asked the President of the Board of Trade how many firms are operating on the Aycliffe Trading Estate, County Durham; how many are working short time; and how many have been switched to armament production.

At present 66 firms are operating on the Aycliffe Estate, 11 of which are using premises there for storage only. I am informed that one small firm is on short time. Six firms are directly engaged on defence work, and I understand that others are carrying out sub-contract work for the defence programme, but full information is not available on this point.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many new factories and extensions to existing factories have been built in County Durham since November, 1951.

Since 1st November, 1951, five new factories and 17 extensions to existing factories, with a total area of 624,000 sq. ft., have been notified as completed in County Durham.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many increases in wholesale and retail prices have been authorised by him since 1st January, 1952.

Four. The goods affected were linoleum, certain sewing cottons and threads and two items of Utility clothing.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that in the first four months of this year over 250 million pairs of rubber footwear were imported from Belgium, Holland, Italy and Czechoslovakia; and whether he will take steps to restrict the import of these goods until our trade balance has materially improved, in view of the large stocks and production capacity for this type of shoe in this country.

No. Imports of rubber footwear from Belgium, Holland, Italy and Czechoslovakia in the first four months of this year amounted to only 280,000 pairs, valued at £108,000. Imports of footwear from these countries are already restricted for balance of payments reasons.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many bankruptcies and liquidations there were in the period 1st November, 1951, to the nearest convenient date; and what were the comparative figures for a similar period in the previous year.

From 1st November, 1951, to 30th June, 1952, there were 1,358 bankruptcies and 318 compulsory liquidations. For the corresponding period a year earlier the numbers were 1,324 and 291 respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the growing practice of branded goods manufacturers again to fix retail prices for their goods consequent upon the abolition of price control, what action he will take to see that profit margins will not be imposed which will unduly inflate retail prices.

I have seen no evidence that there has been an increase in the practice of resale price maintenance in respect of those goods from which price controls have been removed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the increase or decline in the level of prices of basic materials used in industry since October, 1951.

The index number of wholesale prices of basic materials, other than fuel, for non-food manufacturing industry declined by about 12 per cent. between October, 1951, and June, 1952.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade debars the United Kingdom from restricting imports by licence for the purpose of protecting British producers.

The General Agreement contains a general prohibition of the use of import restrictions except where these are necessary to safeguard the balance of payments.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had, and by whom, to cut imports of fruit and tomatoes; what decisions he has made; and what effect on fruit and tomato prices will ensue from his decisions.

I have received representations on these points from certain hon. Members. Imports of most classes of fresh fruit have already been very severely restricted for balance of payments reasons. In view of the severity of these import cuts, it has been agreed, with the concurrence of the National Farmers' Union, that no special seasonal restrictions are necessary for imports of these fruits during the period of the main home crop. In the particular case of tomatoes, I am still considering with my right hon. Friends the Ministers of Agriculture and Food whether the state of the home market makes any alteration necessary in the import quota previously announced.It is not possible to estimate the effect of these import restrictions on prices, but I would remind the hon. Member that, mainly because of the heavy home crop, wholesale prices of fruit in general are appreciably lower than last year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can now state what steps he is taking to steer Government contracts for goods other than textiles to the textile areas.

Yes. As the House is aware, I have been examining with my colleagues what scope there is for steering Government contracts for goods other than textiles to the textile areas. As a result, arrangements are now being made to enable the worst hit of these areas to share the advantages on Government contracts already enjoyed by the Development Areas and certain other areas of relatively high unemployment. I am anxious that the possible results of this measure should not be exaggerated; but the new arrangements represent another contribution, along with the measures already announced by the Government, towards meeting the difficulties of the textile areas.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider giving no permits for the importation of new potatoes next year.

I cannot forecast what arrangements will be made for imports of new potatoes in 1953. But to stop the import of all potatoes for the whole of the year would of course deprive the country of much needed foodstuffs and would prejudice our relations with the supplying countries.

asked the Secretary for Overseas Trade, as representing the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the prices of basic slag, including freight but excluding subsidy, are at Belfast, Kirkwall, Ballymena and Sanday Pier.

