asked the Minister of Labour to make a statement upon the proposals of Her Majesty's Government for bringing both sides of industry into closer relations.

As I informed the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis) on 2nd December, my right hon. and learned Friend is placing before the National Joint Advisory Council proposals designed to encourage the adoption of enlightened standards in industry. Her Majesty's Government hope that these proposals, which will now come before the National Joint Advisory Council for consideration, will contribute to closer relations between both sides of industry to their mutual benefit.

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the need for increasing agricultural production in 1953, if he will announce that this year there will be no further call-up of agricultural workers

No.

asked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities provide meat-less meals on Fridays for Catholic pupils; how many have refused to do so and what guidance she is giving on this subject.

I have no information available on the first and second parts of the Question. I have not thought it necessary to issue special guidance on this matter, which is one that can safely be left to the discretion of local education authorities.

asked the Minister of Food to give for the current year, in tabular form, the description, quantity and price of all home-produced foods, showing the total cost of each item; and also the world price and world cost of each item.

(1) Main Commodities	(2) Estimated sales of home produce 1952–3	(3) Estimated average prices of home produce 1952–3	(4) Total cost of home produce	(5) Estimated average prices of imported supplies 1952–3	(6) Total cost of home produce (Col. 2) revalued at import prices (Col. 5)
	('000 tons)	(£ per ton)	(£m.)	(£ per ton)	(£m.)
Crops:
Wheat (millable)	1,300	29·3	38·1	30·5	39·7
Barley	1,214	30·0	36·4	34·2	41·5
Oats	296	23·0	6·8	30·0	8·9
Potatoes (main crop for human consumption)	4,400	11·95	52·6	—	—
Sugar (refined)	550	52·8	29·0	54·4	29·9
Carcase Meat:
Beef	570	187·0	106·6	157·8	89·9
Mutton and Lamb	167	264·3	44·1	151·0	25·2
Pork	155	255·2	39·6	271·0	42·0
Bacon	267	373·8	99·8	267·2	71·3
Livestock Products:
Milk	1,824 million galls.	3/2¼d. a gall.	290·7	—	—
Shell Eggs (Hen) (packing station purchases).	388,980,000 dozen	4/7d. a doz.	89·1	3/6½d. a doz.	68·9

NOTES:1. Prices and sales are for April/March, 1952–3, with the exception of cereals and potatoes which are for the crop year, 1952–3. (The tonnages of barley and oats represent sales off the "national farm", i.e., net sales from farms to the non-farming community.)2. The prices in column (3) are approximate estimates of the average prices recoverable by farmers. The prices in column (5) are approximate estimates of the average landed prices, excluding duty, for imported supplies. But for meat, for the purpose of comparing home and import prices, the prices of both home and imported are the estimated cost at the point of entry to the Wholesale Meat Supply Association depot. It must be stressed, however, that the figures in column (3) are for fresh home produced meat, whilst those in column (5) are for imported frozen meat. The price for home produced bacon is the estimated average cost ex factory.3. There are no comparable imports of potatoes or milk.4. All figures in the above table are estimates and therefore subject to revision.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities of home-killed beef, mutton, lamb and pork were distributed on the ration month by month in 1952; and how much of this home-killed meat had been cold stored.

The following table shows the quantities of fresh beef,

The table below gives the desired information. It should, however, be borne in mind that it is not possible to make accurate comparisons between the prices paid for home-produced food and for imported supplies, unless differences in quality and variations in the terms of purchase are taken into account.mutton and lamb and pork of ration quality issued in the United Kingdom each month during 1952. It is not possible to say precisely how much of this meat was distributed to ration-book holders; the figures include issues to general butchers for manufacturing purposes, sales to caterers and small manufacturers buying by retail and to shipping butchers. Of the total quantities of beef and pork about 20 tons and 2,000 tons respectively were frozen before issue.

FRESH BEEF, MUTTON, LAMB AND PORK (INCLUDING CARCASE MEAT IMPORTED FROM EIRE) OF RATION QUALITY ISSUED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM DURING 1952
Thousand tons
—	Beef	Mutton and Lamb	Pork	Totals
January	36·3	8·6	5·4	50·3
February	24·3	12·6	5·4	42·3
March	23·3	12·9	8·2	44·4
April	42·9	11·7	13·2	67·8
May	33·8	7·8	10·9	52·5
June	19·9	14·0	9·7	43·6
July	58·2	12·5	9·8	80·5
August	73·4	14·1	4·9	92·4
September	75·3	15·7	4·6	95·6
October	75·0	25·3	7·2	107·5
November	37·8	16·6	5·2	59·6
December (est.)	31·6	10·2	8·0	49·8
Totals	531·8	162·0	92·5	786·3

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements he is now making to obtain advice in view of the responsibilities which will fall upon his Department when the Iron and Steel Bill becomes law.

In view of the responsibilities which will fall upon the Treasury when the Iron and Steel Bill is enacted, I am making arrangements now to provide myself with advice on how those responsibilities may best be discharged. In particular. I have asked Sir John Morison to be my main Adviser on these matters during the coming months. I am of course acting in the closest concert with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply. I must emphasise that this arrangement is purely temporary. In due course, when the Iron and Steel Bill becomes law, it is to the Agency that I shall look in the first place for advice on all these questions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the salary of Members of Parliament was increased to £1,000 per annum; and what the relative purchasing value of this sum was at the latest convenient stated date compared both with 1938 and the date when the present rate was initiated.

The salary of Members of Parliament was raised to £1,000 a year from 1st April, 1946. The purchasing power of a salary valued at £1,000 in that year would have been £1,580 in 1938 and £685 in December, 1952. These figures are based on the price index for national income purposes between 1938 and December, 1951, and the Ministry of Labour's Interim Index of Retail Prices for the year 1952.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of persons, men and women, separately, employed in North Eastern Trading Estates, Limited, factories in Sunderland on the latest available date.

On 29th November, 1952, the latest date for which official statistics are available, 1,494 men and boys and 3,462 women, making a total of 4,956, were employed in these factories.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many people were employed in the factories administered by the North Eastern Trading Estates, Limited, on the latest available date.

On the 29th November, 1952, the latest date for which official statistics are available, 17,495 men and boys and 25,544 women and girls, making a total of 43,039, were employed in these factories.