asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will issue instructions to his local officers to allow an additional allocation of coal to the houses of farm-workers and others living in isolated places who have to rely entirely on solid fuel for cooking and drying clothes.

Additional coal allowances are already granted to consumers entirely dependent on solid fuel.

Would the Minister make this arrangement more widely known, because the standard allowance of 34 cwt. for an isolated cottage is quite inadequate?

I agree. We have made this announcement as widely known as possible; instructions have been sent out to fuel overseers, and announcements have also appeared in the Press. While I agree that the amount is inadequate, we do arrange for additional supplies to be provided in all those cases where a consumer is entirely dependent on solid fuel.

Can the Minister say whether there is any definite standard laid down for the issue of this extra coal, so that all country dwellers may know for what they are entitled to ask?

There is a standard, but it is contingent upon the availability of supplies. For example, in the North the permitted ration may be increased, in certain cases, from 50 cwt. to 60 cwt., and in the South there would be a proportionate increase, but I repeat that it depends on whether the supplies are coming forward.

Do not these individual increases come out of the total allocation for the area, and do they not really mean that if one person has an increase someone else has to do with less?

Not necessarily, because the allocations are frequently revised in accordance with the needs of the area.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power approximately what is the proportion of the allocation of coal that has been delivered, or is likely to be delivered to customers in the London or Greater London areas before the autumn.

Deliveries are, of course, dependent on supplies, but I do not anticipate that the London average this summer will be less than last summer, when an average of over II cwt. per premises was delivered.

Is the Minister aware that in some parts of London the proportion is very much lower than was anticipated, and that a great deal of the allocation has not yet been delivered?

I am surprised to hear that, because, according to the figures available in the Department, the amounts are in excess of last summer, although I am not pretending that they are as adequate as they should be.

What is the reason for the disproportionate distribution?

There may be some variations as regards deliveries to certain districts. I should be glad to be acquainted with any information which my hon. Friend has in his possession.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the expected deficit on the coal target for the end of this year, it is anticipated that there will be a reduction in the domestic fuel allocation for the coming winter.

I see no reason at present for changing the domestic coal restrictions next winter, but I am keeping the level of supplies under close review.

Will the Minister give an assurance that if there is a deficit due to a reduction in home production, he will be able to get coal from abroad to make up the difference?

It is quite impossible to speak of restrictions in allocation until we see what the position is in September and October. At the present moment, I see no reason why we should not make available as much for this coming winter as was made available during last winter.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps will be taken in the interests of the consumer to keep the price of imported U.S. coal down to the present level of home-produced coal.

All imported coal will go into the pool for industrial and other consumers, according to the general scheme of allocations. The selling price of imported coal to the U.K. consumer will be negotiated commercially by the National Coal Board and the receivers concerned, in the light of ruling U.K. prices.

Is this coal which is being imported clean coal, or is it as dirty as British coal?

I am not prepared to concede that British coal is dirty. There is a great deal of it which is of good saleable quality. As regards United States coal, if it is of the variety sent to European countries, it may not be entirely up to our standards.

Will the Minister give an assurance that he will do everything he can to get from America, before next spring, up to 4 million tons of coal at the same price which other European countries are prepared to pay for a similar type of coal?

We have made our arrangements, through the United States authorities and the European Coal Organisation, for supplies to be made available. I am afraid that when the hon. and gallant Member speaks of 4 million tons of coal before the spring, he is allowing his imagination to run riot.

It is vitally urgent.

Is the Minister able to tell the House what he is doing to prevent the price of home-produced coal rising to the same price as imported coal?

If the hon. Member had listened to my reply, or had understood it, he would have realised that this American coal, when it is imported, is to be mixed with the home variety of coal in regard to price levels.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent it became necessary to rely upon road transport for the movement of coal during the fuel crisis.

During the period of abnormal weather early in the year, road vehicles were employed extensively on the movement of coal. The extent to which road transport was used varied considerably from district to district. Particular use was made of road vehicles for the distribution of accumulated stocks of opencast coal, mainly in the North Midlands area.

Is the Minister satisfied, bearing in mind the shortage of tyres, that the motor transport industry is in a condition to deal with any situation which may arise?

