asked the Minister of Supply what representation Welsh steel users will have on the body which he is setting up to deal with the allocation of supplies of steel in Britain.

The body referred to is concerned with steel plate only. It is an Inter-departmental Committee composed of officials of the Government Departments concerned. The Minister for Welsh Affairs has a representative on this Committee.

asked the Minister of Supply why he abolished steel rationing in the middle of the British Industries Fair.

The date of the British Industries Fair and that of the termination

Year ended			Cost*	Wage Bill	Percentage of cost to total wage bill	Average number of employees	Percentage absence
			£	£
31st March, 1951	…	…	268,398	10,619,590	2·5	30,435	†6·4
31st March, 1952	…	…	296,856	14,182,931	2·1	36,146	5·4
31st March, 1953	…	…	417,952	18,500,000 (approx.)	2·3	41,132	†5·7
* Exclusive of Ministry of National Insurance benefits.
† Influenza epidemic in January-February, 1951 and 1953.

asked the Minister of Supply when it was decided to devote the Aldermaston Atomic Energy Station to research on atomic weapons; if he will give an assurance that the research there will not be a danger to people in the district; and what arrangements are being made to locate any dangerous activities in a remote part of the country where a weapons development establishment could more safely be located.

The decision to use Aldermaston for research work on atomic weapons was taken in September, 1949. I can assure my hon. Friend that the work to be done there will not be a danger to people in the district, and that any activities involving danger would be undertaken in some remote area, as was done in the case of the Monte Bello test last autumn.

asked the Minister of Supply the cost of the sick-leave scheme in the Royal Ordnance factories for the 12 months ended 31st March, 1951, 1952 and 1953, respectively.

The following is a comparative statement of the cost of the sick pay scheme for industrial workers in the Royal Ordnance Factories for the periods mentioned:

asked the Minister of Supply how many cases of Royal Ordnance factory workers taking up spare-time work, while on sick pay have been reported since June, 1950; and how many cases of malingering have been reported since June, 1950.

Five cases of workers taking up spare-time work while on sick leave and two cases of malingering have been reported since June, 1950. All these workers were discharged. No case has been reported since June, 1951.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) the dates on which the Nene 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were freed from security grading and placed on the unrestricted list;(2) the dates on which the Derwents 10, 9, 8, 7 and all the earlier types were freed from security grading and placed on the unrestricted list;(3) the date on which the Nene 102 was freed from security grading and placed on the unrestricted list.

The Nene 2 was placed on the unrestricted list on 3rd April, 1947; the Nene 3, 4, 5 and 6 on 22nd February, 1949, and the Nene 102 on 19th August, 1952. The Derwent 1 and 5 were placed on the unrestricted list on 21st December, 1945; the Derwent 8 on 15th January, 1951, and the Derwent 6 and 7 on 23rd April, 1952; the Derwent 9 is still on the restricted list. There is no Derwent Mark 10.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he will give, at the last convenient date, with percentages of recipients, the last country of residence of those obtaining National Assistance;(2) if he will give, for each of the past three years, the numbers of recipients of public assistance who claimed, as thenr last occupation, to have been employed on ships.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware that children's supervisors employed by Oldham Education Committee are paying National Insurance at a rate of 4s. 6d. a week out of the present total income of 19s. 9d.; and that they have been told recently by his Department that they are classed as seasonal workers and do not, therefore, qualify for employment benefit: and what steps he proposes to take.

I understand these supervisors work more than eight hours a week and are therefore insurable in Class 1, unless being married women they have opted out. As regards the second part of the Question, there seems to be some misapprehension. Whether a person is a seasonal worker depends on the individual record of employment. Moreover, seasonal workers can obtain unemployment benefit if unemployed during the season and may qualify for it in the off season if they satisfy certain additional conditions embodied in Regulations recently approved by Parliament.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he will arrange a supplementary Coronation benefit for those who have been in receipt of sickness benefit and National Assistance for more than 12 months, in order that they may be able to participate in the general rejoicing.

My right hon. Friend does not think there are sufficient grounds for singling out these particular people for a special bonus.

asked the Minister of National Insurance the number of old age pensioners in the urban district of Maestag; the numbers for Caerau, Nantyffyllon and Maesteg, respectively; and how many were in receipt of supplementary payments from the National Assistance Board at the latest convenient date.

