asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what our actual stock position of coal was at the end of May this year; how this figure compares with the end of May last year; and what response he has received to his appeal from industrial concerns to take all the coal that is made available to them from the National Coal Board in the building up of their stocks over the summer months.

Industrial and total distributed stocks of coal at the end of May were 37 and 13·9 million tons respectively compared with 4·5 and 15·0 million tons respectively a year before. So far this summer industry has taken more coal than in the corresponding period of last year but, because of the rise in consumption, stocks have not risen to the extent that is desirable. It remains essential, therefore, that industrial consumers should continue to take all the coal that is offered to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will reconcile the cost, £/M.W.I., in respect of the Moriston Scheme, quoted at £50,000 at present day prices, excluding transmission costs, and the figure of £260,000 per £/M.W.I., including transmission costs.

I regret that owing to a faulty teleprinter recording the estimated capital cost per megawatt installed of the original Moriston Project at present day prices was quoted in my reply of the 30th June as £50,000 instead of the correct figure of £250,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to state for the calendar years 1938, 1951 and 1952, respectively the quantities of raw cotton imported into the United Kingdom from Commonwealth countries and from all countries, and the percentage which imports from the Commonwealth bear to total imports.

The answer is as follows:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air, in view of annoyance and alarm caused by low-flying jet aircraft over Leyton on 25th June, and particularly the harmful effects of such incidents on children, sick persons and the aged, if he will take action to prevent its recurrence.

Aircraft are normally forbidden to fly low over built-up areas. These particular flights took place during a special air defence exercise over South-Eastern England. Such exercises are a vital part of the training of our fighter defences against enemy attacks which might be made at any level at any time of the day. I greatly regret the disturbance to civilians, which we avoid wherever possible. But to eliminate this type of training would seriously impair the efficiency of our air defences.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he will give a list of those local authorities which have applied to his Department for approval for schemes to improve the disposal of their sewage, but which have been refused, or have not yet been given, permission to proceed, indicating in each case the population in the authority's area and the river or stream into which its sewage effluent is at present discharged; (2) how many local authorities at present discharge sewage effluent, whether treated or untreated, into rivers and streams in the area of the Mersey and Irwell rivers board; and what is the population living in the local authorities' areas concerned.

It would take a great deal of work to collect the information asked for and I do not think that it would be justified. I shall, of course, be happy to give the hon. Member the information about any particular local authority or authorities in Which he is interested.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that application has been made to his Department to close road No. C400, between Tyes Cross and Saint Hill for six months from 1st July; and whether, in view of the dislocation of traffic such closing will entail for East Grinstead and neighbouring villages, he will insist that the period granted shall not exceed a maximum of three months.

I have been asked to reply.This road has to be closed temporarily so that Whillet's Bridge can be rebuilt and raised above the future level of the reservoir which is being constructed here by the Weir Wood Water Board. I hope that the work will not take as long as six months, but the nature of the job makes it impossible to insist that it must be completed in three. My hon. and gallant Friend may be assured that the Board are fully alive to the need to reopen the road as soon as possible.