asked the Minister of Food the proportion and content of each ingredient in each variety of margarine.

The main variety, known as "special" margarine, contains hard and soft vegetable oils and marine oils in proportions which are frequently varied according to the supply and the time of year, as well as milk, salt, flavouring and vitamin. The only other variety on sale to the public is kosher and vegetarian margarine which contains no marine oil, milk, salt or flavouring.

MEAT REFUSED BY EDINBURGH BUTCHERS
Week ending	Basic Permit gross			Meat Issued			Meat Refused
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
6th February, 1953	50,276	5	6	50,147	5	8	207	12	0	0·41 per cent. of basic permit.
13th February, 1953	49,907	17	7	49,537	19	0	267	4	4	0·54 per cent. of basic permit.
20th February, 1953	49,908	4	0	49,605	7	7	421	2	6	0·84 per cent. of basic permit.
27th February, 1953	49,929	13	11	49,111	6	5	983	5	1	1·97 per cent. of basic permit.
	200,022	1	0	198,401	18	8	1,879	3	11	0·94 per cent. of basic permit.

asked the Minister of Food what is the practice when traders are unable to sell supplies of rationed commodities; and how long it takes to make adjustments in bacon and sugar.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities of grade A tinned salmon are imported from Canada each month; and to what extent it is possible for supplies to be increased.

For currency reasons no canned salmon is being purchased from Canada.

asked the Minister of Food to consider granting permission to farmers in remote areas to make butter and cheese for sale by post at economic prices.

Farmers can make soft cheese and sell it without restriction. But to extend this freedom to all cheese and to butter would divert supplies at present badly needed for the ration.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent rations of bacon, meat, butter and sugar are not taken in Edinburgh for the most convenient recent period.

The information available is the value of ration meat not taken up by Edinburgh butchers.

Retailers adjust their orders to the wholesalers according to the requirements of their customers, including those holding temporary ration cards. Retailers' buying permits are adjusted if necessary at eight-week intervals.

asked the Minister of Food why he was unable to give the Netherlands Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food any undertaking that there would be no reduction in the level of bacon imports from Holland; and why he could give no undertaking to increase the level of bacon imports from Holland.

My right hon. and gallant Friend has assured the Netherlands Minister of his continuing desire to obtain as much Dutch bacon as possible. He has undertaken to review later in the year the possibility of increasing the rate of imports provided for under the current contract for 1953. Additional commitments could not be undertaken at the present time because of our balance of payments position.

asked the Minister of Food what is estimated to be the effect on the food subsidies for 1953–54 of the decontrol of eggs, feedingstuffs, wheat and flour; and in the full year of the food price changes introduced during 1952–53 as referred to in the Vote on Account.

I cannot anticipate the Department's Estimate, which will be published in due course.

asked the Minister of Transport the total value of motor licences collected by the London County Council for 1952; whether he is aware that the average capital sum which his Department allow the London County Council to spend on normal improvements it too small, in view of the road improvements needed to ease the traffic position in London; and whether he will increase the grants needed to carry out the necessary improvements.

The total net revenue collected by the London County Council for motor taxation and driving licence fees in 1952 was £5,673,979. I am aware of the need for greater expenditure on road improvements in London and throughout the country and I hope that the economic and financial position will soon improve sufficiently to admit of this.

asked the Minister of Transport when work will be started on the proposed Rochester by-pass road.

This scheme is still in the survey stage and the necessary statutory order has not yet been made or advertised. I cannot say when work is likely to start.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will provide the annual grant for the construction of the through north-south road of Swindon which serves the new housing estate at Penhill.

If the hon. Member has in mind the question of widening Cricklade Road in Swindon, I regret that my right hon. Friend has no funds at present available for assisting a major improvement of this kind. It is for the local authorities concerned to consider what works of maintenance and minor improvement, including the provision of footpaths within the existing highway, should be carried out under the programme for which annual classification grants are made.

asked the Minister of Transport in view of the fact that Angel Road Bridge on the North Circular Road A406 is inadequate and unsuitable for the very large volume of traffic using it, what plans are being prepared to provide a new bridge; and when he expects the work to begin and finish.

No detailed plans have yet been prepared for a new bridge, which would cost about £1 million. I cannot say when it will be possible to put a scheme of this magnitude in hand.

asked the Minister of Transport his estimate of the expenditure on roads per head of population at the latest known date; and how this compares with 1922, 1932 and 1942.

The expenditure on highways, excluding loan charges, per head of the population was £1 3s. 10d. in 1922–23, £1 3s. 11d. in 1932–33, £1 12s. 9d. in 1950–1. I regret that figures for the war years are not available.

asked the Minister of Transport when the committee set up by him on 2nd October, 1952, to consider what practical measures can be taken to prevent pollution by oil of the waters around the coasts of the United Kingdom will report.

