asked the Minister of Food by what gallonage and percentage the sale of milk to the public declined in the fourth quarter of 1952 when compared with the corresponding period of 1951.

5¼ millions gallons, which is 1.6 per cent.

asked the Minister of Food the date from which the grain trade will be free to import coarse grains and other feedingstuffs on their own account.

I am not yet in position to give a precise date but I hope that it can be announced shortly.

asked the Minister of Food if he will make a statement as to when he expects the Committee of the Transport and Slaughter of Horses to report; and what interim action has been taken to control or discourage this trade.

I expect that the report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Slaughter of Horses will be ready during the summer. It would not be appropriate to act in anticipation of the Committee's findings.

asked the Minister of Food how much sugar would be necessary to double the present domestic ration.

About 825,000 tons of raw sugar a year.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the recent developments in the saving of life at sea; and what is being done to apply these generally to British ships.

The hon. Member no doubt has in mind the advances introduced by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of 1948. The provisions of this Convention have been applied to British ships by the rules made under the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Act, 1949, which came into force on the 19th November last—the date on which the Convention came into operation. These rules apply the provisions of the Convention in their full force to all ships whose keels are laid on and after that date, and, so far as is reasonable and practicable, to all other British ships.

asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been drawn to a statement, made on 21st February by the President of the Institute of Transport, in which he said that our export and carrying trades are being handicapped by out-of-date dock facilities at some of our British ports; and what is being done to modernise them.

I have seen a Press release of the statement to which the hon. Member refers. The modernisation of dock facilities at our ports is primarily a matter for the undertakings concerned; in recent years the ports have had to concentrate on repair of war damage and arrears of maintenance, but improvements in and modernisation of facilities are now taking place as fast as the limits necessarily imposed on capital investment will allow. So far as equipment is concerned, much progress has been made, particularly in the improvement of cranage.

asked the Minister of Transport how many liner class vessels are owned by his Department in addition to the ex-Anchor liner "Cameronia"; for what purpose his Department acquired the liners they now own; by whom the liners owned by his Department are operated; and what is the overall cost of running.

In addition to the "Empire Clyde" (ex-"Cameronia"), my Ministry owns 15 ships of the passenger-liner class. The names of the ships, the services on which they are at present

Name of ship		Services on which at present engaged	Name of managers
"Captain Cook"	…	On charter to New Zealand Government for carrying emigrants from U.K. to New Zealand.	Donaldson Bros. and Black Ltd.
"Captain Hobson"	…	do.	P. Henderson and Co.
"New Australia"	…	On charter to Australian Government for carrying emigrants from U.K. to Australia.	Shaw, Savill and Albion Co. Ltd.
"Asturias"	…	Troopship	Royal Mail Lines.
"Empire Fowey"	…	Troopship	P. and O. Steam Navigation Co.
"Empire Orwell"	…	Troopship	Orient Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.
"Empire Halladale"	…	Troopship	Anchor Line Ltd.
"Empire Ken"	…	Troopship	Royal Mail Lines.
"Empire Trooper"	…	Troopship	Gray, Dawes & Co. Ltd. (British India Steam Navigation Co.)
"Empire Windrush"	…	Troopship	New Zealand Shipping Co. Ltd.
"Empire Wansbeck"	…	Troopship	Ellerman's Wilson Line Ltd.
"Empire Parkeston"	…	Troopship	General Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.
"Empire Pride"	…	Troopship	Bibby Bros. & Co.
"Vienna"	…	Troopship	Railway Executive (Eastern Region)
"Georgic"	…	Troopship with seasonal charter to the Cunard Co. for passenger service on North Atlantic.	Curnard Steamship Co. Ltd.

The cost of running the three ships on migrant services is borne by the Commonwealth Governments concerned. It is estimated that the running costs of the troopships will be at the rate of £6¼ million during 1953–54.

asked the Minister of Transport if he can give any further assessment of the effect of zebra crossings on the number of traffic accidents since their introduction.