In these matters of transport, I am dependent upon the transport authorities. So far as I know, the position is reviewed from time to time, and my information is that we shall be able to carry the coal that is available.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the proportionate difference in the consumption of coal involved in burning electric lamps of the most economical and of inferior type; what steps have been taken to impress on the public and on local authorities the advantage in fuel economy by burning the most economical types of electric lamps; and whether steps will be taken to prohibit the manufacture of uneconomic electric lamps.

The ordinary filament lamp consumes from three to eight times as much coal as a discharge lamp, according to the type of discharge lamp used. I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply that the demand for lamps of the latter type exceeds the supply, that he is actively encouraging their development, and in all the circumstances, does not consider it practicable to prohibit the manufacture of the ordinary filament lamp.

Has the Minister made inquiries to find out how long it will be before a more economical lamp is available?

If my hon. Friend has in mind the fluorescent type of lamp, or lamps which use sodium or mercury, I am afraid it will take some time because the parts are in process of manufacture, and there are difficulties.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power on what grounds he continues to give priority to new houses over old houses for connection to the electric mains, even where applications have been outstanding for many years and where no alternative method of lighting is available.

It is obviously essential to instal modern methods of lighting when building new houses. With the present shortage of materials, this is bound to mean that some older houses cannot immediately be supplied with electric lighting in substitution for other forms of lighting.

Is the Minister aware that that ruling is extremely unfair to many people with older houses who put in applications some time before the war?

Obviously, new houses are not of much value to potential users unless supplied with lighting and heating, and therefore we have to allow for the necessary installations to be made. In the case of older types of houses, some means of heating or lighting is available, even if they are not completely modernised, and they are better off than a new house would be without them.

Why are oil lamps in new houses so much less satisfactory than oil lamps in old houses?

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that many people in London and Greater London are registered for housing with more than one local authority; and whether he will arrange to co-ordinate local authority housing lists for these areas in order to provide an accurate indication of the situation.

I am aware of the overlap, but attempts to eliminate it would involve greater labour than the results would merit. When an applicant is housed, the London County Council inform the Metropolitan Borough Council, or vice versa, and for practical purposes this co-ordination seems adequate.

I appreciate the right hon. Gentleman's reply, but is he aware that the L.C.C. are also bound up with the development of the rural areas outside the Metropolitan area, and it is in these areas that there is greater need for cooperation? Is he also aware that in some of these outside areas notices are being sent to people saying that there is no chance whatever of their being housed in that particular district, whereas, if there was this co-operation, it might be possible for this to be avoided.

I will make inquiries to find out whether it is possible to extend to the areas outside the Metropolitan boroughs the arrangements made by the Metropolitan boroughs and the L.C.C. inside London.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consult with the Minister of Works with a view to the release of the property, Channel View, Courtenay Place, Teignmouth, to the urban district council of Teignmouth in order to ease the acute housing position in that town.

In July, 1946, I agreed to requisitioning by the council. In September, they decided not to requisition. In April, 1947, they applied again for powers to requisition, but in the meantime the Ministry of Works had arranged to make the premises available as offices urgently required for the Ministry of Food, and at this stage I have felt unable to disagree with their proposal.

Would the Minister look again into this question, and would he realise that this property was derequisitioned by the council in view of the fact that the owner was turning it into flats, that the housing situation in Teignmouth is worse than in most places, and that there is considerable public indignation with the Ministry of Works in making this accommodation available for Government offices?

If there is public indignation in Teignmouth, obviously it should be diverted to the local authority which, in this case, was offered the premises and refused them; and in the meantime we had to make use of them for other appropriate purposes.

asked the Minister of Health what is the present extent of the temporary housing programme; when it will be completed and the scheme wound up.

The temporary housing programme comprises some 156,500 houses and is expected to be complete by the Spring of 1948.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say to what extent the termination of the temporary housing scheme is' likely to accelerate permanent construction and particularly with regard to equipment.

The cessation of the temporary housing scheme, which was and must always be competitive with permanent housing will make it possible to provide additional fitments for permanent houses. It is undesirable to continue the temporary housing programme at the expense of the permanent housing programme.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to prolong the continuance in force of the Furnished Houses (Rent Control) Act, 1946, which is due to expire on 31st December, 1947; and if he will state the number of cases submitted to Furnished Houses Rent Tribunals in the London and Greater London areas for each month to the nearest convenient date, giving the reasons for any decline in the number of cases submitted.

