asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will now make a statement as to the future of the standard petrol ration.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will now make a statement with regard to increasing the basic petrol ration during the summer months.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will now make a statement about the level of the standard petrol ration during the summer months.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he proposes to make an increase in the basic petrol ration for the summer months.

Last summer a special holiday bonus of petrol was granted; the same arrangement will be made this year. As in 1949, the value of the coupons for June, July and August in the next standard ration book will be doubled; that is to say, for these months each coupon will be worth its face value in gallons, instead of half its face value, as it is now. This will increase the mileage allowed by the next standard ration book from about 540 miles to 810; motorists will be able, as they were last summer, to use all or any of the coupons in the books from early in May.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that his failure to improve upon his predecessor's effort of last year will cause widespread disappointment, and can he explain why the motorist of this country is worse treated than in any other comparable country?

No one can be more disappointed than I am. Anyone holding my office desires to do as much as he can, but it is really a dollar question.

Could not the right hon. Gentleman extend the concession to include the month of September, because that month has a very important bearing upon the economics of seaside towns?

I am willing to consider anything when we get to September but, in fact, these coupons can be used in any of the five months following the month shown upon them, and, therefore, I hope the hon. Gentleman's point is met.

Would the right hon. Gentleman consider publishing some figures showing stocks and imports in order to try to persuade people about the position? We have only his statement and that of his predecessor in regard to the dollar position, and we are getting a little tired of that excuse.

The right hon. Gentleman calls it an excuse. He knows as well as I do that it is one of the harsh basic facts which we have to face. I will consider anything.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the cost of the steam utilisation refresher course being, held at Reading University under the auspices of the Regional Joint Education Committee of the Southern Region of his. Department; and how many applications have been received for the course.

Seventy applications were received for the refresher course on steam utilisation now being held at Reading University; the attendance at the third lecture on Wednesday last was 60. The cost of the course to His Majesty's Government is£23 4s.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that cases have arisen where an area electricity board has refused to honour a contract made with another.electricity board; and if he will make a statement as to the general directions which he will issue that they shall honour contracts entered into with any one of them by members of the public.

If an electricity board fails to honour a binding contract, the aggrieved party has a remedy at law. I presume, however, that the hon. Member is thinking of a consumer who ends his agreement with one area electricity board and moves into the territory of another. I am sure that the hon. Member will agree that, in such a case, the second board would be under no obligation to supply electricity or to hire apparatus to the consumer on the same terms as he had received from the first.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, in the case of which I sent particulars to his predecessor, the gentleman in question had an agreement with the North-Eastern Electricity Board for the hire of apparatus at 8s. 6d. per quarter, and that he was told by the South-Eastern Electricity Board, to whose area he had moved, that:the hire for the same apparatus would be 28s.? Is that the kind of advantage to the consumers which his predecessor promised would be the sequel to electricity nationalisation?

No one ever promised that there would be standard charges for current, or the hire of apparatus. There may be variations in the charge according to the different districts, owing to the differing distance from the coalfields, and many other things. The hon. Member knows that the area electricity Boards are largely independent units which manage their own affairs.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that his colleague the Foreign Secretary, speaking in Wandsworth in 1945, made a promise of the kind that he himself has just denied?

Is not my right hon. Friend aware that, however great the variations may be today, they are infinitesimal compared with the variations in pre-nationalisation days?

Would the right hon. Gentleman explain why he says that there must be variations in the hire of apparatus? What has it to do with distance from the coalfield?

There is the hire of apparatus and there is the price of current. I have tried to find out the respective prices of current in those two areas, but I was not able to get the information in time.

Is the right hon. Gentleman seriously suggesting that the difference between 8s. and 28s. quoted by my hon. Friend is proportionate to the price of current?

No, but we have to consider the whole economic position of the board. Of course, in due process of time we shall advance, I hope rapidly, towards standardisation of tariffs. Considering the condition of the electricity industry when it was taken over and the very great variations in the efficiency of the plant, there must, for the present, be some anomalies in the prices charged.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the Opposition are always calling for more de-centralisation in the nationalised industries and more delegation of powers to the area boards? Will he note that they are now demanding a highly centralised, bureaucratic standardisation?

is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the change which he describes as a variation in fact amounts to an increase of more than 300 per cent., which is made more acute by the fact that the gentleman in question resides within a mile of the most modern power plant in the country?