The number of retirement pensioners in these districts is not known as it is not possible to give these figures by localities. On 31st March last, in the area administered from the office of the National Assistance Board at Port Tal-bot, which includes these districts, and also the borough of Port Talbot and the Urban District of Glyncorrwg, 341 non-contributory pensions (of which 178 were being supplemented by regular weekly grants of National Assistance) and 1,839 regular weekly grants of National Assistance in supplementation of retirement pensions were being paid.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he is aware that a man who is receiving 11s. disability pension has been refused any help towards an additional rent charge for the room he occupies and has been informed that the extra charge must be met from his disability pension, though other men in the same place are getting the extra National Assistance to meet the new rent charge; and if he will take steps to ensure that the principle that disability pensions up to £1 shall be disregarded when considering the scale and rent liability is maintained.

The National Assistance Board inform me that in deciding whether to give a rent allowance in excess of the amount normally paid by applicants in the locality they feel bound to take all the applicant's circumstances into consideration. In the special circumstances of this case, however, an addition is being made to meet the increased rent now being charged.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he will take to ensure that Welsh coal is used in Wales, or exported through Welsh ports.

The home distribution of coal is organised on a United Kingdom basis, so that consumers may be supplied with the coal most suitable to their requirements at the lowest price. Welsh coal is normally exported through Welsh ports.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will take steps to ensure that in anticipation of the winter of 1953–54 ample stocks of coal are made available during the next few months for householders in East Anglia, and particularly for those in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.

The total quantity of coal available for stocking during the summer will depend on the level of output. To ensure that each region gets its proper share of the quantities available, supplies to the house coal market will be kept under review throughout the summer by the National Coal Board and the House Coal Distribution (Emergency) Scheme, the trade organisation responsible for merchants' allocations.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power on what date he proposes to award the increased pensions which he has undertaken to give to former employees of local authority electricity and gas undertakings; and how far the increased pensions will be retrospective.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is now in a position to report when the increase of pensions under the Pensions Increase Act, 1952, will be payable to the pensioners who were formerly employed in the gas industry.

In my right hon. Friend's answer to the hon. and learned Member for West Ham, South (Mr. Elwyn Jones) on 27th April he explained the arrangements being made by the British Electricity Authority and the area electricity boards. He has now consulted the Gas Council, and the area gas boards are making similar arrangements. The schemes when completed will be retrospective to 1st October, 1952, for both industries, and advance payments are meanwhile being arranged.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will take steps to ensure that the future development of the electricity and gas industries in Wales is governed by a dominant consideration for the needs of the Principality of Wales including Monmouthshire.

My right hon. Friend would not hesitate to take such steps as he might at any future time think necessary, but at present he has no reason to think that the needs of Wales and Monmouthshire are not the dominant consideration in the development of these two industries there.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he has yet completed his consideration of the various reports and recommendations made to him by the Committee set up by him as a result of the Ridley Report and by the Ministers to whom he referred certain specific matters and from whom he has sought advice on specific points; and if he will make a comprehensive statement on the subject.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he received the Report of the Pilkington Committee on the Industrial Fuel Advisory Service; when it is to be published; and if he will now make a statement as to its recommendations.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has now considered the Report of the Pilkington Committee on fuel utilisation; and whether he will make a statement on the implementation of its recommendations.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make a statement soon after the House reassembles.

asked the Minister of Materials whether, in view of the dissolution of the Sulphur Committee in the United States of America, he will now cease to require British manufacturers to furnish him with particulars as to quantities of this material used.

No. The information required has been reduced to the minimum and it has been found possible to dispense with returns from some 1,200 small users. Simplified monthly returns are still however necessary from importers of sulphur and firms using sulphur in bulk, particularly in view of the continuance of the United States' control of exports.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent Scottish National Service men who express a wish to serve with a Scottish unit are allowed to do so.

Scottish National Service men who wish to serve with a Scottish unit are allowed to do so if there are vacancies. In some cases special civilian qualifications demand their use elsewhere.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the estimated cost to the Treasury if the duty on beer were reduced by the equivalent of Id. a pint.