The question of prolonging the operation of the Furnished Houses (Rent Control) Act, 1946, is under consideration. As the answer to the latter part of the Question involves a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Most of the Tribunals in London were established over nine months ago and it was to be expected that the initial volume of applications would fall off.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is any possibility of amending the Act to provide a greater period of security of tenure beyond the existing three months, because it is the experience of large numbers of tenants who submit cases to these tribunals that subsequently they are dispossessed of the accommodation, and in the case of the Southern Tribunal where 107 tenants referred their cases no less than 64 were subsequently displaced by the landlords at the end of the three months' period?

I should like to receive additional evidence for the last part of my hon. Friend's statement, because it sounds very alarming. His supplementary goes very wide of the original question and is concerned with the content of an Act itself. I would point out that two matters must always be taken into consideration. If we give too long security to a tenant it is not always the tenant of a landlord but the tenant of a principal tenant who will be protected and we might shut off a great deal of accommodation which would otherwise be available. These facts can be taken into account by the House in three months when the Act expires, but I think that the Act on the whole has worked remarkably well.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that considerable advantage is taken of the short period of notice by landlords who are affected when the rents are reduced, and will he realise that it is a very important matter from the point of view of the tenants themselves as there are other matters which ought to be taken into consideration when the Act is continued?

In the first place, my hon. Friend must bear in mind that one of the very important by-products of the rent tribunals is to keep the rents of furnished lettings down where no appeal has been made to the tribunal. In the second place, where there are hardships created quite often I have given the power of requisition in order to prevent landlords from imposing hardships on tenants. Thirdly, my hon. Friend is really going

asked the Minister of Health what action he is taking to secure that dental facilities are made available to persons entitled to dental benefit but unable to obtain it owing to the present dispute far beyond the original question and is now asking for a new Rents Act.

is the Minister not aware that a lot of people will not appeal to the tribunals for the very reason that they are afraid that they will be turned out of their apartments, and have not I myself reported particular cases to the right hon. Gentleman?

This is always a matter of balancing considerations If we tie a tenant and a sub-tenant together too long by Act of Parliament we might create most appalling friction and at the same time deny accommodation to those in need. Furthermore, where a tenant is sometimes lethargic or loath to apply to a tribunal the local authority has power to apply on the tenant's behalf.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Reigate (Mr. Touche) by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of National Insurance on 17th April.

In view of the length of time that has elapsed since 17th April and the hardships which have taken place during that period, is the right hon. Gentleman not able to tell the House if there is any further action contemplated?

There is no further action under contemplation, but the extent of the distress is not as great as we first feared, and the area of distress is being gradually reduced.

asked the Minister of Health when a decision will be given on proposals submitted by the Northampton Rural District Council with regard to a district water supply scheme and on which a local inquiry was held on 1st April, 1947.

I have suggested modifications to secure economy and conformity with other possible developments in the county. I am awaiting further information from the Council to enable me to give a decision on their proposals.

Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that delay in giving decisions on these schemes holds up the long-term planning of housing, and does he appreciate that some of the proposals put forward by the Ministry involve the necessity of taking water supplies from the local authorities near by, which cannot supply their own areas?

There are three replies to that supplementary question. One is that if we were able to sanction all these schemes at once, we should not be able to proceed with them because of the shortage of steel; the second answer is that it is necessary to co-ordinate the schemes of a particular parish or urban council with the county council scheme, otherwise there would be hopeless technical problems; and the third answer is that this is done under the Act of 1944, which the hon. and learned Gentleman supported so enthusiastically.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider raising the allowance of 27s. a week for single men under treatment for tuberculosis; and whether he is aware that this low scale prevents many factory workers from accepting treatment and defeats the aims of the scheme of mass radiography now working in various parts of the country.

As the present allowances schemes will be replaced by other arrangements when the new social legislation is completed by the proposed National Assistance Bill, it would be inappropriate to revise it at this stage. I know of nothing to support the generalisation in the last part of the Question.

Is the Minister aware that when this scheme was introduced it gave very great hope to many sufferers from tuberculosis, and many of those who were employed found it difficult to give up their employment to undergo the treatment, because of the low rate of allowance?

