asked the Minister of Supply what steps he is taking to ensure that the automobile and ancillary industries are supplied with sufficient raw materials to enable them to work to full capacity.

These industries receive their due share of controlled materials. I regret that there is unlikely to be an early improvement in the supply of these materials.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that it is absolutely vital that these important industries should work to maximum capacity? In view of that, will he immediately reconsider the export of iron castings, and perhaps also of some forms of steel, so that the maximum amount of steel may be made available to these industries?

Yes, Sir. The maximum amount is made available to these industries, but they have not been working to capacity at any time since the war. We very much regret that, owing to the falling-off in imports of sheet steel, we cannot supply these industries with all the steel they require.

Is the Minister making any special arrangements about the supply of steel for that part of the automobile industry which is working for re-armament?

The difficulty with the automobile industry is mainly the inability to get sheet steel, owing to lack of imports. There are also some other difficulties; some non-ferrous metals are scarce.

May I ask the Minister whether, in addition to the difficulty about sheet steel, he would be prepared to receive representations from me about the shortage of tubular steel which I found in the King's Norton factory centre on Saturday, and which is required for jeeps being made to the order of the Government under the re-armament programme?

I should be very happy to look into any representations which the right hon. Gentleman may make to me.

In view of the urgency of the re-armament programme, will the right hon. Gentleman consider those industries which are not working to full capacity, and do whatever he can to see that what is not required by them is diverted to the armaments programme?

Yes, Sir; so far as it is possible to do so. We have asked all major contractors to do as much subcontracting as they can, in cases where there is vacant capacity and available labour.

What does the Minister expect will be the production of the new mill at Margam? How soon will it be in production and what difference will that production make to the automobile industry?

I cannot give exact figures; it should be in full production at the end of the year, and should relieve the situation to some extent.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware of the nuisance from the noise of the aero-engine testing station at Woodmansterne, Carshalton; and what arrangements he is making to move the testing station to some more suitable location.

I am aware of complaints of noise from the operation of these test beds. It is hoped to make arrangements to transfer the beds to a more suitable site in the near future.

Is the Minister aware that in this densely populated area the noise is spread some three or four miles and is very disturbing? When will he implement the undertaking given by his right hon. Friend the Minister of Civil Aviation, three years ago to shift this station to some other place?

We are trying to make arrangements to shift these beds, and I hope we shall be able to do so within a short time. Various alterations and repairs have to be made, but I am hopeful that, within three or four months, the change will have taken place.

Can the Minister tell us to which hon. Member's constituency this nuisance will be shifted?

asked the Minister of Supply how many D.C. 3 Dakota ex-Royal Air Force aircraft have been broken up by his Department, or by contractors, during the last five years; how many of these aircraft are still held ready for breaking up; what consideration has been given to these aircraft being sold for use by the British European Airways Corporation, or any charter companies, instead of being broken up;] and if he will make a statement of Government policy on this matter.

One Dakota aircraft was broken down at a Ministry depot before 1948 and none is awaiting breakdown. Since June, 1946, 128 beyond economical repair have been broken down at the request of the Air Ministry, under contracts placed by my Department, for the recovery for the R.A.F. of components and spares, which would otherwise have to be bought for dollars. Dakotas declared surplus are normally disposed of by competitive tender and 20 have been sold in the last five years. Both British European Airways Corporation and charter companies were invited to tender.

Has my right hon. Friend any information that these aircraft, which he says were not worth recovering, have been flown into some of the aerodromes, or at least one of them, where the breaking down was taking place? Would it not have been worth while, and more advantageous, to have sold them, in view of the high prices they have been fetching?

Those which were saleable were put up for auction. It is only those which are not saleable and which are in such a bad condition that they have to be broken down, which are broken down.

Will the Minister say what he means? The Question says, "broken up," and he says "broken down." Is he thinking of His Majesty's Government?

asked the Minister of Supply whether he has any statement to make concerning his conversations with the American representative, Mr. Wilson.

At the meeting which I attended with a number of my colleagues, we discussed with Mr. Wilson how best our two countries could co-operate to ensure that the United Kingdom received sufficient raw materials and machine tools to enable it to carry out its re-armament programme and maintain essential civil production. Mr. Wilson said he would do all he could to further United States co-operation with us in both these tasks.

