asked the Minister of Agriculture why he agreed to the absence, in the recent agreement as to meat supply from Eire, of any provision for an agreed percentage to come to the United Kingdom in the form of store cattle.

Experience during the past four years has shown that the arrangements under which the Ministry of Food pay equivalent prices for Irish store cattle fattened in the United Kingdom and for Irish fat cattle and meat ensure that an adequate supply of store cattle is available to United Kingdom farmers. Demand for Irish store cattle varies from year to year, and it was considered unnecessary to repeat in the new Annex to the 1948 Trade Agreement an expression of intent about the proportion of cattle exported to this country as stores.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he can now make a statement as to the future plans for the marketing of cereals, with special mention of the arrangements for guaranteed prices.

I regret that I cannot add to the reply I gave on 30th July to the Question by the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd).

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will make a statement regarding damage to crops in East Essex resulting from bad weather; and whether he is satisfied that sufficient labour is available to harvest the crops which have suffered from it.

I regret that the weather has injured crops in East Essex, as elsewhere. I understand, however, that severe crop damage in East Essex is localised, and amounts to a very small proportion of the total acreage. There is some shortage of farm labour in that part of the county, but I have no reason to suppose that the crops will not be gathered in even though I am afraid that the harvest is bound to be troublesome.

asked the Minister of Education if she will give a list of the total value of new school building work for the coming year submitted in the programme of each local education authority in Wales; and the amounts by which the work permitted by her department falls short of the total requested by each authority.

I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Education (1) what representations she has received from Cardiff City Council relating to Cardiff's 1954–55 allocation for secondary schools in Cardiff whether she will increase the allocation for Heol Hir School to £144,250; whether she is aware that the North Llanishen area needs two secondary schools to provide for 1,000 children; and whether she will make a statement;

I have been asked by the Cardiff local education authority to agree to increased provision of accommodation at the two secondary modern schools proposed to be provided at Heol Hir and at the secondary school at Llanrumney. Certain proposals, which, I hope, will meet the authority's wishes, are under discussion with them. The authority's major building programme includes one school at Heol Hir in the main programme for 1954–55 and another in the reserve list for that year.

asked the Minister of Food what steps he takes to verify the exportable surplus of meat to which he is entitled under the recent agreement with Eire; how this surplus is made up; and what items he has agreed shall be subtracted from the total meat marketed in Eire before the British share is arrived at.

None. The agreement relates to the exportable surplus and domestic marketings do not enter into the picture. The Republic of Ireland regularly publishes details of exports, and I am entirely confident that it will carry out its obligations.

asked the Minister of Food how many gallons of milk were purchased on his behalf by the Milk Marketing Board in Glamorgan during the last 12 months; and how this figure compares with the two previous years.

In the financial year 1952–53, about 15·4 million gallons and for the two previous years about 15·6 and 14·9 million gallons respectively.

asked the Minister of Food how many gallons of milk were purchased on his behalf by the Milk Marketing Board in Wales during the last 12 months; and how this figure compares with the two previous years.

In the financial year 1952–53, for Wales and Monmouthshire, about 182·8 million gallons and for the two previous years about 176·5 and 172·7 million gallons respectively.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will now announce further details of the industrial fuel efficiency non-profit earning company to be established under the auspices of the British Productivity Council in accord with the recent recommendations of the Report of the Pilkington Committee.

The British Productivity Council is giving detailed consideration to the formation of the new industrial fuel efficiency company on the lines of the Report of the Pilkington Committee. Further details will not be available until the memorandum and articles of association of the Company have been completed.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will now publish the results of the experimental industrial fuel efficiency loans scheme in respect of the first year of operation ended 29th May, 1953, including the number of applications for such loans; the number granted and the number withdrawn or rejected; the total sum of such loans in the year concerned; and what arrangements now obtain pending inauguration of the enlarged and improved loans scheme.

The following particulars relate to applications received under the loan scheme which started on 29th May, 1952:

—	Number	Amount
		£
Applications received	34	249,707
Applications withdrawn	14	189,847
Applications rejected	13
Applications under consideration	3	13,900
Loans granted	4	45,960

The expanded loan scheme came into operation on 25th June, 1953. All loans granted after 29th May, 1952, will be treated under the arrangements applicable to the expanded scheme.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, in view of the large sums of money he is authorising for capital investment in new power-house construction, what steps he is taking to ensure the most economical form of construction compatible with efficiency and the best use of raw material resources; and whether he will make a statement.

Last autumn I appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Sir Hugh Beaver to examine this question. I have now received their report, which will be published in due course, and I am considering their recommendations.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the shortage of house-coal threatening next winter, he will increase the maximum permitted quantities of coke for domestic consumers in the winter months.

The present permitted quantity of coke is three tons per annum. This should be sufficient to enable domestic consumers to supplement their house-coal supplies during the winter.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is now in a position to make a statement on his consultations to secure full use of the 2 million tons per annum briquetting capacity in the United Kingdom, only 1 million tons per annum of which is currently being employed; whether he will bring the idle capacity into full productive use before next winter, in view of the house-coal shortage threatening; and how briquette prices will generally compare with the revised domestic coal price schedules.

I regret that I am not yet in a position to make a statement on this matter. I am still in consultation with the National Coal Board on the many complex issues involved.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what experiments are proceeding in this country with a view to the large-scale underground gasification of coal.

