asked the Minister of Supply what further obstacles remain to the ending of the allocations scheme or rationing of tinplate; and whether he will now make a statement.

Tinplate supplies are for the time being sufficient to meet the present abnormally low demands. But it is generally expected that in the near future there will be an appreciable increase in the volume of orders, which might quite likely again create a shortage. Until the outlook is clearer, it would I think be wise to defer any decision about the future of the tinplate controls.

While I recognise the need to continue this control in a modified form, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he will give an assurance that fully adequate supplies of tinplate will be available this season to meet the urgent demand of the food processors, notably the fruit growers in the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire, Wisbech, Kent and elsewhere?

There certainly should be. I have constantly in mind the importance of meeting the needs of the fruit industry.

asked the Minister of Supply what progress has been made in recent months in the production of helicopters designed to be suitable for passenger services.

Two types of twinengined helicopters suitable for passenger service are being developed under Ministry of Supply contracts. One of these, the Bristol 173, is approaching the stage when orders could be placed. The scale of production will depend upon the volume of orders.

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that statement, but is he aware that there are people in the business who feel that the Government are not giving all the encouragement they might, in view of the great possibilities of helicopters in both peace and war? Are the Government giving the necessary support?

As I have said before, I share the hon. Gentleman's enthusiasm for helicopters, but no good will be done by my repeating it at such frequent intervals. The Government are well aware of the importance of the helicopter, and we are doing everything possible to encourage its development and production.

Has any progress been made towards giving confidence in taking these machines over water, such as would be involved in services to the Highlands and Islands? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there has been a bar on taking them across water?

I will be very glad to take a trip with the right hon. Gentleman to show that we have every confidence in them.

I went up in a helicopter in the pioneering days. The point is that helicopters are not allowed to take passengers over water. Have we got to the stage when that bar can be lifted?

When it comes to carrying passengers as a paying service, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, all sorts of additional precautions are insisted upon and are no doubt desirable. I, too, was engaged in the earlier stages, when the auto-gyro was in its prime.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will make a statement on the steps being taken by Her Majesty's Government to develop new types of radar equipment, in view of the existence of jet planes able to fly at supersonic speeds or at near supersonic speeds.

The advent of jet aircraft, with their higher speeds, altitude and rate of acceleration has necessitated considerable changes in radar and other equipment A considerable range of both airborne and ground equipment to meet these more exacting specifications is either already in production or in an advanced stage of development.

Is there any exchange of information on this development with the United States Government?

Quite a lot.

asked the Minister of Supply, in view of the rapid progress which is being made with the development of aeroplanes to fly at supersonic speed, what steps he proposes to take to avoid, so far as possible, damage to persons and buildings from machines flying at high speeds at low altitudes.

It will be many years before aircraft will be able to fly at supersonic speeds at low altitudes.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a number of scientists think his reply is incorrect and that they expect this contingency to arise within a few years? Will he keep the matter well in mind in case development is quicker than the Government imagine possible?

The scientists have not had very long to consider my reply. Existing regulations govern the height at which aircraft may fly over built-up areas, and the revision of the regulations will be considered when we have more experience of the problem.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) what percentage of heavy machinery scrap is being delivered to ironfoundries in the North-East, compared with pre-war years;

There are no statistics showing heavy machinery scrap separately. There is a general shortage of the types of scrap most suitable for ironfoundries, but I have no evidence that foundries in the North-East have received less favourable treatment than others.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that a quantity of this scrap is becoming available from Her Majesty's dockyards, and will he consult his right hon. Friend to see whether it can be made available to the ironfoundries in the North-East?

My information is that the proportion of heavy scrap delivered to foundries in the North-East is higher than the average for the country as a whole.

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that in the Falkirk and Bonnybridge area the iron casting industry is in a state of slump and there is some evidence that the present supply of scrap and the system governing it are such as to prevent it from helping itself? Will he look at the quota and licence system and consider whether a revision of the system would enable some of the Falkirk and Bonnybridge foundries to change from the goods which they have been manufacturing to other types of goods which require more scrap?

I shall be glad to consider any suggestions that the hon. Gentleman has to make.

asked the Minister of Supply why Government test pilots are to be replaced by Royal Air Force test pilots in Government aircraft establishments, in view of the excellent work which these test pilots have done in the past.

I am at present considering whether any change should be made in the proportions of civilian and Service test pilots employed in Ministry of Supply establishments. I have not yet reached a decision on this question.

While the Minister is considering the future of those now employed will he bear in mind that they have been engaged upon a very risky type of work and that the incidence of death in the experiments conducted by them and their colleagues has been high and will he assure us that he will not, merely for the sake of economy, discharge people who have rendered very considerable service to the country?