I hope for that reason that he is getting very cheap current. He is, in fact, hiring, as I understand it, a heater, a cooker, and an electric kettle for 28s. a year, which is not a very high charge.

Per quarter.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what method is adopted by his Department for determining whether or not the use of public transport is reasonably practicable by applicants for supplementary petrol; on what calculations of time and distance allowances are based; and if he will arrange for written rulings to be given on request from persons contemplating employment at a distance from their homes.

Whether it is reasonable to ask anyone to use public transport to go from his home to his work must depend on the special facts of each individual case. The regional petroleum officers are, therefore, given discretion to grant petrol for this purpose when they think it right. The circumstances of different cases vary so much that I could not adequately explain in this answer the principles on which the petroleum officers do their work. I will, however, be happy to discuss the matter with the hon. Baronet, if he so desires. The regional petroleum officers will certainly give their decisions in writing to people who are considering whether they will accept employment at a distance from their homes.

As apparently no rules have been laid down, does the right hon. Gentleman mean that these decisions are left to the sweet will of some minor official? Will he say whether we can have a prospect of improvement in supplementary allowances?

As to the supplementary allowances, of course we shall always do our best. As to the principles which are applied, the regional petroleum officer considers the time tables of buses and trains, the number of changes for a given journey, the time it takes, whether the persons concerned are engaged in heavy manual work or in sedentary employment, whether they are old people or suffering from physical disability—many other things. I will discuss the matter with the hon. Baronet.

Are there no rules laid down for the guidance of regional officers?

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why he refused an allowance of petrol to enable Mr. T. R. Hodgetts, 36, Park Road, Sutton Cold-field, to drive six miles each way daily for his work, without spending approximately two hours in public transport and upon what formula of time and distance his decision was reached.

As my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to my Department explained in a letter to the hon. Member, the regional petroleum officer decided that Mr. Hodgetts could travel from his home to his work by omnibus, without suffering unreasonable inconvenience or delay. Though I regret that we could not meet Mr. Hodgetts' desires, I am satisfied that the decision was right.

Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that half a gallon of petrol a day would save this gentleman one-and-a-half hours a day in time, and if no rules have been laid down for these decisions, how can this gentleman or the hon. Member representing him decide whether he is being fairly treated or not?

There are innumerable cases all over the country in which if we allowed petrol for home-to-work travel we should save time for the persons concerned, but it would cost hundreds of thousands of tons of petrol a year.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will consider freeing the sale of diesel oil for road vehicles, which will make a saving in administrative cost without incurring extra dollar expenditure.

I have considered the proposal to de-ration the sale of diesel oil with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport. We are agreed that, while the proposal has many attractions, it would, in fact, increase the consumption of diesel oil, and would thus cost more dollars. It would also discriminate unfairly against vehicles which run on petrol, and would create anomalies of other kinds. For these reasons, I regret that I cannot adopt the proposal made by the hon. Member.

While thanking the Minister for that answer, may I ask whether it is not a fact that if we wish to make a saving in administrative expenditure here is one method which we can adopt?

If I thought that this suggestion would mean less use of petrol, I should think it extremely attractive, but I think it only means more use of diesel oil.

Why does the right hon. Gentleman talk of dollars all the time? There is plenty of petrol from sterling areas, so why does he not get it?

The hon. Members knows that all the sterling oil is used.

Where?

Any additional oil used here must cost dollars.

Why?

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will, in the interest of public economy, review the costly system of maintaining local fuel overseers.