The prices for the various grades of basic slag are specified by Statutory Order, and include delivery to the farmer's nearest railway station in Great Britain or delivery on to the boat for Northern Ireland. The additional charge for delivery to Belfast or Ballymena would be 25s. and 40s. 6d. respectively.The Basic Slag Producers' Association have not yet settled the rates for delivery in the current season to the Orkney and Shetland Islands, but I will notify the hon. Member immediately these are available.

asked the Secretary for Overseas Trade, as representing the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the total value in 1951 of esparto grass and pulp-wood imported for paper-making; and whether he will encourage the industry to use a greater volume of home-grown straw for this purpose.

The c.i.f. values were £15,062,186 and £2,638,616, respectively. My noble Friend will certainly give every encouragement to paper-makers who wish to use home-produced materials, including straw, but the latter requires special plant for economic production.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now revert to the former system of announcing official holdings of gold and dollars weekly.

No. My right hon. Friend has just announced monthly publication: and he does not consider that publication at shorter intervals is desirable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer approximately how many claims for war damage have been rejected by the War Damage Commission on the grounds of late notification; what proportion this is of the total number of claims received; and if he will give an estimate of the total sum claimed in these late notifications.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement in explanation of the drop in the industrial production index for April to 139 from 151 for April, 1951, and from 149 for March, 1952; and what effect he estimates this loss of production will have on our standard of living.

The main reason for the fall in the index of industrial production in April, 1952, compared with either March, 1952, or with April, 1951, is that in 1952 Easter fell in April while in 1951 Easter fell in March. The evidence sug- gests that total industrial production so far this year has been on about the same level as in the corresponding period of last year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how far the Government propose to use existing institutions as the basis of the new university devoted mainly to technological studies.

I cannot at present add to the statement which my right hon. Friend made in reply to the hon. Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. G. Longden) on 11th June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many temporary non-industrial civil servants there are at present in the following categories, respectively, under 50 years of age; between 50 and 60 years of age; between 60 and 65 years of age; and over 65 years of age; and how many have been discharged as redundant in each age group since 1st October, 1951.

The information is not available centrally and I am afraid that it could be obtained only at the cost of a disproportionate amount of work.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many non-industrial civil servants have been discharged as redundant on reaching pensionable age since 1st October, 1951.

I regret that the information asked for by my hon. Friend is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the extent of the Dalton State Forest; when this land was acquired by the State; and for what purpose.

The extent of the forest is 833 acres. It was acquired between 1947 and 1952 largely for afforestation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he expects to be able this year, to increase further the allocation of feedingstuffs to poultry keepers and breeders; and whether he can devise a more realistic basis of allocation than that relating to the number of birds kept 13 years ago.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the allocation of feedingstuffs to poultry keepers and poultry breeders is now made on the basis of a list of applicants more than 13 years old; and whether he will arrange for a more up-to-date system of allocation to be brought into operation.

Ration scales for the winter are under consideration, but I cannot promise any improvement for any class of stock. In regard to the second part of the Question, several suggestions for improving the rationing scheme are being actively studied, and I have the point made by my hon. Friends very much in mind; but I cannot say yet what my conclusions will be.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has considered taking steps to reclaim agricultural land, now under water, as the result of mining subsidence.

Bearing in mind that the resources available for work of this character are strictly limited, I feel that they can best be used under present conditions for increasing production from land which will respond more readily, and at much lower cost, than the type of land referred to by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he still intends to proceed under Section 84 of the Agriculture Act, 1947, with the compulsory acquisition of the Malltraeth Marsh in Anglesey.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he still intends to proceed with the acquisition of Malltraeth Marsh, Anglesey, under the provisions of Section 84 of the Agriculture Act, 1947.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the farming community in North Cardiganshire are opposed to the acquisition by him of Borth Bog but are anxious that he should give every assistance in helping individual farmers to maintain and improve existing drainage facilities; and if he will make a statement as to his intentions in this regard.