I have said that there is no evidence in my possession to support the last part of my hon. Friend's statement. The scheme has done very great service indeed in the prevention of the development of tuberculosis, and next Session—if I am not anticipating too much—when the National Assistance Bill will be introduced, it will be assimilated into the wider scheme.

asked the Minister of Health (1) from how many hospitals has recognition as training schools for nurses been withdrawn by the General Nursing Council during the last year; and from how many further hospitals is this withdrawal proposed;

(2) how many hospital beds have had to be closed through shortage of nursing staff because of the withdrawal of their recognition as training schools for nurses by the General Nursing Council during the last year; and how many further beds will have to be closed if the withdrawals now proposed are carried out.

The hospitals number 24 and 37, respectively, but in many cases grouping arrangements will enable training to continue; as to the number of beds closed, I have no information.

May I ask my right hon. Friend whether he realises what a serious matter is this closing of beds to the people of this country, even if they are few in number; and if he will use the powers he has under the Nurses Registration Act, 1939, to override these decisions of the General Nursing Council, if he feels that they are undesirable in the public interest?

In answer to the last part of the question, I should have no hesitation in overriding the decisions of the General Nursing Council if I thought that they were inappropriate, and if I thought they would bring about a reduction of vital hospital accommodation; at the same time it is necessary to realise, as I am sure my hon. Friend realises, that we must maintain nurse-training standards, and that patients and nurses suffer if the patients are treated and the nurses are trained in inappropriate institutions.

Is it not a fact that the General Nursing Council is generally regarded as the authoritative body in this case, although, as the right hon. Gentleman has said, he has a perfect right, if necessary, to override their instructions.

Will my right hon. Friend consider making further representations to the General Nursing Council in respect of fever training hospitals where it is very difficult to get the requisite 100 beds occupancy as the average for the whole year, and where the training is very high?

I will keep that in mind.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that St. Leonard's Hospital, Shore-ditch, will have to close down if the decision of the General Nursing Council is implemented, and thereby important hospital accommodation will be lost to an area of London where it is very necessary?

I am hoping that this tragedy will be averted. I believe that discussions are taking place at the present time with the L.C.C. in order to bring about a regrouping. This hospital will be associated with other hospitals, and I am sure that my hon. Friend will agree that the present conditions at Shoreditch are in many respects very undesirable.

asked the Minister of Health if he has yet received the report of the Interdepartmental Working Party on Nursing; whether he proposes to publish this report; and when it may be expected to appear.

Yes, Sir. My right hon. friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Labour and National Service and I have received the report and propose to publish it. I expect it will be available in about three weeks' time.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the urgent need of a maternity wing being added to the Cockermouth Cottage Hospital; that funds are available for this purpose; and if he will now withdraw his veto.

When the Question was before me last year, my information was that the existing maternity accommodation would suffice if enough midwives could be found fully to staff it. As I then told the hospital, their scheme should not proceed pending consideration of all the hospital needs of the area by the Regional Hospital Board, which has now been appointed.

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that this is a very wide area and that maternity cases are very often to be taken 20 or 30 miles by ambulance, and that they have the money and the plans? If he will give his approval, it will be a very great service to this locality in this very difficult time.

I am afraid that money and plans are not sufficient these days. There have to be labour and materials as well. Furthermore, I think it would be very bad indeed to make definite alterations in maternity accommodation before the Regional Hospital Board now preparing plans has an opportunity of submitting them.

asked the Minister of Health, if he will take into consideration the heavy losses to the rates of some local authorities from the operations of the derating legislation of 1929 in the review and adjustment of the Exchequer block grant to local authorities.

Discussions with representative associations of local authorities are now taking place and until these have been concluded I cannot indicate the basis on which it is proposed that the new block grant shall be distributed.

Could my right hon. Friend be a little more precise and say whether or not losses from derating will be a factor to be taken into consideration?

I really cannot anticipate what the content of legislation will be.

In view of the vital urgency of encouraging production, will the right hon. Gentleman consider making an early statement that derating benefits will be continued?

No, it is quite impossible for me and entirely out of accord with the procedure of the House to anticipate the content of legislation.

asked the Minister of Health what progress he has made in settling the range of functions to be entrusted to local authorities; and how soon the rearrangement of the areas of metropolitan borough councils and the distribution of functions between them and the L.C.C., which were suspended last year, will be resumed.

The hon. Member is aware of the measures at present before Parliament affecting the functions of local authorities. There is no present intention of resuming the inquiry to which reference is made in the latter part of the Question.

Is the Minister of Health aware that continued suspense in London is putting a dead hand on some departments of London local government?