About £25 million in a full year.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury the estimated cost of reducing the Purchase Tax on fancy and ornamental articles in group 29 (a) from 100 per cent. to 50 per cent. this year and in a full year.

I take it the hon. Member has in mind the effect of the provision in the Budget for abolishing the separate charge of tax under Group 29 (a). I estimate the cost, inclusive of the cost of the general reduction in rates by one-quarter on the goods concerned, at £1,200,000 in a full year, and £900,000 this year, very approximately.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what would be the estimated cost of exempting cutlery and spoons and forks in group 13 from Purchase Tax; the cost of reducing the Purchase Tax on silverware in group 27 from 75 per cent. to 50 per cent. and the yield of this tax in the last financial year; the estimated cost of deleting paragraph (b) of group 28, by which all articles wholly or partly made of mother-of-pearl, except buttons and studs, are taxed at the highest rate; and what was the yield under this paragraph in the last financial year.

The cost of exempting from tax cutlery and spoons and forks now chargeable under Group 13 would be about £1⅓ million in a full year. Separate particulars are not available for silverware, but I estimate that the cost of the reduction suggested would be a little over £1½ million in a full year if it were to apply generally to goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares, other articles of precious and semi-precious material, and jewellery. The yield of tax from articles charged under Group 28 (b) is not separately ascertainable, but the effect of deleting this charge would be small.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury to what extent the recent official announcement of the United States Gov-

Year			Defence Expenditure Total	American Aid
				Mutual Defence Assistance (See Note 1)	Mutual Security Aid (See Note 2)
			£m.	£m.
1950–51 (Audited Expenditure)	…	…	796	2	—
1951–52 (Audited Expenditure)	…	…	1,123	5	—
1952–53 (Estimates including Supplementaries)			1,513	18	85
1953–54 (Estimates)	…	…	1,637	17	140
Notes
1. The figures in this column are actual receipts by the Ministry of Supply, surrendered as Exchequer Extra Receipts.
2. This column shows the sterling counterpart appropriated in aid of Defence Votes (see Statement on Defence, 1953, Command 8768, paragraphs 10 and 11).
3. The table above excludes "end-item assistance" (that is to say, the provision of defence stores and equipment in kind)

This form of assistance affords no direct relief to the United Kingdom Defence Budget, though it does constitute a valuable addition to the United Kingdom's own defence effort.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his speech in the debate on the Second Reading of the Finance Bill on 7th May.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will provide in the form of a table a list of United States aid towards the cost of defence of the United Kingdom, indicating what form this aid took at various dates and to what extent the reduced sum, now made public in the United States as the contribution to be made in the present financial year, will affect orders already placed for aircraft and other warlike stores in this country.

The sterling equivalent of the net amounts of United States' dollar aid related to the defence expenditures of the United Kingdom is shown in the following table. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the debate on the Second Reading of the Finance Bill on 7th May.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can now allow remittances to be made to countries outside the scheduled territories in respect of the maintenance of families in such countries during and immediately after the war.

Remittances will now be allowed in respect of such maintenance prior to 31st May, 1946, in so far as it has not been covered by remittances permitted under the Children's Overseas Reception Board arrangements or otherwise. The maximum scale of remittances allowable will be £10 per child and £20 per adult for each month during which they were maintained abroad. Applications for permission to remit funds abroad for this purpose should be made through a bank to the Bank of England stating the names of the evacuees, the dates on which they left the United Kingdom, the names and addresses of their hosts abroad, the period for which the evacuees were maintained by them, and the amount of remittances, if any, already transferred in respect of that period.Persons who were in the Services during the time that the evacuees were overseas

County			Trunk	Mileage of roads converted since the 1st April, 1950. into:
				Class I from Class II	Class II from Class III	Class III from Unclassified
Anglesey	…	…	—	—	—	6·21
Breconshire	…	…	14·05	0·10	—	—
Caernarvonshire	…	…	—	—	—	—
Cardiganshire	…	…	—	4·37	—	1·90
Carmarthenshire	…	…	0·01	—	—	1·40
Denbighshire	…	…	—	—	—	3·48
Flintshire	…	…	—	9·83	—	0·94
Glamorganshire	…	…	0·55	—	—	—
Merionethshire	…	…	0·52	—	—	—
Montgomeryshire		…	28·18	—	—	19·11
Pembrokeshire	…	…	—	—	—	6·18
Radnorshire	…	…	—	8·10	—	0·15
TOTAL	…	…	43·31	22·45	—	39·37
During the same period 33·55 miles of Class III roads were declassified and 13·82 miles of unclassified roads were made Class II.

asked the Minister of Transport how much money he has recovered from the Service Departments, the Ministry of Fuel and Power and the National Coal Board since 1940, in respect of improvements undertaken on roads or of damage caused to roads in Wales.