I am glad that the hon. Gentleman has given me the opportunity to say publicly that I am well aware of the fine record of skill and courage of both civilian and Service test pilots.

That is not an answer to my question.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will direct that there shall be published a shortened popular illustrated edition of the most recent annual report of the Iron and Steel Board.

No, Sir.

In view of everything that has been said by the right hon. Gentleman's party about the failure of public ownership, does he not want to make absolutely certain that every man and woman knows exactly how valuable and successful the steel industry, with its £64 million surplus, was last year? Will he reconsider his answer?

Although people will have more leisure for reading during the holiday period, I am advised that there is unlikely to be any great popular demand for an illustrated version of the report and accounts of the Iron and Steel Corporation.

If there is no demand for this type of literature, can the right hon. Gentleman say why the Iron and Steel Federation have been turning out so much glossy stuff?

I thought it right to consult the Chairman of the Iron and Steel Corporation about the hon. Member's suggestion. He shares my view that there is not likely to be any popular demand for the publication and is not in favour of such a publication being produced.

Will the right hon. Gentleman, as the responsible Minister, try to promote discussion about the report in the Conservative Party circles?

A number of public bodies have produced the so-called popular illustrated versions at low prices, but their experience has not been encouraging. A number of them have had to give away copies free because of lack of demand.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) what adjustments in the pattern of production and deliveries have been considered desirable by the inter-Departmental committee on the allocation of steel plates; and what action has been taken;

A variety of steps have been taken with the object of ensuring that existing plate-making capacity is used to the full. In addition arrangements have been made to import increased quantities of steel plate from abroad. As a result there should be some progressive improvement in supplies. Increased deliveries of steel plates have been arranged for eight Wear shipbuilders.

The right hon. Gentleman will realise that we appreciate the setting up of the committee, but can he let us have more details about the steps which are being taken, because there is great interest in this? While we on the Wear seem to have good reason for satisfaction, the industry generally would appreciate being kept up to date about the steps that the committee is taking.

I cannot go into great detail in answer to a supplementary question, but I can say that, in addition, the inter-Departmental committee has been trying to iron out specific difficulties. So far it has had 30 applications; action has been taken on 26 of them and the remaining four are under consideration.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Wear shipbuilders appear to be well satisfied with the initial moves of the inter-Departmental committee, but can he say whether the deliveries of imported steel plate are to be subtracted from the allocations of home steel plate?

My hon. Friend should not make that assumption.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the bad distribution of steel plates applies not only to the east coast of England but also to the north-east coast of Scotland? What is he doing to provide better supplies for the shipbuilding yards in North-East Scotland?

Steps are being taken to improve supplies for the shipbuilding industry as a whole.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent the shortage of steel plates and forgings for the Railway Executive's rolling stock programmes has now been overcome.

There has been an improvement in the deliveries of plates and forgings for this purpose and I understand that this has enabled the Railway Executive to restore part of the cut they had been obliged to make in their rolling stock production programme.

Having regard to the fact that at present the Railway Executive are using many carriages which are 40 to 50 years old, will the Minister do his utmost not merely to restore the cuts but to give the Transport Commission a good and full allocation in their requirements for the whole of their programme?

That is our aim.

asked the Minister of Supply whether in view of the second annual report of the Iron and Steel Corporation, he will give an assurance that he will not name the appointed day under the Iron and Steel Act, 1953, before the next General Election.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is yet in a position to fix the appointed day under the Iron and Steel Act, 1953.

I regret that I do not feel able to accede to the suggestion that the appointed day should be postponed so long. Before fixing the date, I thought it right to seek the advice of the Chairman of the Board and the Chairman of the Agency. The joint recommendation they made to me was that the appointed day should be either 6th July or 13th July. Out of regard for the views of the party opposite I have selected the later of these two dates.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that as recently as Friday the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, replying to the debate on the Adjournment, pointed out that one of the great advantages which shipbuilders have at the moment is cheap steel? In those circumstances, in view of the excellence of this report and the steps that the Corporation have taken for the industry, he should not give way to his doctrinaire colleagues but should stand up to them and postpone the date.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that when the party opposite nationalised the iron and steel industry they did it in such a way so that it could be denationalised easily? Nobody who was a director really felt that he was nationalised.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he will take steps to ensure that payments made by the National Assistance Board to persons in need shall not be reduced solely by reason of increases in their retirement pensions or increases in pensions due to aggravation of their physical disabilities.

No, Sir. I see no reason for suggesting any change in the existing practice under which retirement pensions are taken fully into account on an application for supplementary assistance and the first £1 of a disability pension is disregarded.

