide fuel and whether it should take foreign business. But other urgent questions were raised also. What are the problems of long-term shortage of nuclear waste? Should Britain go forward with a large-scale expansion of nuclear power? If it does not. will there be an unbridgeable energy gap Windscale A Summary of the Evidence and the Argument is priced at 1.50 (inclusive of postage in tbe UK). Order now supplies are Umifoii riiomii's with orders please should be made payable to Guardian Newspapers, and sent to Windscale Book, The Guardian, 110 Farrlngdon Road, London EC1 3ER.

25 jobs plan for inner cities The Government yesterday jaunched a 25 million-a-year scheme to help inner city local authorities create more jobs. The programme was outlined in the Government's Inner Urban Areas Bill, published yesterday. Selected inner city local authorities will be able under Ihe Bill to make loans up to 90 per cent at commercial rales for land purchase and construction. They will also be able to give loans of grants for environmental improvements In the Greater LonUon Council area, the Bill will allow for 100 per cent grants to help clear derelict land. Today in Parliament HOUSE OF COMMONS: Christmas Aillouro-mcnt debates.

The House will rise until Monday, Januaiy 9. Tobacco firms kept on rein Agreement with tobacco manufacturers to keep sports sponsorship at the same level as last year after allowing for inflation was announced in the Commons yesterday by Sport Minister, Mr Denis Howell. Mr Howell said that the agreement with the industry was on the basis that expendi-f ture pn sponsprshipin, the. UK by each tobacco' manufacturer not rise in real terms above the 1976 level. Companies i will' be free to move funds rOm one sporting activity to another but any proposal to sponsor -a -major sport which, has notpreviously been sponsored by the industry will be subject to prior consultation with me." Mr Howell in a written reply said The agreement also provides that the display of sponsors signs at televised events will be governed by an agreed code of practice.

For example, where a cigarette manufacturer determines the name of a sponsored sporting event he will avoid the use of any qualifying words or numerals which have individual cigarette brand connotations. The code of- practice provides that the display of house or brand names or symbols on participants in sporting events or on their equipment is not permitted. I have agreed however to a temporary exemption for one sponsor to meet contractual requirements." The industry had agreed these arrangements should remain in force for 'three three years at least. The agreement states that the companies wish to make it clear that it has been reached in response to specific and strongly pressed Government requests. The Ivory sold yesterday at Sotheby's.

It is counted one of the finest fthe toorld's Carotin-gian ivories. The Maharajah (1891-1938) served in the First World War and as a diplomatist. His full title was Lieutenant-General His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-D a 1 Mansur-i-Zaman, Amiruul-Unira Maharajah- Dhiraj.Raj Rajesh-war-Shrce, Maharaja-i-Ragjan Maharaj Sir Bhupindra Singh Mohinder Bahadur, Yadu Van-shavatans Bhatti Kul Bhushan, Maharaja Dhiraj of- Patiala, Of.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., G.B.E. organisation that most people would regard as criminal." Home Office Minister of State, Mr Brynmor John, told Sir Bernard that the Voluntary Services Unit had paid 43,625 to the Albany Trust and 86,000 to the Princedale Trust since 1974. A final grant of over 3,000 was still due to Albany and the Education Department was giving it 5,717 in 197677.

But Mr John said he had no evidence that public money was being used for propaganda. Later, Mr John told Mr Alan Clark (C, Sutton) that he was would be to the advantage pf the police as well as the family to have an inquiry. This, disquiet won't go away. It will linger on until an inquiry clears it up." Lord Harris of Greenwich, Minister of State, Home Office, said the matter had been gone into carefully by people outside the- police service, who had no contact with the police. "It.

would be quite wrong for the Government to change its decision in this matter and it will not do so." Both the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney-General had considered the result of the investigations. They had decided it was not a case in which criminal proceedings should be instituted against any police officer. Longest night MPs finished their first all-night sitting of the new session of Parliament yesterday at 10.31 a.m. Most of the 20J hours of debate was on the Consolidated Fund Bill, under which MPs may discuss any aspect of Government spending. migrants amnesties after December 31 next year, she added.

Mr Whitelaw claimed her reply Mr Budgen was extremely unreasonable." There was a very narrow line between deception and illegal entry vhich many people did not understand, he said. Dr Summerskill said the amnesty came after a court judgment, and she was sure the whole House would want to put right the irregularities of the Tories' own Immigration Act. gard to. the interests and responsibilities of all the recognised representative bodies for the police service, of the Secretaries of Slate and police authorities for the efficiency, good management and financing of the police service and the special position of the police service as a disciplined service responsible for the maintenance of law and order. It is to examine the existing constitution, rights and duties of the Police Federations and the other representative associations of the police and the legislation which governs their activities or affects their responsibility for representing the interests of their members, and to consider in what respects these should be revised to take account of developments in the field of industrial relations.