As I have said in answer to other Questions today, there is unfortunately a shortage of the coal required for household use. Local fuel overseers ensure that each individual consumer receives a fair share of the available supplies, and I regard this as an essential service to the community at large. I am glad to tell the hon. Member, however, that in the last few months substantial savings in the cost of the service have been made, and to assure him that I will keep the matter under constant review.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that what worries consumers most now is not so much the amount of coal they get but its quality, and is he further aware that within the limit of a given allotment it is the coal merchants and not the local overseers who decide who shall get how much of the

Yes, Sir. If the hon. Member heard an earlier answer, he would know that I am aware of this point.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a number of these local fuel overseers have been resigning from highly paid jobs because they say that they have no work to do? Is that not another reason for abolishing the whole of this coal rationing system?

That is not my information.

What is the cost of maintaining these overseers?

Perhaps the hon. Member will put that Question down.

Mumbo jumbo.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware of the short-fall in coal deliveries to coal merchants in Stafford over the winter months; to what extent this applies also to other areas in the West Midlands; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy these deficiencies.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware of the present shortage of coal in the Stroud district; and whether he has yet taken any steps to relieve the position.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the difficulty experienced by a large number of residents in the Ladywood Division of Birmingham in obtaining satisfactory supplies of coal; and if he will take the necessary steps to improve distribution.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that allocations of house coal to Towcester and district have fallen short of the consumer's needs; and what steps he is taking to ensure that this area and other areas in South Northamptonshire obtain their proper share of house coal.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware of the deteriorating supply of household coal, in the Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley areas, during the last few months; and what steps he proposes to take to alleviate the position.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that much of the coal supplied to Northern Ireland, both for industrial and private use, is of inferior quality and contains a high proportion of slate and other non-combustible matter; and what steps he is taking to remedy this.

As the hon. Members are well aware, there is unfortunately a shortage of the good coal required for household use, and the National Coal Board are, therefore, unable to meet the full demands which merchants have made. The main difficulty is in the quality of the coal available; much large coal is needed for the railways and for the export trade. For that reason, we have been obliged to allocate to merchants some coal of grades which would not be put to household use, if there were adequate supplies of better coal. These are general difficulties not confined to the districts mentioned in the Questions put to me by hon. Members. Therefore, as I am saying in answer to another Question today, I am taking up the problems of supply and quality with the National Coal Board as a matter of urgent importance.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in a town like Stafford only 70 per cent. of the coal was delivered and will he see that something is quickly done about it?

I have looked into a good many cases, but I have never found the percentage of delivery against allocation as low as that.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that it was possible for a constituent, paying£4 18s. 0d. a ton for coal, to send me about nine pounds of slate and rock which came out of one single fire, and to make suggestions as to how I should use it?

I should first like to know the size of the fire, and also the name of the merchant.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the shortage of household coal referred to in Question No. 14 is a direct result of the peremptory decision of the National Coal Board to shut the Bayton Colliery, and that has led in the last few weeks to widespread distress for household consumers and a great deal of inconvenience for the colliers formerly employed in the pit?

I always regret inconvenience to householders, and still more what might be hardship to miners, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that no pit is closed unless there are overwhelming reasons in favour of doing so.

While not asking for anything as revolutionary as that consumers should not be asked to pay for slate and stone, could the right hon. Gentleman ensure that perhaps they do not pay the same price as is paid for top-quality coal?

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman is not aware that coal is graded in price as well as in quality.

I am talking about slate and stone, not coal.

The right hon. Gentleman asked me about the price of coal. [HON. MEMBERS: "Slate."] I recognise the difficulty about slate, but if he will wait for an answer which I am going to give a little later on, he will have further information.

Does my right hon. Friend realise that in the City of Birmingham large numbers of people have to queue with barrows and other receptacles and are only allowed a quarter to half a hundredweight at a time? Surely this is a situation which is very much worse than it was some time ago, and would my right hon. Friend make a serious investigation into it?

I have said that there is much in the situation with which I am not content. That is why I am taking the matter up with the National Coal Board.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a good many householders in South Northamptonshire have had no coal at all for some weeks, not even slate, and what hope can he hold out that they will get some coal?

I should like full details of that. I have heard many assertions of that kind made, and nearly always I have found that coal is available when it is really required.

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. You may recollect that some supplementary questions were not put because the Minister stated that he would give his answer to Question 16. Can we have that answer either now or at the end of Questions?