Does the Minister appreciate that if, for example, an ex-Service man's pension is increased because it is considered that his physical condition merits a larger pension it must then appear a very great injustice if assistance is immediately reduced by a similar compensating amount?

As my hon. Friend knows, there is a highly elaborate system of disregards which put certain persons and certain classes of person in a more favourable position in the matter of National Assistance, and I think it would be very serious to attempt to embark on piecemeal alterations.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what steps he is taking to bring the proposed scheme for reciprocal insurance benefits between Australia and the United Kingdom to the attention of prospective emigrants and immigrants.

There are still a number of details to be settled between the Social Security and Migration authorities of the two countries in connection with the agreement. The question of publicity will be borne in mind in the discussions on these matters.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will take steps to permit householders to change their coal merchants freely and at any time in the year.

I have most carefully considered my hon. Friend's suggestion, but I am afraid that it is not practicable at present.

Does not the Minister agree that this is one of the regulations which we want to get rid of? Is he aware that many members of the public feel that this regulation is entirely superfluous?

I can understand my hon. Friend's feeling, but the restriction that, unhappily, has to persist at present on coal for domestic use is not worked on a coupon system but depends upon the records in the merchants' hands. The difficulty is to prevent consumers from getting more than their proper entitlement.

As a serious shortage of domestic coal is almost certain this winter, does that not mean that it is more necessary to tighten up the regulations rather than relax them in the way the hon. Gentleman suggests?

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will make a statement on the coal situation, in view of the decline in production and the substantial increase in consumption this year, compared with a similar period in 1952.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he is taking to prevent a fuel shortage in Swindon next winter, in view of the fact that though the coal merchants there are taking their permitted quantities of coal, they can only meet current needs and cannot stock up appreciably for the winter.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) if he is aware that coal merchants in Norfolk are concerned about the coal situation in the county; that present stocks are un-precedentedly low; that the supplies now arriving at the depots are less than are needed; and if he will make a statement;

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he is taking to ensure adequate coal supplies for industrial and domestic consumers in South Wales next winter.

As a result of the Coronation we have lost about 1¼ million tons of coal and it is estimated that the second week's holiday which workers in most other industries already enjoy and which the miners are taking for the first time this year will lose a further 3½ million tons.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that for a long time now there has been a lot of uneasiness and feeling that the Minister has been too complacent and has not been putting before the public the position as he knows it? Is he aware that on Saturday the President of the Coal Merchants' Federation stated that the position was worse now than ever it was even during the war and that the householders will have to take 5 per cent. less coal in the next 12 months than in the last 12 months? Is this not serious?

The essential point of the speech of the President of the Coal Merchants' Federation was that both the public and the merchants during this summer should be prepared to accept not merely the highest qualities of coal but also other kinds of coal which can be offered by the Coal Board to the merchants. That statement was made after a meeting between him, myself and the chairman of the Board.

Has the Minister any particular remarks to make on the situation in Wales, and, secondly does he propose to take any extraordinary action such as arranging for imported coal as did his predecessor in the previous Government?

No, Sir, I have no special statement to make about South Wales, but I will keep the House informed of any progress in this important matter.

The miners will have to work harder.

In view of the right hon. Gentleman's pessimistic report, can he hold out no hope whatever of preventing a coal shortage this winter?

No, Sir. The situation, admittedly, is difficult, but I think we can get through if we get full co-operation between the Coal Board, the merchants and the public.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that all informed sources in Scotland as well as in England agree that there will be a shortage this year, especially of consumer coal? What is he doing to safeguard the position?

I am very glad that there is anxiety at the present time about the coal situation because it is justified and it is very much better that we should be thoroughly anxious now than that we should be taken by surprise when the winter comes. Everybody in the industry is working very hard in connection with this matter.

Is it not a fact that in the first three months of this year there was a heavy incidence of influenza, and that but for the extra holidays there would have been 1½ million tons more of coal produced in the five months of this year than in the corresponding period of last year? Is not the most important single factor that the Government should encourage the use of efficient modern appliances by housholders so that they can take the smaller coal which is now being produced in adequate quantities?

Yes, I think there was a good deal of influenza among the miners during the early part of the year and that that did affect production. It is very gratifying to see that the rate of production, after allowing for holidays, is much higher now. It is also true that the improved appliances which enable householders to burn other than large coal are an exceedingly important contributing factor to a better position in this matter, and it is very much to be desired that those who have these appliances will realise that they can burn the smaller sizes of coal to the great benefit of the coal situation.

In view of the interjection made by the hon. Member for Croydon, East (Sir H. Williams), who never did a day's work in his life, is the Minister aware that the miners are paid by production and that if they produce nothing they get nothing? That may be a bit of information for the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents have taken place in the last five years at the Eassie level crossing, Angus.