Would the right hon. Gentleman add to that statement by saying whether Mr. Wilson said anything as to the effect which this American aid to ourselves and the general gearing up of the American war potential would have on that country's production of civilian goods?

I think it would be unwise if I went into too much detail and repeated our conversations. I have given the effect of the discussion in my answer.

asked the Minister of Supply in view of the shortage of scrap iron, whether he is aware of the large quantity of scrap available from obsolete plant in industry awaiting collection as scrap; and what steps he is taking to stimulate merchants in tapping this source.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies which I gave to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale (Mr. Erroll) on 19th February last and to the hon. and learned Member for Brigg (Mr. E. L. Mallalieu) on 23rd April. Special attention is being given to securing as much scrap as possible from this source.

In view of the undertaking which my right hon. Friend gave in the House to the effect that he would consider subsidising the recovery of such things as tramlines, would he consider giving similar help in the recovery of the scrap described in this Question, in view of the fact that the present controlled price of scrap makes it uneconomic to recover some of this material?

I cannot accept that. The information that I have is that the present price is reasonable, and that any increase in the price of scrap would not bring in any more. In special circumstances, such as the raising of tramlines, the industry has agreed to make some special arrangement, but I would not like to expand that very far.

Will the Minister consult the Iron and Steel Federation, who feel that the present prices do not sufficiently remunerate the scrap merchants for collecting the metal?

Yes, Sir. I am in consultation with the Federation, and they agree that the present basic price should not be raised.

Can the Minister say to what extent local authorities are participating in this scrap iron drive, in view of the fact that nearly all of them now have organisations for salvaging waste paper, to which, of course, scrap iron is complementary?

Yes, Sir, the local authorities are being consulted by those responsible, for the scrap iron campaign.

The Midlands area, as I think the right hon. Gentleman knows, is a prolific source of this scrap, and would he consider allowing a larger proportion of it to be used locally, thus avoiding the charges involved in its transportation?

I would like to consider with those responsible whether that is feasible.

asked the Minister of Supply whether his regulations entail the procurement from his Department of a permit for the erection of an iron railing to fence in a field of about nine acres; and, in view of the scarcity if iron, what policy he follows with regard to its use for such purposes.

No, Sir. At present, only the distribution of sheet steel and tinplate is controlled. Consideration is being given to possible arrangements for controlling distribution of general steel.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that in this particular case, of which he has already had details, it is rather a shocking thing that iron railings should be used to close an open space very much needed by the local inhabitants?

That is a matter of opinion, and one for which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education, and, I understand, the Brighton Council, are responsible. My answer to the Question which the hon. Gentleman puts to me is that I have no responsibility and no control in the matter.

Can my right hon. Friend give any information about the latter part of his first answer, namely, the general distribution of steel supplies?

That matter is still being considered, and I propose to consult certain representatives of industry in the matter. I cannot say exactly when I can make an announcement, but it will certainly not be before Whitsun.

asked the Minister of Supply whether in view of the large number of machine tools required for defence and other essential purposes, he now has any further statement to make in assurance that they will be used to the best advantage.

Yes, Sir. I have consulted my Engineering and Machine Tool Advisory Councils about arrangements for ensuring that all machine tools on order are used to best advantage for the defence programme and other essential purposes. I am happy to say that my Department's proposals for this have been accepted by both machine tool users and manufacturers represented on these bodies. I would like to acknowledge the public spirit in which these proposals were received and to thank the machine tool industry for so willingly placing their services at my disposal. As the explanation of the arrangements is rather long. I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Can my right hon. Friend say whether, in view of recent reports that we are exporting rather a lot of machine tools to satellite countries, he will take that into account in the light of the statement he has just made?

I do not think that that report is accurate.

In view of the Minister's statement the other day that the credit for the acquisition of machine tools in America was due to the Government because of their policy of bulk buying, would he take this opportunity to tell the House that it was entirely a question of private enterprise co-operating with the Government?

We acknowledge the help and co-operation which we have received from private enterprise in this matter. I have never questioned that.