I have carefully studied the report on Malltraeth Marsh submitted to my predecessor by the Welsh Agricultural Land Sub-Commission and the more recent report on Borth Bog. I recognise the care with which the Sub-Commission carried out their investigations, and the weight to be attached to their findings; but I have had to consider their proposals in the light of the present strain on our national resources as well as of the particular problems of these areas. I have decided that the heavy capital expenditure required to buy and equip the land would not be justified in present circumstances, and I do not intend to proceed with these projects. As regards the drainage of both areas, which the reports show to be one of the main problems, the North-West Wales River Board has now become directly responsible for the sea defences and the main channels in the Marsh and the Bog, and will no doubt also take such action as may be necessary to ensure the reasonable maintenance of the drainage systems generally.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware of the concern of cattle breeders in areas in which foot-and-mouth disease restrictions have led to suspension of the artificial insemination service; and whether, in view of the long term consequences of this suspension on meat and milk production, he will review the ban on artificial insemination within the 15-mile area.

I am well aware of and much regret the difficulties caused by the interruption of the artificial insemination service as a result of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. The restrictions imposed are kept continuously under review in each infected area and the service is resumed as soon as it is considered safe to do so. I am sure that it would not be in the best interests of milk or meat production to resume it prematurely.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is taking to encourage the vaccination of cattle as a protection against foot-and-mouth disease.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 1st May to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Barkston Ash (Sir L. Ropner), and to my hon. Friends the Members for Dorset, North (Mr. Crouch) and Norfolk, Central (Mr. Gooch).

asked the Minister of Agriculture what general instructions and guidance have been sent out in the shape of posters or leaflets to farmers and the general public on the subject of foot-and-mouth disease since the outbreak of the current epidemic in November.

Leaflets and posters containing advice about the symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease and the precautions to he taken have been distributed by my veterinary staff in all infected areas, and leaflets are supplied to anyone on request. I am sending my hon. Friend copies of the leaflets and posters, and will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library. In addition, a number of notices containing advice to farmers and the general public have been issued to the Press and broadcast by the B.B.C. I am considering what future arrangements for publicity can usefully be made.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how soon he proposes to introduce legislation which will give to horticulturalists the same protection and assurance of priority in the home market as is given to farmers in regard to the main agricultural products by the Agriculture Act, 1947.

Because horticultural produce is highly perishable and subject to very short-term fluctuations in supply, it is not possible to give it those guarantees of prices and assurances of markets which are provided for some products under the Agriculture Act. The National Farmers' Unions' applications for revised tariffs on horticultural produce are now under consideration by the Board of Trade.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that good agricultural land continues to be taken for the provision of playing fields, factories and other purposes to an extent that threatens the food productive capacity of the country; and, if in view of the failure of all existing attempts to stop this erosion of agricultural land, he will introduce legislation which will have the effect of creating a standstill in the loss of agricultural land and will prevent any such land being taken for any other purposes except under the most stringent safeguards.

I am aware of the continuing demands upon agricultural land for playing fields, factories and other forms of development. My Department is consulted on all such proposals. I cannot agree that the existing procedure has failed in its main object, which is to ensure that no good farm land is lost to food production where it can reasonably be avoided. There are already effective safeguards against the diversion of land from agriculture without full consideration, and I do not think further legislation on the lines suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend could be justified.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many acres of agricultural land in England and Wales have been taken for housing, playing fields and kindred purposes since 1945; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of good land as opposed to ground of small agricultural worth included in this figure.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) on 28th February. I regret that no reliable estimates are available of the classification of the land that has been lost to agriculture.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the injuries caused to cattle exposed for sale in cattle markets by children and young persons; and whether he will take steps to prohibit children and young persons from frequenting that part of the market where cattle are exposed for sale, unless they are accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult person.

