asked the Minister for Local Government whether in view of the fact that salary awards in respect of State, semi-State and local authority posts analogous to assistant county engineer have been made since the review body was set up, and without reference to that body, he will now reconsider the matter and apply the arbitration award to assistant county engineers.

The findings of the Local Authority Officers' Arbitration Board on the engineers salaries were referred to the review body to consider particularly the implications of these findings for other parts of the public sector. The review body's recommendations have been implemented. I am not aware that salary awards greater than those secured by the assistant county engineers have since been obtained by any analogous grades in the local authority service for whom I am the appropriate sanctioning authority.