As my right hon. Friend said in answer to Questions by my hon. Friend, the Member for Cornwall, North (Sir H. Roper) and the right hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes) on

Type of Ship			1950	1951	1952	Total
Passenger Ships (under 100 gross tons)	…	…	1	—	—	1
Dry Cargo Ships (1,600 gross tons and over)	…	…	6	2	2	10
Dry Cargo Ships (under 1,600 gross tons)	…	…	10	14	6	30
Tankers (under 1,600 gross tons)	…	…	—	—	1	1
Fishing Boats (100 gross tons and over)	…	…	4	3	7	14
Fishing Boats (under 100 gross tons)	…	…	18	17	10	45
Yachts, Launches, Tugs, Dredgers, Barges and Lighters			10	13	13	36
Total	…	…	49	49	39	137

Type of Casualty					1950	1951	1952	Total
Strandings	…	…	…	…	22	13	19	54
Founderings	…	…	…	…	15	15	15	45
Fires	…	…	…	…	4	9	3	16
Collisions	…	…	…	…	7	8	2	17
Missing	…	…	…	…	1	4	—	5
Total	…	…	…	…	49	49	39	137

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is satisfied that adequate provision now exists for the proper and sufficient training of seamanship to seamen of all ranks, including the availability of a sufficient number of sailing ships for this purpose.

Facilities for training officers and men of the Merchant Navy in seamanship have been extended and considerably improved during recent years under the general guidance of the Merchant Navy Training Board, which consists of representatives of shipowners and officers and men, as well as of the 26th January, the committee are going ahead vigorously with their inquiries and will report as soon as they can.

asked the Minister of Transport how many shipwrecks have occurred around the coasts of the United Kingdom during each of the past three years; and how many deaths were involved in each of these years in consequence of these shipwrecks.

The numbers of ships lost within ten miles of the coasts of the United Kingdom during 1950, 1951 and 1952 were 49, 49 and 39 respectively. The numbers of deaths which occurred as a result of these losses were 12, 42 and 13 respectively. The type of ship concerned and cause of loss are in the tables below.nautical schools and the Government Departments concerned. There are no sea-going ships on the British register of sufficient size to provide general training in sail, but experience in the Merchant Navy over many years has shown that training of this kind is not essential to service in modern merchant ships.

asked the Minister of Transport what the expenditure by his Department will be on roads in the seven crofting counties during 1953.

During the financial year 1953–54 my right hon. Friend expects to make grants towards the maintenance and minor improvement of classified roads in these counties to the amount of about £425,000; and to spend about £260,000 on similar work on trunk roads. In addition his expenditure on major improvements may amount to some £15,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the pier in Loch Pooltiel, Isle of Skye, which is of importance for communications for the community living in Glendale, and which was damaged in the recent gale, can be considered for a special grant for reconstruction.

I regret that I cannot see my way to offer a grant for the reconstruction of Pooltiel Pier pending the result of the consideration now being given to the reorganisation of the West Highland cargo services which may involve the stopping of calls at some piers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will follow the advice of the Highlands and Islands Committee of the Scottish Board of Industry and establish a fishmeal factory in Inverness.

The possibility of establishing a herring reduction factory at Inverness is being examined.

asked the Minister of Works the number of building trade operatives registered in Edinburgh at the latest convenient date; the number of such operatives actually engaged in building work within the city; and the number of such operatives engaged in school building within the city.

The number of building and civil engineering trade operatives employed by contractors with registered addresses in Edinburgh is about 19,000. It is estimated that 10,000 of them are engaged on building work within the city, including 300 employed on the erection of new schools.

asked the Minister of Education how many students attending Scottish universities or central institutions are in receipt of bursaries or similar awards granted by English authorities or by her Department; and whether she will give the numbers for each institution concerned.

In the current academic year 49 students held State Scholarships awarded by my Department at the following Scottish universities:

Edinburgh University	…	34
St. Andrew's University	…	10
Dundee University College	…	2
Glasgow University	…	3

I am unable to say how many students attending Scottish universities or central institutions receive grants from English local education authorities.

asked the Minister of Supply how many prototype or production aircraft have been ordered of each of the civil versions of the Avro Vulcan, the Handley Page Victor, the Vickers Valiant and No. 1000 military machines.

None, as yet.

asked the Minister of Supply how many surplus vehicles were sold to Ernest Reid and Company Limited, and for what total sum.

Complete particulars of purchasers of surplus Government stores, many of which were sold by auction both at home and abroad, are not available.

asked the Minister of Supply how many orders issued by his Department are still operative which prohibit or limit the use of any raw material in the manufacture or construction of any article or structure; whether he will give a list of any such raw materials so affected; and what is his policy concerning the removal of such restrictions.