The cost of road improvements required for, and the repair of damage caused by, Government traffic up to 31st March, 1946, has been charged

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will indicate for each of the counties in Wales, the mileage of roads which has been classified as trunk roads, Class II increased to Class I, Class III to Class II, and from unclassified roads to Class III, since April, 1950, to date.

The figures are:to the Roads, etc. Vote of the Ministry of Transport. In respect of cases arising after that date in Wales, the Ministry of Transport has collected and paid over to the highway authorities concerned £83,683 from the Service Departments and £7,925 from the Ministry of Fuel and Power. These contributions related to works carried out in conjunction with road improvements assisted by grants from the Road Fund. In all other cases arising after 31st March, 1946, payments by Government Departments and the National Coal Board have been made direct to the highway authorities.

asked the Minister of Education if she will arrange for an immediate reply to be sent to the Director of Education for Cheshire to his letter, dated 8th April, regarding St. Mary's Church of England School, Sale; and whether she will make the necessary arrangements to ensure that the son of Mr. A. T. Ewart of Ashton-on-Mersey is admitted to this school forthwith.

A reply to the letter from the Chief Education Officer for Cheshire to which my hon. Friend refers was sent on 16th May. I hope that this will enable the matter to be settled locally by agreement.

asked the Minister of Transport what sum of money in respect of compensation for road haulage assets acquired under the Transport Act, 1947, remains outstanding for payment to former operators; and what financial arrangements he proposes to make to enable these creditors to employ the sums owing to them for acquisition of road haulage sold by the Road Haulage Disposal Board under Section 3 of the Transport Act, 1953.

Compensation ascertained and outstanding at 30th April, 1953, amounted to £3·2 million. This included a substantial amount of agreed compensation which at that date required confirmation of the Transport Arbitration Tribunal but which, in accordance with Section 32 (3) of the Transport Act, 1953, no longer requires such confirmation and is now in course of being paid. It also includes agreed compensation either in course of payment or awaiting completion of formal agreements with the transferors and payments on account offered to but not yet accepted by transferors.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the growing practice being adopted by motorists of fixing Coronation flags and pennants on the front of their cars; and whether, as this tends to distract motorists attention from careful driving, he will issue a statement advising motorists to fix these pennants above the windscreen or some other similar position and thus lessen the possibility of road accidents.

I welcome these demonstrations of loyalty but hope that motorists will be careful to place such emblems where they will not interfere with the driver's view.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what expenditure he is incurring in connection with the Coronation.

The direct expenditure which will be incurred by my Departments in connection with the Coronation is not likely to exceed £600. Grants to local authorities will be slightly increased as a result of local Coronation expenditure, but it is impossible to give a precise estimate at present of the increases involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the acreage administered by Forestry Commissioners in Scotland, Wales and England, respectively.

The acreages as at 1st April, 1953, were 760,800, 212,900 and 554,900, respectively.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement concerning investigations into the effects of detergents.

After consulting the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Health, I have appointed a Committee with the following terms of reference:

"to examine and report on the effects of the increasing use of synthetic detergents and to make any recommendations that seem desirable with particular reference to the functioning of the public health services."