SHINING EXAMPLES: Part Keeping record straight THE GOVERNMENT was asked yesterday to change the law to allow the public to know if National Front organisers have criminal records. The Home Secretary, Mr Rees, told the Commons he was looking at the possibility of changing the new Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, which forbids past convictions being made known. (- demanding the change, Mr Leo Abse (Lab. Pontypool) told Mr Rees It would be a contribution to preventing people attending racist meet; ings if you considered amending the Act so that it would be known to the general public that the people who organise meetings' Hkc Tyn-dall and Webster are people with a criminal record, placed in prison for criminal violence, and who have served sentences." The law should be altered "so people understand how, in the National Front, there is a large number of people who are ex-convicts." Mr Rees, who was answering questions on racist marches and meetings, replied "I am picketed very frequently by the National Front and, a funny bunch of people -they are when- you sec them at close quarters. As to amending the law, I am having a look at that to see if there is any possibility." During Prime Minister's questions Mr Callaghan again condemned the National Front and racism.

He told the Commons of his delight that the Labour Party's anti-National Front party political broadcast had "aroused such public interest and some controversy as well." It was as well attitudes should be out in the open. "We stand against racialism of any description, at any time and in any place." Later, in a Commons written- reply, Home Office Minister of State, Mr Bryn-mor John, rejected a call by Mr Abse and Mr Frank Allaun (Lab, Salford E) Tor a change in the law to allow press and broadcasting to report criminal convictions of anyone holding office in a political party. Mr John said that anyone who published such Information could rely on the defence of justification if the statement was true, unless it had been made with malice. Police THE Home Secretary, Mr Rees yesterday announced the membership of the committee! of inquiry on police pay and conditions arid detailed its terms of reference. The- committee, chaired by Lord Edmund-Davies, is an extension of the body which is already reviewing police pay negotiating machinery.

It will start right away on its study of the proper basis of police pay and will examine the constitution and role of the Police Federations. Lord Plowden, former chairman of the advisory committee on the pay of Higher Civil Service, is appointed deputy chairman. Other new members are Sir Alec Cairn-cross, Master of St Peter's College, Oxford, Mr David Bleakley, head of social studies, Methodist College, Belfast and Miss Audrey Prime, former official of the Ctoistifinm If you1 re going to be using your camera this Christmas -pay a visit to Boots, We've all the films and flash you need. Amnesty 'hurts legal USA sill SIsSl Americana PJ r.rT8! FlipFfash i szrilTAl 8 flash array. Sat tfiit 4- Boots Price 1.45 The- death of a man after being-arrested by Northumbrian police is the nearest thing Britain has to a "Steve Biko case Lord Pannell (Lab.) said in the Lords yesterday.

Calling for a public inquiry into the arrest and the death of Mr Liddle Towers, in January 1976, Lord Pannell said it was a case which could not be brushed off and would not lie down. Mr Towers was arrested- outside a night club in County Durham on January 15, 1976, and died in hospital on February 9. Lord Pannell said that the inquest verdict of "justifiable homicide really meant that Mr Towers died at the hands of the police and that they were justified in killing him. "It is a very strange verdict." Lord Glenamara, the former Labour Cabinet Minister, supported the call' for a public inquiry. Many of us believe the Government is quite wrong in the attitude it is taking," he said.

Lord Glenamara said there was' considerable disquiet both locally and nationally, and it But Home Affairs' Under-Secretary, Dr Shirley Summers-kill, claimed that Mr Budgen's question was completely ignorant." She stressed the amnesty was introduced for people who had entered by deception, as opposed to illegally, before January, 1973. It did not apply to anybody else. The Immigration Act 1971, brought in by the Tories, put people in jeopardy retrospectively. There would be no more the police and changes in policing arrangements. The stresses and dangers to which the- police arc exposed, arising from changes in society and from the growth of crime and threats to public order.

The restrictions placed on police officers (individually and collectively) and their families by "irtue of their duties and responsibilities as members of the police. In the light of their conclusions and of the need to attract and retain an adequate number of suitable police officers the committee is to consider the basis for determining police pay and the appropriate pay levels. The committee is to review the machinery for negotiating pay and conditions of the police service in the United Kingdom now dealt with by the Police Council, having re The amnesty granted to some illegal immigrants will encour-'age others to enter Britain illegally and stir up resentment against legal immigrants, Shadow home affairs' spokesman, Mr William Whitelaw, claimed in the Commons yesterday. He was supporting the Tory MP for Wolverhampton Southwest, Mr Nick Budgen, who queried the effect of the recent amnesty. pay inquiry terms set Boots Flashcubes Pack of 3 cubes, 12 flashes.

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Gray, former principal of the Crai-gie College of Education, Ayr Mr. Robert Leigh-Pem-berton, chairman of the National Westminster Bank Mr Cyril Plant, former general secretary of the Inland Revenue Staff Federation; and Professor John Wood, Professor of Law at Sheffield University and chairman of the Central Arbitration Committee. The committee's terms of reference are Having regard to the responsibilities of the police for the enforcement of the law and the maintenance of public order, to review the work of the police, bearing in mind Developments in the responsibilities and workload of 100 Years of Christmas Shopping at Boots.