asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what answer he has given to the invitation from the Icelandic Parliament for two Members of this House to visit Iceland; and if he will make arrangements for this visit.

I am glad to inform the House that the invitation has been accepted, and arrangements are being made for the visit to take place from 10th to 19th July.

asked the Minister of Health the grounds on which he decides whether or not to make a grant to a local authority under the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Act, 1944.

I must first decide whether the scheme is within the scope of the Act, that is, whether it is for a rural locality and, in the case of sewerage and sewage disposal, whether the need arises from something done or proposed to be done, either before or after the passing of the Act, to supply or increase the supply of piped water. If it is, grant is given if and to the extent that the deficiency falling on the local authority, in relation to their financial position and their commitments for similar schemes, is more than they can reasonably be expected to bear themselves.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent it is the practice of his Department to refuse grants to a local authority until further schemes proposed by the local council have been submitted so that the whole question can be reviewed by him when all the facts are marshalled; and how far this process prevents an urgent local scheme being allocated a grant and considered as a purely local arrangement in cases where it has no influence one way or the other on a general water scheme of the area as a whole.

Where the deficiency on a particular scheme is not sufficient in itself to justify grant assistance, but further schemes are expected, it is the practice to defer a decision on the grant question so that the total financial liability can be considered. A local scheme would not be refused grant if the cost justified assistance.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is satisfied that an excess of power has so far not been used by the permitted lighting on shops and buildings; and whether he is yet able to make a statement on whether this lighting will be allowed to continue during the winter months or at any rate during the Christmas period.

Yes. I am satisfied that the shop window lighting and display lighting at present permitted are not placing any strain on available generating capacity. As regards the second part of the Question, the Electric Lighting (Restriction) Order, 1949 (S.I. 1949 No. 633) provides that advertisement and display lighting may be used all day on Saturdays and Sundays and from after 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. on other days throughout the winter. It is unlikely that any special relaxations of shop lighting restrictions will be possible at Christmas, 1949, except during such periods as may be treated as general holidays by industry. Experience shows that, except on such holidays, the electricity load in the pre-Christmas week is heavier than the normal at that time of the year and, in consequence, there is a serious risk of the system being overloaded.

asked the Minister of Food why £300 is still owed to Rushworth Transport, Limited, of Stanningley, near Leeds, for loads carried for his Department in April, May and June; and what steps he is taking to pay this debt and ensure that such delays of payment do not occur again.

Some delay has occurred in the clearance of hauliers' accounts in one of the Ministry's port offices owing to an increase in traffic. We have already speeded up the work and a payment amounting to £264 will be made to Messrs. Rushworth Transport Limited this week.