I have been fortunate enough to secure the services, as Chairman, of Sir Harry Jephcott, the Chairman and Managing Director of Glaxo Laboratories, Limited. The full list of the Committee is as follows:CHAIRMANSir Harry Jephcott, M.Sc, Ph.C, F.R.I.C.MEMBERSDr. N. R. Beattie, M.D., D.P.H., Principal Medical Officer, Ministry of Health (attached to Ministry of Housing and Local Government).C. E. Boast, Esq., O.B.E., M.C., M.I.C.E., F.R.I.C.S., M.I.Inst.E., M.I.W.E., Borough Engineer and Surveyor, County Borough of Croydon.Professor J. C. Cruickshank, M.D., D.T.M., Dip.Bact, Professor of Bacteriology as applied to Hygiene, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.G. H. W. Cullinan, Esq., General Manager, Shell Chemicals Limited.Lt.-Col. E. F. W. Mackenzie, O.B.E., M.C., M.B., Ch.B., D.P.H., Director of Water Examination, Metropolitan Water Board.G. MacRobbie, Esq., Assistant Secretary, Department of Health for Scotland.F. D. Morrell, Esq., Director, Unilever Limited, London.Dr. J. R. Nicholls, C.B.E., D.Sc, F.R.I.C, Deputy Government Chemist.F. T. K. Pentelow, Esq., M.A., Chief Inspector of Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.Dr. B. A. Southgate, D.Sc, Ph.D., F.R.I.C, Director, Water Pollution Research Laboratory, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.H. Symon, Esq., C.B., Under-Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Local Government.W. L. Thomas, Esq., F.R.I.C, F.C.S., F.T.I., Chief Chemist and Technical Director, Woolcombers Ltd., Bradford.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will seek to arrange an early visit by either the Secretary of State or a high ranking emissary to Pakistan to study that Dominion's present problems, give urgent British and Commonwealth assistance and attempt to expedite the Indian-Pakistani talks for the settlement of outstanding problems.

The United Kingdom Government have at all times the closest and most friendly contacts with the Government of Pakistan. They are kept fully and expeditiously informed on all aspects of Pakistan affairs of concern to the United Kingdom by the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Karachi, who is in direct and continuous touch with the Prime Minister and other members of the Pakistan Administration. The Prime Minister of Pakistan will have an early opportunity of meeting his fellow Commonwealth Prime Ministers when he visits this country for Her Majesty's Coronation, and the United Kingdom Government for their part are looking forward with pleasure to discussions with him.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is to take, in view of the horticultural industry's rejection of the apple and pear scheme, to improve horticultural marketing.

I do not consider that the rejection of the Apple and Pear Marketing Scheme by producers provides grounds for any radical change of policy on horticultural marketing. Any further marketing schemes which may be submitted by producers will be considered on their merits. In general, my Department will continue to encourage producers to organise for better marketing through agricultural marketing schemes, co-operative societies or other forms of association and to improve the packing, grading and presentation of their produce. Although the Government can and will provide advice and certain facilities, progress in horticultural marketing must depend mainly on the initiative of growers, whether acting individually or jointly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how much money the Forestry Commission has spent each year since the war on the construction of forest roads in Wales; and how much of this work has been undertaken by county councils on their behalf.

No work has been carried out by county councils on forest roads in Wales for which the Forestry Commission are responsible. The Commission's expenditure on these roads is shown in the following table.

Year ending 30th September	£
1945–46	6,600
1946–47	48,500
1947–48	118,900
1948–49	78,600
1949–50	79,800
1950–51	87,700
1951–52	136,000

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether, in view of his request that car owners should fit sup- pressors in order to prevent distortion of television programmes, he is aware that these are in short supply; and if he will consult with the Minister of Supply on what steps should be taken to ensure that adequate numbers are made available.

My information is that the principal suppliers of suppressors have ample stocks, but if my hon. Friend will let me have specific evidence of shortage I will look into it further.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make representations to the South Korean Government concerning the repeated pronouncements of Mr. Syngman Rhee and Pynn Yung Tai obstructing the United Nations negotiations for peace in Korea and the British desire to see a just settlement of the prisoner-of-war question.

Her Majesty's Government have seen reports of recent statements by members of the Government of the Republic of Korea but they do not consider that representations are called for by any particular pronouncements. Her Majesty's Government maintain close contact with their allies on all matters of common concern over Korea.

asked the Minister of Health by how much the net incomes of most of the dentists in the National Health Service are still less than enough to meet minimum middle class expenditure as found by the Speirs Report; and what consideration he has given to altering the scale fees.

Accurate and up-to-date information about the net incomes of dentists is not available and a fact-finding inquiry has beeen suggested to their representatives. Until the facts are known, an increase in their gross remuneration cannot be considered.