asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he is taking to promote and encourage district heating in order to economise fuel and demolish smoke pollution; and in what areas, to what extent and with what results schemes for district heating are being promoted or have been approved or put into operation.

In conjunction with my right hon. Friends the Ministers of Health and Works, I appointed a Committee in February, 1946, to make general recommendations on the practicability of district heating and to examine specific proposals put forward by local authorities and other bodies. Under the aegis of the Committee a Memorandum on District Heating was issued to all local authorities. This has undoubtedly encouraged them to consider the application of district heating to their building programmes. Schemes approved by the Committee are under construction at Urmston, Salisbury and Bonnyrigg. In addition, 23 other schemes scattered throughout the country have been submitted to the Committee or are known to be under consideration. None of the schemes are in a sufficiently advanced state to establish the costs of operation or what saving in fuel may be achieved.