Apart from the two cases referred to by the hon. Member for Northfield (Mr. Chapman) during the debate on the adjournment on 18th June, I have no information about this matter. Legislation would be required to prohibit the admission of unaccompanied children to any part of a public market, and on the information before me I do not think that such legislation would be justified. The existing law is, I think, adequate to deal with children found guilty of cruelty to animals in cattle markets.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will authorise the supply of a second tunic to every auxiliary fireman in view of the difficulties they experience at present from having only one tunic each.

Arrangements are being made to issue a second tunic to those auxiliary firemen who volunteer to perform standing-by duty at fire stations and attend fires with regular members of the Fire Brigade.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the composition of the Poisons Board set up by the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933, giving the qualifications of each of the members of this board.

The names and qualifications of the present members of the Poisons Board are as follow:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered the application of a bank in the West End of London to arm its employees with firearms; and whether he will make a statement.

It is for the chief officer of police concerned to decide, subpect to an appeal to Quarter Sessions, whether, in the circumstances of the particular case, an application for a Firearms Certificate should be granted. I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that he has received no recent application of the nature described in the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in view of the fact that power stations are regarded as legitimate objectives for attack from the air, what proposals he has for increasing the number of air raid shelters in areas where there are power stations; and what further measures he is considering for protecting the civil population in these areas.

Power stations are only one of the many likely enemy targets which would need to be taken into account in the preparation of plans for the provision of shelter for the civil population.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will approve the application made to him by the London County Council to grant equal pay to certain grades and staff employed at remand homes managed by the London County Council and provided by Government grant.

The application made by the London County Council on 2nd July is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the increase in the fouling of pavements by dogs, especially in Central London; and, having regard to considerations of hygiene and the inconvenience caused to the public and to the men who clean the streets, if he will take steps to ensure the enforcement of the law as to the keeping of dogs under proper control.

There is in force in all the central Metropolitan boroughs a byelaw dealing with this nuisance. I have no evidence to support the view that the nuisance is increasing or that the local authorities concerned are unaware of their powers and duties in the matter.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed males and females, respectively, registered in the County Borough of Stockport at the last convenient date.

The numbers registered as unemployed at the Stockport and Reddish employment exchanges and youth employment exchanges at 16th June, 1952, were 1,548 males and 2,884 females.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has yet received the report of the Court of Inquiry in the matter of D. C. Thomson Limited; and when he proposes to publish it.

Yes, I have received the Report. It will be published tomorrow and copies will be available in the Vote Office.

asked the Minister of Health how many of the 1,800 patients admitted to the Cardiff Royal Infirmary during the past year without being on the waiting list for at least two months had paid a fee to a specialist prior to admission.

This information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he can now state the result of his review of the amount which a local authority, in assessing the ability to pay of a resident in accommodation provided under Part III of the National Assistance Act, 1948, must assume that he will need for his personal requirements.

Yes. I am making an amending regulation increasing the amount of the pocket money of these residents from 5s. to 6s. 6d. a week. The regulation will come into operation on 29th September, the date on which increased retirement pensions become payable.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether his attention has been called to the refusal to Miss Euphemia Cowan of permission to land in South Africa, in order to visit a friend of five years' standing, after all arrangements had been cleared by her with the South African authorities before sailing; whether he will make a statement on the circumstances and reason for the refusal; and, in view of the accepted relationships of travel between South Africa and ourselves, whether he will take steps to ensure that no British subject is so treated in future.

Admission into an independent Commonwealth country such as South Africa is entirely a matter for the Government of that country. As regards the statement in the Question that all arrangements had been cleared with the South African authorities before sailing, the South African authorities in London state that they have no record of any approach by, or on behalf of, Miss Cowan before she left this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses allocated to industrial undertakings, for the accommodation of key workers, in Scotland.

One thousand two hundred and fourteen houses have been specially authorised for the accommodation of transferred industrial key workers of firms in the Scottish Development Area. In addition, 3,378 houses have been authorised for workers employed in Scotland by selected firms of special importance in the export and defence programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement about the progress of the scheme to develop the electronics industry and in the course of the last 12 months.