There have been plenty of supplementary questions today—a great number I think. I was trying to get on with Questions.

I should be glad to give the answer to Question 16 at the end of Questions if Mr. Speaker allowed me to do so, but I am in his hands.

On a point of Order. The Minister of Fuel and Power said that he would answer Question 16 after Question time. He volunteered to do so.

I said that I very much wanted to answer the Question but the hon. Member who put down the Question had not taken the trouble to be in his place to ask it. That being so, I said that I would place myself in Mr. Speaker's hands.

Further to that point of Order. I have an exact recollection of what the right hon. Gentleman said, which was that provided that you, Mr. Speaker, allowed him, he would be only too glad to answer the Question. In view of that, perhaps you will allow him and accord him that gratification.

It is not within my province to allow or not to allow a Question to be answered. It is entirely a matter for the Minister concerned.

The answer is as follows. If adequate supplies of good coat for household consumption could be ensured by the issuing of ministerial directions to the National Coal Board, I should be more than glad to give the hon. Member the fullest satisfaction. Owing to the deplorable condition of the industry when it was taken over, the Board now unfortunately have formidable difficulties to overcome. We are not yet producing sufficient coal of the grades required to meet our needs for domestic use, for the production of gas, for general industry and for transport, and to fulfil our commitments to export abroad. There is also a great shortage of plant to wash and prepare the coal for which the Board are in no way to blame. But I recognise the gravity of the question and I am asking the National Coal Board to review the problems of supply and quality with me as a matter of urgent importance.

If the conditions. in the industry were so deplorable before it was nationalised, how was it that it managed to meet all its requirements. before the war?

Unfortunately, we had mass unemployment.

Is not the Minister aware that the coal with which we are being supplied in Northern Ireland is getting worse than it was when the industry was under private enterprise?

I have no evidence of that. I have already answered many questions about it.

Does my right hon. Friend realise that if we had not nationalised the coal industry, no one in this. House would have been able to answer the public's questions about this matter?

Is the Minister not aware that those of us who were in the House before the war are now receiving far more complaints about the quality of coal than we were then?

With regard to the Minister's statement about mass unemployment before the war, is he aware that there are fewer people employed in coal mining now than there were in 1939?

Of course, that is one of the difficulties. The conditions in the industry under private enterprise were such that miners would not allow their sons to go into it.

Will my right hon. Friend make it clear that there was dirt and slate in coal before the National Coal Board took over?

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that in South Antrim and County Armagh there are 9,500 acres of orchards and that present growers are in a serious plight because, whereas in 1948, with an average crop, 18,019 tons had been exported by February, 1949, this year, after a bumper crop, only 10,382 tons had been shipped to this country, while shops in London are flooded with Italian or other imported apples; and what steps he proposes to take to safeguard the future of this industry, in view of its importance to our food supply.

The crop in Northern Ireland consists almost entirely of cooking apples.

Will the right hon. Gentleman make further inquiries? I think he will find that there was a very excellent supply of eating apples in Northern Ireland which could not reach the British market because of the importation of foreign apples.

I have made a good many inquiries into this and I am satisfied that the great bulk of the crop was cooking apples.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now allow fish to be served as an extra course in hotels and restaurants.

The Meals in Establishments Order restricts the number of courses as well as the charge, and I shall be looking at this point when I make the general review I promised the hon. Member for Middleton and Prestwich (Major Gates) on 13th March.

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that in the last five months thousands of tons of fresh fish have been used as manure and have gone into fish meal factories, and will he treat the matter more urgently?

I am looking at the whole question of the price limit as a very urgent matter. It would obviously be silly to deal with one side until we have dealt with the whole problem.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give some indication as to when more distributions of pork will be made available on the meat ration.

Although pork is still relatively scarce we have been able to distribute on the meat ration 12,820 tons from December, 1949, to February, 1950, compared with 4,660 tons in the corresponding period a year ago. However, I am afraid that for some time yet most of the pork which we get from abroad and from home farmers must still be used for making bacon, not for the meat ration.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that his predecessor used to make similar statements but the housewives were never able to find it? Can he say to which part of the country this pork was allocated?