Fourteen accidents have occurred here since 1st January, 1949, none involving personal injury.

asked the Minister of Transport the estimated cost of building a bridge over the railway at the Eassie level crossing, Angus.

We know of no recent scheme for a bridge here. One was prepared in 1939 at a then estimated cost of about £30,000, including road improvements, but did not proceed. I understand that the county council are now considering, as a long-term scheme, a diversion which would eliminate the level crossing.

Will my hon. Friend encourage the county council to proceed with this scheme instead of, as is reported in the local Press, the Ministry of Transport refusing to consider it?

I do not think we are refusing to consider it. We are emphasising that it will have to be a long-term scheme in view of the financial situation.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that traffic in both directions is now frequently brought to a complete standstill in Jermyn Street, W.1, owing to the narrowness of the street and the number of vehicles parked on both sides of it at all hours of the day; and if he will now replace the no-waiting restrictions by unilateral waiting and reconsider his decision not to try one-way traffic as an experiment.

Traffic conditions in Jermyn Street have presented a troublesome problem for many years, but I am advised that the reintroduction of unilateral waiting would only increase the difficulties there. We will, however, consider with the Commissioner of Police and the other authorities concerned whether one-way working should be introduced in conjunction with the existing no-waiting restrictions.

While thanking my hon. Friend for the suggestion about one-way working, may I ask whether he is aware that the no-waiting restrictions are seldom obeyed and are as much good as having no no-waiting restrictions at all?

I am informed that there is a constable daily on patrol in the street and that a large number of infringements of the regulations have been reported. I would agree, however, that the position is not altogether satisfactory.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that his decision to make Jermyn Street a one-way street and not to allow parking there will be welcomed by all who want to see a little contribution on the part of the present Government to solving the problem of the growing paralysis of traffic in the West End?

asked the Minister of Transport if he will publish in percentage form, and as the annual total cost to this Department, the amount of maintenance work done on the trunk and classified roads of the country, in each year from 1946–47 onward, and taking 1946–47 as 100 per cent.

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

I have been asked to reply. These suggestions will be borne in mind.

May I say that on my own behalf, and, I am sure, on behalf of everyone in the House, we all regret the indisposition of the Prime Minister and hope that after his rest he will be speedily restored to his normal self? Would it not be perhaps advantageous not only to carry out the suggestion contained in the first Question, but to change the venue of the Bermuda talks to London, which would be helpful to the Prime Minister and, as we hope, to subsequent four-Power talks?

I thank the hon. Member for his reference to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. So far as that suggestion is concerned, I would give it the same answer as I gave to his first two suggestions. It will be borne in mind.

If any such exchange of Parliamentary delegations at any time were to take place, would the House be right in assuming that Opposition Members would be fully represented, and would the Minister ask the Soviet that this matter be treated on a strict reciprocity basis?

asked the Minister of Transport when regulations governing staff compensation under the Transport Act, 1953, will be available.

My right hon. Friend hopes to lay the draft regulations before both Houses of Parliament before the middle of July.

Will the Minister remind his right hon. Friend of the undertaking given in the House on 17th November that the regulations would be publicised before the disposal of the road haulage vehicles started?

Yes, I think that that will occur under these arrangements.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will grant permission for work to begin in the near future on the Severn bridge, in view of its importance to the West Country and the nation.

I regret that I am unable to add anything to my right hon. Friend's answer of 23rd March last to the hon. Member for Bristol, North-East (Mr. Coldrick), of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

As the hon. Gentleman is as well aware as I am of the importance attached to this matter in the West Country, will he try to prevail on his right hon. Friends in the Government to look at it again?

As a colleague of the hon. Member in the representation of the City of Bristol, I am fully alive to the importance of this question.

Will my hon. Friend remember that there are schemes of much greater priority, notably the Forth Road bridge, which should proceed before any suggestion of a Severn bridge is introduced?

That shows the advisability of caution on the part of Ministers.

Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind the more important work of widening the Ruislip-Ickenham bridge?

asked the Minister of Transport how many driving tests have been undertaken by the centres at Surbiton and Heath House, Isleworth, during the three months March, April and May, 1953; how many of such tests were taken by men and how many by women; how many men and how many women were failed at their first attempts; and what was the average waiting period at each centre between the application for a driving test and the holding of the test.

I will let my hon. Friend have the information required in the first two parts of the Question as soon as it can be collated. I regret that information is not available in reply to the third part of the Question. I understand that the average time which has elapsed between applications for driving tests and the tests themselves has been about four weeks at these centres during March, April and May this year.