I am aware that the present situation for many local authorities is unsatisfactory, but until the pattern of London and especially the probable distribution of the population is better known, it would be premature to determine the function of local authorities and the relationship between local authorities; I am hoping that before very long there will be wider discussion on this issue.

asked the Minister of Labour, what staff is employed by his department in the premises of the A1 Tyre Company, 236–9, Broad Street, Birmingham; and how many interviews they give there daily.

The number of staff is 102, employed chiefly on the registration and placing of applicants for employment. About 12 of this staff are on call for interviewing duties and the daily average of interviews in the last four weeks was 71.

Can the Minister give us any indication how long he wishes to continue to keep this building?

Only until it is possible for us to obtain alternative premises.

asked the Minister of Labour (1), how many men, partially trained at training centres in Lancashire as bricklayers, are without employment and therefore unable to complete their training; what is the average length of time which elapses between leaving these training centres and obtaining employment; and to what factors he attributes any unemployment of these men;

(2) how many men, partially trained at training centres in Lancashire as plumbers, are without employment and therefore unable to complete their training; what is the average length of time which elapses between leaving these training centres and obtaining employment; and to what factors he attributes any unemployment of these men.

Two hundred and seventy-seven bricklayers and 40 plumbers trained at Government training centres in Lancashire have not yet been placed for continued training with employers. It is not possible, without special inquiry, to give the average length of time between the end of the training course and taking up employment, but in the twelve weeks ended 30th June, out of 565 bricklayers and 141 plumbers placed in employment, 224 and 107 respectively proceeded direct from the Centre to employment. The output from the Centres in this region has temporarily exceeded the openings available for trainees and, for this reason, further allocation to the Centres has been suspended for the time being.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that many of these men, most of whom fought gallantly during the war and have volunteered for this kind of work in order to contribute to national reconstruction, now feel that there is a definite prejudice against them, and will he do everything in his power to remove this prejudice—from whatever source it may spring?

Most certainly, if my hon. Friend will give me evidence of any such cases.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that some weeks ago I drew his attention to the fact that some of these young workers were excluded from working on a particular building site in Bolton in Lancashire, and has the right hon. Gentleman made inquiries on this matter because trainees are not encouraged by such treatment?

Yes, Sir, and I am sure that the hon. and gallant Gentleman will recollect that I not only made inquiries, but gave a full answer as to the position and stated what had been done to remedy it.

asked the Minister of Labour in view of the urgent need for greater production, what action he proposes to take in view of the recent decision made by the Amalgamated Engineering Union under which all Poles employed in that industry are being compelled to leave their jobs.

The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Trade Unions have informed me that they are unable to conclude a national agreement on the employment of Poles in engineering or to take any further action in the matter. I am now taking the matter up with the individual Unions and have asked for an early meeting of the Amalgamated Engineering Union Executive to discuss the point raised by the hon. Member. The effect of this decision on the production of mining machinery and electrical plant is one of great seriousness.

Does not the Minister agree that unless he takes definite action in this matter, he will surrender to a trade union the right to decide how many men shall work in a particular industry?

I do not know what body other than the industry itself has the right to decide in the light of existing circumstances, but that point does not arise. We have been negotiating with the Federation in the hope that we might reach an overriding agreement with all the unions. That has not been possible, however, and we now have to go back to negotiations with separate unions and we are hoping that there will be some success in that direction.

Is the Minister aware that in some very important engineering industries, especially in my constituency, employers are dismissing their workpeople at 65 by reintroducing an old prewar rule that at 65 men must leave their employ, and that if this is continued it will aggravate the difficulties already existing in the industry?

I fail to see what that has to do with the Question asked.

The right hon. Gentleman has correctly emphasised the difficulty and importance of this matter, but can he hold out any hope that he will be able to make a statement before the House rises?

I would not go so far as to say that I can hold out hope, but should I reach any conclusions I will certainly make a statement. The difficulty is that the two chief officers with whom we wish to negotiate are temporarily out of the country.

Can the Minister say how many men are involved?

Not without notice. They are involved in a great number of firms in very small numbers. In one firm, for example, six men are involved out of 700 employees, but this is causing serious interference with the flow of production.

Can the Minister inform the House on what grounds objection is made to the employment of Poles?

Since I have to negotiate with the unions, I think it is as well not to say things which will upset them before I start.