Not without notice. This is a little better. I do not make a very large claim for it but it is better than it was a year ago.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that the terms of Circular No. 3115 issued by his Department have been interpreted as an intention to reduce the cooking fat, the cheese, ordinary, and the bacon ration on 23rd April, 1950; and if he will give an assurance that it is not his intention to reduce the existing rations of these foodstuffs on that date.

I would rather not make any forecasts about future ration levels, because, especially for perishable foods like bacon, they depend so much on the rate of shipments and home marketing. But if there has been any misunderstanding about this routine circular, I should explain to the hon. Member that the amounts written on retailers' buying permits, which run for 16 weeks, do not always correspond with current ration scales, especially when there are short-term changes. When rations vary the permit is re-valued not re-written.

Arising from that answer, will the right hon. Gentleman, in view of his explanation, consider printing an annotation to this routine memorandum which would then have the effect of allaying a great deal of public alarm and, in addition, prevent persons in the retail food trade from being misled?

I cannot agree that there is a good deal of public alarm, but if it would help I should be glad to consider it.

asked the Minister of Food if he will make a statement as to why his Department gave directions to the Overseas Food Corporation to try to prevent the publication of the book entitled "The Groundnut Affair," by Mr. Alan Wood; and what action was taken.

No directions of any kind have been given by my Department to the Overseas Food Corporation about the publication of a book by Mr. Alan Wood. The second part of the Question does not therefore arise.

Does it follow from that answer that the fact that the right hon. Gentleman's predecessor personally informed the publishers that publication would be stopped, while Sir Leslie Plummer personally informed the author to the same effect, was merely a happy coincidence? In view of the implications of this matter with respect to freedom of discussion, will the right hon. Gentleman arrange for a public inquiry into the whole case?

As the hon. Gentleman pointed out, if any representations were made I do not know about them; they would be personal representations. As head of this Department, I could not take any responsibility for that kind of representation.

How is it possible for a Minister while he is still in office to make personal representations about a matter that intimately concerns his own Ministry? Surely he can only do so in his part as Minister, and he and his successor must take the responsibility for it?

I am sorry. Obviously I can only take responsibility for what the Department does, and I have made most careful inquiries into this and at no stage has any communication, written or oral, gone from my Department to any responsible person on this matter.

Does the right hon. Gentleman deny that a communication went from his predecessor, who surely was part of the Department at the time, to the publishers, and does not that constitute an official act? Are we to understand that in future we may get letters from Ministers written from their offices and afterwards be told, "This is only a personal thing; it is not a Department matter?"

I cannot deny anything on which I have no information. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Quite seriously, there is no record in my Department of any transaction of this kind. Therefore I have no record at all and I can neither deny nor affirm. All I can say is that my Department—and the Question is addressed to me on that ground—has at no time made any such representations.

In view of the very unsatisfactory nature of this reply, may I ask the Prime Minister, who is responsible for all Ministries, whether he will look into this and see whether, in fact, any instructions were issued by the right hon. Gentleman's predecessor, whether unofficially or, as we are now told, in his personal capacity?

I will certainly ask the Secretary of State for War about this point.

asked the Minister of Food why he has indicated to the fruit and vegetable canners of rhubarb that the most which canners ought to anticipate is enough sugar for a pack of 25 per cent. of last year's; and whether he has considered the unemployment this must cause and the shortage which the consumer will experience as a result.

I am informed that the canners expect to be able to maintain employment if we can, in fact, give them the larger allocation of sugar which I mentioned in reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Norfolk Central (Brigadier Medlicott) on 13th March. The hon. Member might like to know that the revised canning programme has been accepted by the canners.

Does the Minister realise that, if the reduced allocation is proceeded with, there will be hardship to the growers of the fruit, hardship to the employees in the canning factories, and hardship to the public and consumers because they will not be able to get any, and that the allocation is still far too low?

All I know is that the official representatives of the canners have accepted the programme.

Perhaps the Minister will have a talk to me afterwards?

asked the Minister of Food if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement showing what percentage of our imports of meat, bacon, butter, cheese and eggs came from foreign countries in 1948 and 1949, respectively.