I see no reason to modify the opinion that I have already expressed in this House that zebra crossings have almost certainly reduced pedestrian accidents. In 1952 pedestrian casualties were 5,359 less than in 1951, a decrease of nearly 9 per cent.

asked the Minister of Transport whether any decision has yet been taken as to when the rails are to be removed from the Victoria Embankment and the road relaid for traffic.

No. My right hon. Friend had hoped that so much of this engaged, and the names of the companies managing them on behalf of the Ministry are as follows:work as affects the Coronation route could have been carried out before the Coronation and he was prepared to authorise it. This has since proved to be impracticable and he is now giving the whole question further consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will comply with frequent requests made to him by the Romford Borough Council to make available funds for necessary and urgent alterations to the bridge Eastern Region Railway, Upper Brentwood Road, Class III, now a source of danger to those using it owing to the footbridge for pedestrians being only three feet wide and the bridge being used by an omnibus service.

My right hon. Friend regrets that he is not able at present to make a grant towards this scheme, but we shall gladly consider it further as soon as financial conditions become a little easier.

asked the Minister of Transport when work on the Dartford— Purfleet tunnel is to be resumed.

In the present economic and financial circumstances it is not possible to say.

asked the Minister of Transport when the draft of the proposed new Highway Code will be available.

My right hon. Friend is referring a revised draft of the Highway Code to the Departmental Committee on Road Safety shortly and will consult representative organisations as soon as possible thereafter. He is not in a position at the moment to give any definite dates.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of its lower cost and possibly less dangerous effect on tyres, he will advise the use of sand rather than gravel for making icy or wet road surfaces less slippery.

Sharp sand is not invariably cheaper than sharp small gravel. Neither material appreciably affects tyres and both are equally effective for treating icy or wet roads. I think it best to leave the responsible highway authorities to decide what material is more suitable for their particular needs.

asked the Minister of Transport how many railway train accidents have occurred since 1945; and what was the extent of personal injury and loss of life and the main contributory cause of each accident.

During the years 1945 to 1951 inclusive there were 7,893 train accidents on the railways of this country which resulted in 437 fatalities and injuries to 5,057 persons. 3,518 of the accidents were attributable to failure of railway personnel, 125 to faulty loading of vehicles, 1,164 to technical defects in locomotives, vehicles, track or signalling apparatus, 171 to snow, landslides or flooding and 2,915 to miscellaneous causes.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can now make his statement on the report of the London Plan Working Party on priority measures to improve transport facilities in North London.

I regret that I cannot yet add to the answer which I gave the hon. Member on 26th January.

asked the Minister of Transport the reason for the delay in fixing a date for the holding of the hearings of the appeals connected with the licences granted to Northern Roadways for their overnight express services between Glasgow and London.

There was no undue delay. There were 14 appeals lodged between 1st November and 12th December against the grant of licences and backings. The necessary documents, which included voluminous transcripts of the public sittings, were not available until 12th January. Three weeks' notice of the inquiry was given and it was held on 10th–12th February.

asked the Minister of Supply where the list of 85 deposited schedules, referred to in the Second Schedule of Statutory Instrument, No. 169, may be consulted; and how many pages of print it involves.

Complete sets of the deposited schedules may be consulted at the London and regional offices of the Ministry of Supply, at the offices of the Ministry of Commerce in Belfast, and at the offices of the Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain and of the British Iron and Steel Federation. There is also a complete set of schedules in the Library of the House. The schedules cover 775 pages of typescript.

asked the Minister of Supply how many different prototypes of aircraft are being made for the Royal Navy; and how many different types of aircraft are in production for the Royal Navy.

It would not be desirable to make information of this kind public.

asked the Minister of Supply what progress is being made with the construction of the Princess flying boat.

The first Princess flying boat was completed last autumn. As I announced a year ago, the second and third Princesses are being stored.

asked the Minister of Supply what contracts his Department entered into with a company named Atlas Aviation, Limited, now in liquidation;(2) the extent of the transactions between his Department and the London and Oxford Steel Company, Limited.

