asked the Home Secretary whether any steps are to be taken to deal with the illumination at night provided by the burning slag-heap at Writhlington, in view of the fact that nearby villages are blacked out?

By inter-departmental arrangement the supervision of burning spoil-heaps is undertaken by alkali inspectors of the Ministry of Health. This particular heap has been visited on a number of occasions in recent months. I understand that when the heap was last visited it was found that the flames had been quenched and only a slight smouldering was visible.

Can my right hon. Friend take my assurance that at present there is considerable light from this heap, and that villagers in adjacent villages find it a little incomprehensible that they should be subject to a black-out, when there is this glare in their neighbourhood?

This heap has been visited four or five times in the last year, the last visit being on 29th August, and, as I have said, at that time no flames were visible. It may be that a further fire has broken out and another special visit will be made.