The Nickel Prohibited Uses (Minister of Supply) Order restricts the use of nickel in the manufacture and in the plating of certain articles and the use of copper and zinc when alloyed with nickel in some articles. On the last part of the Question 1 would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Albans (Mr. J. Grimston) on 16th February last.

asked the Minister of Supply how many raw materials or manufactured products cannot be purchased freely without a licence or other authorisation from his Department; whether he will give a list of such raw materials or manufactured products; and what is his policy towards the removal of such restrictions.

A licence is needed to acquire pig iron, ferrous scrap, the main forms of iron and steel, unwrought copper and virgin magnesium and magnesium alloy. Producers of aluminium in the United Kingdom require a licence from the Ministry of Supply to dispose of their metal in this country. The necessity for the continuance of these controls is being constantly watched and they will be removed as soon as sufficient supplies are available.

asked the Minister of Supply why he delayed rescinding the Order of his Department restricting the use of tinplate for certain purposes until extensive unemployment occurred in the tinplate industry in South Wales.

For some months past licences have been readily granted for all the purposes covered by this Order. However, when it became clear that these relaxations could be continued indefinitely, the control was formally terminated. The Order could not, therefore, have had any effect whatsoever upon the employment situation.

asked the Minister of National Insurance why seasonal workers are debarred from receiving unemployment benefits, and are thereby forced to go to the National Assistance Board.

I cannot add to the reply I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend on 24th November, 1952.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he will take steps to increase the amounts paid to non-contributory old age pensioners, contributory old age pensions and those in receipt of National Assistance, to cover the extra costs involved in dearer coal, in so far as they affect fuel, gas and electricity.

No. These amounts are fixed by Acts of Parliament and in the last case by Regulations submitted by the National Assistance Board and affirmatively approved by Parliament, and I have no power to alter them.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many people in the Birmingham area received National Assistance payments in the latest convenient week; and how far this figure shows an increase over that for a similar week in 1952 and 1951.

At 27th January, 1953, in the territory administered from the Board's offices in Birmingham, 29,720 regular weekly payments of National Assistance were being made; in the corresponding week of 1952, the number was 24,908 and in the same week of 1951 the number was 22,573.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what representations have been made to him by the Northern Gas Consultative Council as a result of his communication of 23rd December, 1952, about increased charges for street lighting in the borough of Carlisle.

None.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the percentage of coal output cut mechanically. and the percentage conveyed mechanically for 1913, the year immediately preceding the nationalisation of the coal industry, and at the latest available date, respectively; and if he will give the saleable coal output and the amount exported, including foreign bunkers, for the same years.

In 1913, 8½ per cent. of colliery output was mechanically cut and less than 10 per cent. mechanically conveyed, compared with 74 per cent. and 73 per cent. respectively in 1946 and 81 per cent. and 87 per cent. respectively in 1951. Colliery output in the three years was 287 million tons, 181 million tons and 212 million tons respectively, and exports and bunkers 94 million tons. nine million tons and 11½ million tons respectively.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that there is concern in Leicester at the report of the statistical section of the National Coal Board, Nottingham, showing that 98.5 per cent. of the coal allocation for Leicester has already been distributed, despite the fact that many people have still only received a portion of their allocation for the winter; and what steps he will take to ensure that every Leicester persons receives his or her full allocation of coal.

The figure quoted by the hon. Member relates to the proportion of their weekly house coal allocation which merchants in Leicester have so far received this winter. It is not related to the merchants' allocation for the winter period ending 2nd May as a whole, about one-third of which has yet to come.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what has been the total reduction in the supply of domestic coal to Birmingham coal merchants during the weeks ending 7th February, 14th February and 21st February of this year; what has been the reason for this reduction; and what steps he is taking to remedy this deficiency.

My right hon. Friend is making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the new prices of pithead and domestic coal; and what were the respective prices at nationalisation.

The average pithead proceeds of all coal sold inland were 38s. 11d. per ton in 1946 and are estimated to have been 55s. per ton in 1952. Separate figures for domestic coal are not readily available. Pithead prices are now being increased by 10 per cent., or an average of 5s. 6d. per ton.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how it came about that a stick of gelignite was delivered to Mr. W. S. Smith, of 23, Cosgrove Road, Sunnyside, Northampton, in his coal; and what Regulations he has made to ensure that no explosives remain in the coal after it has left the pits.

My right hon. Friend is making inquiries about the case to which the hon. and learned Member refers and will write to him. With regard to the second part of the Question, new Regulations governing the use of explosives in coal mines came into force last year; they contain requirements which go as far as seems practicable towards reducing this hazard by statutory means.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is his estimate of the grant he will make to the National Coal Board under Section 11 of the Coal Mining Subsidence Act, 1950, for the calendar year 1953.