I cannot trace any transactions or contracts with these firms.

asked the Minister of Supply the amount of the claims of his Department against Ernest Reid and Company, Limited.

It is not the practice of the Ministry of Supply to disclose information about claims against contractors. I can, however, confirm that a claim was lodged with the Official Receiver in connection with the winding-up order made against this company in May, 1950.

asked the Minister of Supply how much his Department received from Ernest Reid and Company for the sales of surplus stores to this company.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Dorset, North (Mr. Crouch) last Monday.

asked the Minister of Supply, in view of the unemployment which has already taken place at the aluminium factory of Imperial Chemical Industries at Swansea, why he continues to retain the order which imposes restrictive controls on the aluminium industry.

The only order now in force relating to aluminium is the Control of Aluminium (No. 7) Order, 1946. This order does not in any way restrict the output of aluminium fabricating works such as the factory referred to in the Question.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many of the men denied unemployment benefit in the strike at the Austin motor works have applied for, and been granted, National Assistance.

Up to the close of business last Saturday assistance had been granted to meet requirements of dependants in 276 cases.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many employees of the Austin Motor Company thrown out of work by the strike of vehicle builders have been refused unemployment benefit; how many have appealed; to what extent their appeals are regarded as test cases for others; when the appeals will be heard; and whether he will see that the hearings are expedited.

About 6,500 claims have been disallowed. I cannot say how many individual appeals have so far been made but about 50 appeals in leading cases, each of which affects many other claimants. have already been received from trade unions. The hearing of this abnormally heavy load of appeals began today.

asked the Minister of National Insurance the number of families receiving family allowances, and the number of children in respect of whom these allowances are being paid, at the nearest convenient date.

At the end of December, 1952, approximately 3,100,000 families were receiving family allowances in respect of 4,900,000 children (excluding the elder or eldest child in respect of whom an allowance is not payable).

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has considered the possibility of derationing coke; and whether he will make a statement.

Yes, but my right hon. Friend decided regretfully that it would not be right to do this in present circumstances.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why his grant to the National Coal Board under Section 11 of the Coal Mining Subsidence Act, 1950, for the period from the passage of the Act to 31st December, 1952, fell short of the statutory maximum of one-half of the additional expenditure incurred by the Board, by virtue of the Act, in that period; and if he will now consider paying to the Board the sum of the difference between £500,000 and the statutory maximum.

The Board's account of the total expenditure to 31st December, 1952, has not yet been received. This is expected very shortly and the balance of grant shown to be due will then be paid.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that the glass-house section of the horticultural industry in Essex has not received its full allocation of anthracite during the present winter period, and that the delays in the arrival of such quantities as are supplied have caused hardship to growers; and what steps he proposes to take to improve this position.

I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend. But I can say at once that ample supplies of coke are available which some glass-house owners may find it possible to use in place of anthracite.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the committee appointed to consider the organisation necessary to provide a more effective fuel efficiency advisory service for industry has reported; and whether he is now in a position to make a statement regarding the implementation of its recommendations.

No, the committee hopes to report in the near future.

asked the Minister of Materials what percentage of industrial sulphur requirements he expects to be available during the coming year; how much short-time working will this involve; and what steps he is taking to increase sulphur supplies.

I expect the needs of industry to be fully met except for sulphuric acid manufacture. Sulphur will only be available for making sulphuric acid to the extent that the acid required cannot be made from other materials.

asked the Minister of Materials if he will refuse to back future projects to buy extra cotton on Government account from Egypt, without giving the Sudan the same favourable treatment.

As I informed the hon. Member for Gloucestershire, West (Mr. Philips Price) on 16th February, raw cotton is bought by the Raw Cotton Commission and by spinners who have chosen to buy on their own account or through merchants. Their purchases, I understand, are determined by commercial considerations. The Government has no intention at present of itself buying raw cotton.

asked the Minister of Materials 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.