I have been asked to reply.I am glad to have the opportunity of informing the House of the progress made with the scheme for developing the electronics industry in Scotland since the statement made in reply to a Question by the hon. Member on 26th June, 1951.A detailed scheme has been worked out for a new laboratory block to be erected adjacent to the premises of Messrs. Ferranti, Limited in Edinburgh, at a total cost of £513,000. The provision of a new building and ancillary services to a value of £205,000 has been authorised and architects' drawings are being prepared. Machine tools to the value of £102,000 have been allocated to Messrs. Ferranti from the Ministry's stocks and some of them are already in use in their existing premises. Other equipment is on order.I understand that Messrs. Ferranti are in communication with a number of firms who may be suitable associates and that the employees of one firm have already begun work in the Ferranti premises. Employees of other firms are expected to start there shortly. In addition, four firms are doing electronic work in their own premises on sub-contract from Ferranti and under their guidance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will recommend the appointment of a Royal Commission, or appoint a suitable fact-finding body, to inquire fully into the disappearance of Messrs. Burgess and Maclean and all the circsumstances connected therewith.

A full inquiry has already been made by the security authorities with the assistance of the Departments concerned into the disappearance of Messrs. Maclean and Burgess and the investigations are still continuing. I am satisfied that nothing further would be gained by the appointment of a Royal Commission or other fact-finding body to inquire into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what agreement has been reached between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Iceland on the subject of British and Icelandic fishing rights as a result of the notes which have recently passed between the two Governments on this subject; and what policy Her Majesty's Government proposes to adopt.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Leith (Mr. Hoy) on 2nd July, since when the position has not changed. Her Majesty's Legation at Reykjavik have been instructed to inquire from the Icelandic authorities whether a reply may soon be expected to the Note addressed to them on 18th June.As regard the second part of the Question, I would prefer to make no further statement until we have received the Icelandic reply.

asked the Minister of Food what action he proposes to take to ensure that prompt payment is made for graded pigs, following the complaints that have been made from the south-east of Scotland that payment is often much overdue.

The delay in payments for pigs in this district due partly to the heavy burden of work arising from the recent Farm Price Review has been substantially reduced during the last month and my right hon. and gallant Friend is seeing whether further improvements can be made.

asked the Minister of Food how many tons of apples and pears, respectively, will have been imported from abroad during the months of June. July and August.

Imports of apples and pears are arranged by private trade and I am unable to state precisely the quantities likely to be imported. Supplies from Australia and New Zealand are admitted freely. Supplies from Continental countries shortly will be severely restricted for balance of payments reasons. The value of the quota for pears from Western European and certain other foreign countries for the period July-December, 1952, is £750,000 compared with a total of £2,266,900 from the same countries in the same period last year. For apples the quota is £300,000 compared with a total of £1,129,400 from the same countries in the same period last year.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the continuing and urgent need for another sugar beet factory in the southern part of England; and if he will give his approval to the construction of such a factory, preferably in or near the county of Norfolk, having regard to the large quantity of sugar beet grown in that county.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Renton) on 9th July.

asked the Minister of Education whether she is now able to state the effect of Circular 245 on the building programme for 1952–53 of English local education authorities.

The effect of Circular 245 in England is to reduce by 38 per cent. the value of major educational building projects which local education authorities may start between 1st December, 1951, and 31st March, 1953.

asked the Minister of Education what reply she has received from the Staffordshire education authority to her letter concerning estimated expenditure for 1952–53; and what action she proposes to take.

I am awaiting the authority's reply.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why he has asked the Lincoln City Council to defer the scheme for a second borehole at Newton-upon-Trent; and whether he is aware that there are no standbys for the electric plants and that serious difficulties will arise should the present plants at Newton-upon-Trent or Elkesley break down.

From the information given by the Council I do not consider this project sufficiently urgent to justify priority over schemes already before me to provide more water supplies.