On present information the statutory maximum of £250,000 will be required.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent the sum of £500,000, granted by his Department to the National Coal Board under Section 11 of the Coal Mining Subsidence Act, 1950, falls short of one-half of the additional expenditure incurred by the Board, by virtue of the Act, in the period between the passage of the Act and 31st December, 1952.

On present information not more than £300,000.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that the revocation of the Fuel (Inspection) Order, 1943, is causing great concern to the Leicester City Council as that revocation and the withdrawal of warrants issued under Defence Regulation 55AA leaves the council without powers to exercise effective control over the weight of coke sold; and what new arrangements he is making so that the council can exercise effective control in this regard.

The Fuel (Inspection) Order is no longer needed for the specific purposes for which it was introduced, and I would not have been justified in retaining it for its incidental usefulness in controlling the weight of coke sold. I understand that my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, is consulting the local authority, trade and other interests on the recommendations of the Committee on Weights and Measures Legislation which concern short weight in the sale of coke.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he has taken during 1952, and what steps he will be taking in 1953, in order to reduce substantially the administrative costs of his Department.

The staff of my right hon. Friend's Department has been reduced by 1,795 during the calendar year, 1952, and the financial saving in administrative costs for that year is about £1 million. My right hon. Friend keeps these matters under continuous review.

asked the Minister of Pensions why members of the British Forces who were prisoners of the Japanese but whose place of residence at the date of their enlistment was outside the United Kingdom are not entitled to participate in the distribution of the money available to provide compensation for the hardship suffered during their incarceration.

In view of the relatively small sum available for distribution it was necessary to restrict the categories of persons eligible. As these Article 14 assets were those frozen in the United Kingdom, it was felt that British nationals normally belonging to or having roots in the United Kingdom before the war and who are living here now should be the ones to benefit.

asked the Minister of Health when the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme may expect a reply to the letter he wrote to the Parliamentary Secretary on 6th January about the examination of sick persons by regional medical officers.

As explained in the Parliamentary Secretary's replies to the hon. Member, we had hoped to arrange for an interview with the doctor concerned. I regret that this has not yet been possible but I am hoping it will take place very shortly. A further letter is being sent to the hon. Member.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence to what extent estimates for increased expenditure on defence in Germany falling on the United Kingdom taxpayer in 1953–54 as a result of the Bonn Agreements of May, 1952, are included in the Defence Estimates for 1953–54 in Command Paper No. 8768 or the Civil Estimates in the Vote on Account for that year; and under what headings.

Discussions on this subject are now proceeding in Bonn. No provision has been made in Estimates, 1953–54. on this account.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence to state, in terms of 1950 prices, the total defence expenditure and the amounts thereof relating, respectively, to personnel and manufactured goods, including ships, arms, aeroplanes, textiles and other pro-

		1950–51	1951–52	Estimated 1951–53	Estimated1953–54
——		£m.	£m.	£m.	£m.
1. Expenditure relating to personnel	…	290	330	340	350
2. Expenditure relating to production	…	250	330	550	600
3. Total expenditure	…	750	930	1,210	1,290

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the amount received during 1952 from Northern Ireland in respect of broadcasting and television receiving licences; the cost to the British Broadcasting Corporation of maintaining and operating the Northern Ireland home service transmitter during the same year; the proportion of the total grant to the British Broadcasting Corporation for home and television held to be attributable to Northern Ireland; and how much of this is offset by deduction from the Northern Ireland share of reserved taxes.

As the accounts are prepared for financial and not for calendar years, I am giving the figures for the period 1st April, 1951, to 31st March, 1952, which are the latest available.The amounts received by the Post Office from broadcast receiving licences in Northern Ireland were:

			£
Sound	…	…	211,239
Television	…	…	110
Total	…	…	211,349

The B.B.C.'s revenue expenditure in providing the Home Service Programme in Northern Ireland was £347,000.It was considered that Northern Ireland accounted for approximately 1.5 per cent. (£186,100), of the total grant to the B.B.C.

The information requested is given, in very broad terms, in the following table: for its home sound and television services, and this sum was deducted from the Northern Ireland share of reserved taxes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will arrange to invite Colonel Dr. J. M. Somers, O.B.E., former Commanding Officer of the Dutch Secret Service, to this country so that he may submit his evidence of neglect on the part of the British Intelligence during the last war to an independent committee of inquiry.

I have nothing to add to the replies given today by my right hon. and learned Friend.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total sums which have been paid in grants and loans towards grass and forage drying plants under Section 5 of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1949; to how many plants these related; and what was the amount paid in grants in 1952.

The total sums paid were £286,395 17s. Od. in grants and £726,544 15s. 3d. in loans. A total of 128 projects were assisted. The amount of grants paid in 1952 was £25,787 19s. 6d.