Twelve. The materials affected are bristles, true hemp, manila hemp, paper and paper-making materials, sulphuric acid and sulphur used in its manufacture, and certain types of timber. These restrictions are still necessary because of balance of payments or supply difficulties; my policy is to remove them as soon as these difficulties can be overcome.

asked the Minister of Materials 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.

The materials concerned are true hemp, jute and jute goods from outside the United Kingdom, and certain types of timber. In addition, licences are required to supply, though not to purchase, bristles and sulphuric acid, and by producers to supply paper. These restrictions will be removed as soon as the difficulties mentioned in my previous answer can be overcome.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why trading with bananas from Brazil, in exchange for British motor-cars, is not allowed by his Department.

Since the end of 1951 my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food has bought no bananas from Brazil. The question of allowing such trade in exchange for exports of motor-cars has, therefore, not arisen.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will discontinue the importation of poultry from countries where fowl pest exists.

The importation of live and dead poultry from countries where fowl pest exists is in general prohibited by Orders made under Diseases of Animals Act, 1950. There are, however, special arrangements under which poultry carcases may be imported under licence from a specified area in France and a part of the Union of South Africa which are free from fowl pest, though other parts of those countries are not. These imports are subject to stringent safeguards.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent discussions with the financial delegation from Jordan.

The discussions have now ended with results which we believe, will be of mutual benefit to Her Majesty's Government and to our friends and allies in Jordan. Subject to the approval of Parliament for the provision of the necessary funds (which will amount for 1953–54 to £1,250,000 to be requested in a Supplementary Estimate during the summer of this year), Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have offered to co-operate with Jordan in a five-year plan of economic development beginning on 1st April, 1953. The plan is to be worked out immediately by the Jordan Government and discussed with Her Majesty's Government in November next.Taking into account the assistance which Jordan may expect to receive from the United States, Point IV programme, and from the United Nations Relief and Works Administration for Palestine Refugees, Her Majesty's Government hope that the effect of the plan will be a decisive improvement in Jordan's economy, and that at the end of the period Jordan will be able to balance her Budget without assistance. It has however become clear to the Jordan Government that a balanced Budget cannot be achieved for some time and they have, therefore, also asked Her Majesty's Government for assistance for this purpose. Her Majesty's Government have therefore agreed that a part of the total provision of £1,250,000 shall be devoted to this end.Of this sum, it is proposed to make available £500,000 as an interest-free loan towards the cost of the agreed development programme, which for 1953–54 amounts to £1,471,000. The remainder of this expenditure will be met by using the unexpended balance of the £1,500,000 loan which was previously provided by Her Majesty's Government. The remaining £750,000 of the amount now proposed will be a grant to the Jordan Government in aid of their Budget for the year 1953–54 and will form part of the assistance afforded them under the Anglo-Jordan Treaty of Alliance.The opportunity was taken of the presence of the Jordan Financial Delegation to discuss with them Jordan's balance of payments as a member of the sterling area in 1953. Arrangements have been made for meeting Jordan's requirements of hard currency from sterling area resources of such currency during the year.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether those members of the Royal Observer Corps who stood down at the end of the war, with the obligation to return if called upon to do so, and subsequently resumed service upon the re-formation of the corps, will be permitted to count the period of the stand down as service qualifying for the award of the Royal Observer Corps medal.

No.

asked the Minister of Works the number of building operatives engaged in school building in Edinburgh during 1950, 1951 and 1952, as compared with the number so employed to the nearest convenient date in 1953.

The number of building operatives engaged on school building, including extensions, major repair work, colleges and private schools in Edinburgh in the months of January, 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953 was 118, 151, 302 and 332 respectively. Of the last figure 300 were employed on the erection of new schools.

asked the Minister of Works what steps he is taking to ensure that the stands being built along the Coronation route are adequate for the weights they will have to bear.

The stands have been designed by qualified structural engineers. Tests made in the course of construction so far show that they will bear the maximum load they are expected to carry.