Yes, Sir.

Could the right hon. Gentleman say now whether the figures show that there was an increase in the proportion imported from foreign countries, and if so, can he explain why?

There was a slight increase, but the figures are so complicated that I would rather await examination of them, when possibly the hon. Gentleman will put down a further Question?

asked the Minister of Food (1) if he will consider the advisability of setting up a committee to consider a reorganisation of the distribution of vegetables and soft fruits, with a view to eliminating those who do no useful service but add to the cost to the consumer;

These are difficult problems to which the Agricultural Departments and the Ministry of Food have in the past given a great deal of attention without, so far, having found any satisfactory solution. In consultation with my colleagues I intend to go into the whole matter myself as soon as possible and I would rather not make any pronouncement at the moment.

Is the Minister aware that last year many complaints were made by hon. Members of this House that fruit was allowed to rot on the trees and that vegetables were ploughed back into the ground because the farmer could not find a market for his produce? Is not the time ripe for a committee to be set up to regulate the supply and demand, and is the Minister aware that lettuce sold by the primary producer at ½d. is sold in the market at 1s. and 1s. 3d.? Could my right hon. Friend tell us the number of people who get a rake-off between the ½d. and the 1s. 3d.?

I am aware of those facts and they are part of the matters now under review.

asked the Minister of Food why he is allowing the import of tinned Russian crab meat, when our own fishermen are unable to get a market for crabs.

There is a strong demand for canned crab meat, as well as for good quality home-caught crabs, and I can see no reason for limiting imports. If people like canned crab meat, I regard it as my duty to try to satisfy their demand. After all, as I said last week, "a little of what you fancy does you good."

Is the Minister accurate in his statement that there is a big demand for crab meat? [HON. MEMBERS: "Yes."] Is he aware that at the present time fishermen have had to go on a quota because they cannot sell their crabs at the most important part of the season? Is he further aware that fishermen are getting only between 3s. and 4s. a pound for their crabs and that there is no demand at the moment? I am sure he is wrong.

I am sorry to find this opposition to a free market and to free competition from the other side of the House.

Could not the demand for canned crab be met by canning home-caught crab?

That is another question.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the recommendation in the 13th Report of the Select Committee on Estimates in Session 1948–49 of the last Parliament that preparations should be made for an early re-opening of the London Tea Auctions, which would lead to administrative economies, he can given an indication of what progress has been made to this end; and whether he intends re-opening the London Tea Auctions in the near future.

As I told the House last week in reply to the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Turton), I am considering this and relevant matters in the light of the Select Committee on Estimates' recommendation. These raise important issues of public policy which I desire to consider most carefully. I can only add that I am also considering the report I have just received from the Mission which went to India, Pakistan and Ceylon last month.

May we have some indication of when a decision is likely to be reached?

I could not say definitely; in a few weeks' time.

asked the Minister of Food what was the object of the letter addressed by his Department to Messrs. John Harvey & Sons, Bristol, as to their description of their sherry; and what action he proposes to take as a result of their refusal to omit the words "milk" and "cream."

When a trade mark application was made recently for "Bristol Milk" Sherry, an over-zealous official wrote a letter to the company raising the question of whether such a trade mark might not be a misleading description of the product. He should not have done so and the letter was quickly withdrawn. The second part of the Question, therefore, does not arise. But I would like to apologise to the firm concerned for any inconvenience they may have been caused by this mistake.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that to connect Bristol Milk, which has been sold under that name for 300 years, with the product of the cow is quite idiotic, and ought he not to employ officials who have a little more knowledge of the matters they are handling?

Since I have apologised, I do not want to add anything to the answer have given.

asked the Minister of Food when he anticipates being in a position to inform tea growers in India and Ceylon what price he is prepared to offer for tenders to the 1950 bulk contract.

When our negotiations with their Governments are completed.

Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that the longer this decision is delayed, the less chance he will have of getting the qualities he requires at the price upon which his Department finally decides?

Is the right hon. Gentleman taking care during these negotiations that the resumption of the London Tea Market is not being jeopardised in the price?

That is not being overlooked.

asked the Minister of Food what are the usual contents of the emulsifying agent used in the manufacture of processed cheese; and in what proportion it is added.

I am told that these emulsifying agents are chemical salts and usually consist of di-sodium phosphate, sodium citrate or a combination of similar salts. The quantity added depends upon the type of salts used but is not usually more than 3 per cent.

Could the right hon. Gentleman say why all this is done? is it intended to improve the cheese?

I think that both the hon. Gentleman and myself would do well to await the better definition now being worked on by a responsible committee.

Is my right hon. Friend convinced that these emulsifying agents are in no way harmful to health?

So far as I am told, they are not but, quite frankly, I do not understand them.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that ships have been diverted from British yards to Dutch yards for repair because the Dutch yards have more modern equipment; and if he will make a statement.

British ships sometimes go to Dutch yards for repairs just as Dutch and other foreign ships sometimes come to the United Kingdom because it happens in the particular case to be quicker or cheaper or more convenient to do so. There is no evidence that the equipment of the Dutch yards is superior to that of the British yards.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that Hilversum radio on 1st December last stated that British ships were being sent to Dutch yards because the Dutch yards have more modern equipment, and that this statement caused some anxiety?

I am only too delighted to repudiate that because, as a matter of fact, there is much more foreign shipping repaired in British yards than British shipping in foreign yards.

Can the Minister give us the proportion of foreign ships repaired in British yards and British ships repaired in foreign yards?

I shall be delighted to give it if my hon. Friend will put down a Question.

Can the Minister tell us the difference in repairing costs, if any, between the British and the Dutch yards?

They vary, of course, according to the ships and from time to time.

Can my right hon. Friend say, from the information he has had, whether it is because of the cheapness of repair work on the Continent that ships are repaired there instead of at home?

That may be a factor, but it does not alter my other statement that, on balance, the advantage is with Me British yards.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the hardship caused to the inhabitants of Whitchurch, Oxfordshire, by the continuance of toll charges at Whitchurch Bridge; whether he is aware that this is the only toll bridge still remaining over the Thames; and what steps he proposes to take to assist the local authorities concerned to free this bridge from toll.

There is another toll bridge over the Thames at Swinford. It is my intention to free both bridges from tolls as soon as possible but owing to the pressing need for reducing Government expenditure I am unable to make grants for this purpose at the present time.

Does the Minister recollect that the Government are spending some£130,000 on three temporary bridges over the Thames for the Festival of Britain, and does he not think that some of that money might be better allocated for relieving the hardship which the continuance of this toll bridge imposes upon the inhabitants of this village?

That is a matter of opinion. The other expenditure, of course, was decided upon by this House.

asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been drawn to the loss at sea of the s.s. "Hopestar," owing to the reduction of strength brought about by structural alterations; what action he is taking to prevent similar accidents in the future; and if he will set up a committee to review the whole question of the stress and strain on ships in rough weather, both when in ballast and carrying cargo.

I ordered a formal investigation into the loss of this vessel and am at present considering the findings of the court, which were delivered on 9th March of this year. I propose to consult with the various shipping and other interests concerned on the court's recommendation that a technical committee should be set up to investigate the strains imposed on a vessel in the ballast condition in bad weather.

Is it customary for a ship to proceed to sea after undergoing structural alterations, as in the case of the "Hopestar," without a re-examination by the Board of Trade?

Of course, those examinations are carried out. As I have already stated, this matter is being thoroughly investigated.

Did the Board of Trade make a thorough investigation before the "Hopestar" proceeded to sea?

The investigation is still proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has any statement to make on the possibility of a peace treaty being now concluded with Japan.

No, Sir. There are no developments to report other than those described by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, in reply to the hon. Member for the Pavilion Division of Brighton (Mr. Teeling) on 13th March.

Will the hon. Gentleman undertake that the views of this country and the Dominions shall receive full consideration, and would he also agree that exploratory talks should be undertaken with the United States at the earliest possible moment?

I can certainly give an assurance to that effect.