Experiments have been in hand since 1950, and work is now proceeding at two sites, Newman Spinney, near Sheffield, and Bayton, in Worcestershire. The experiments are designed to establish the practicability of embarking upon large-scale operations and to provide the data necessary for the planning of such operations.The results of the experimental work are encouraging. More than 1,500 tons of coal have been gasified and much useful information obtained. A detailed technical account of the experimental work in 1951 and 1952 has been published in the Journal of the Institute of Fuel for May, 1953, and I am sending a copy to my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware of the slow build up of domestic coal stocks in merchants hands in East Essex; and whether he will take action to speed deliveries to this area before the winter months set in.

I understand that the position in East Essex both as regards stocks of domestic coal and deliveries to merchants is somewhat better than the average for the region as a whole.As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to my recent statements about domestic coal supplies generally.

asked the Minister of Health when the Royal Pier Hotel, Southsea, was first requisitioned by his Department; for what purpose it has been intended; to what extent it has been used; what has been the cost of this hotel up to date; and whether he will release it for its designed purpose.

The Royal Pier Hotel, Southsea, has not been requisitioned by my Department, but was purchased in July, 1950, for use mainly as a nurses' home and preliminary training school by St. James' Hospital, Portsmouth. The purchase price was £46,500, and a further £13,661 has been spent on adaptations and redecorations.The Mental Health Department of Portsmouth Corporation rent part of the premises at a rental of £500 per annum, and the net cost of maintaining the premises up to December, 1952, was £127 12s. 8d. I am informed that owing to altered circumstances the South-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board is now considering the use of the hotel for the accommodation of nurses from both St. James' Hospital and other Portsmouth hospitals, and I am pressing them to take early action.

asked the Minister of Health the number of live births registered in England and Wales in the six months ended 30th June, 1953; and the number registered in the corresponding periods in the five previous years and in the five years, 1935–39.

The number of live births registered in England and Wales in the six months ended 30th June in the years in question was:

1953	…	…	351,169
1948	…	…	405,640
1949	…	…	378,649
1950	…	…	361,473
1951	…	…	357,661
1952	…	…	347,592
1935	…	…	302,255
1936	…	…	305,687
1937	…	…	309,182
1938	…	…	319,366
1939	…	…	317,688

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that local housing authorities in London, including the Metropolitan borough of Hackney, are being held up by the shortage of bricks; and what steps he proposes to assist that authority to expedite the housing of the people.

I understand that brick deliveries for the Hackney Borough Council's direct labour schemes have now improved, and that none of these are held up. Two of the council's contractors say that they require more bricks and I am looking into this.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the Cardiff City Association Football Club Supporters' Club has devised a scheme, in conjunction with radio re-diffusion, whereby all next season's home matches of Cardiff City could be broadcast to all hospitals in South Wales; why the General Post Office in London are objecting to the scheme; and whether he will endeavour to smooth out any difficulties which stand between the sick and their entertainment.

There has, unfortunately, been some delay in settling the details of this scheme, which I understand is designed to cover seven hospitals in the Cardiff area, but the Post Office has not raised any objection to the scheme.Rental terms for Post Office lines have just been quoted to the company which is sponsoring the scheme as agents for the Cardiff City Association Football Club Supporters' Club. I hope that the lines will be provided within about a fortnight of our receiving a firm order.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will take steps to improve television reception in Norfolk by increasing the power of the transmitting stations at Alexandra Palace and Sutton Coldfield.

I am informed by the B.B.C. that television reception in Norfolk would not be improved to any extent by increasing the power of these transmitters. Improvement can be achieved only by providing a new station.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the number and value of bricks imported during each month of the current year and the corresponding for 1951 and 1952.

The following table gives the number and value of bricks imported in the years 1951 and 1952 and in each month of 1953:

IMPORTS OF BRICKS MADE OF BRICK EARTH OR CLAY
Period			Number	Value
			Thousands	£ (c.i.f.)
1951:
January—June	…	…	664	7,492
Year	…	…	7,938	73,252
1952:
January—June	…	…	4,343	40,804
Year	…	…	8,092	70,862
1953:
January	…	…	182	1,505
February	…	…	0	1
March	…	…	1	213
April	…	…	99	785
May	…	…	2,567	18,329
June	…	…	5,322	37,036

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now issue, to all trade organisations here and overseas within the Colonial Territories, directives on trade and shipping with China during the armistice period, bearing in mind the obvious willingness of other countries to supply goods, raw materials and shipping.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 30th July during the debate on Korea and the Far East, when he made it clear that pending a reconsideration of policy at the appropriate time after the armistice, our policy on trade with China would remain unchanged. Trade organisations are fully aware of this policy, which has been stated on many occasions.I would also refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 18th June in reply to a Question by the hon. and learned Member for Aberdeen. North (Mr. Hector Hughes).

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now make an announcement on the final programme of expenditure of the counterpart of conditional aid funds in accordance with the arrangements recorded in Command Paper No. 8776.

Yes. I have arranged for further details of the programme to be printed as a Command Paper, copies of which are being laid before Parliament today. Copies will be available to Members in the Vote Office next Tuesday afternoon, 4th August.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet received the report of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission on the supply of imported timber.

Yes. I received this report on 27th July. When it has been printed it will be laid before Parliament in accordance with the provisions of Section 9 of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act, 1948.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now make a statement about further references to the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission.

A new reference was made to the Commission today. The subject referred is the supply of hard fibre cordage, and the full text is as follows:HARD FIBRE CORDAGE

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason information in his possession regarding espionage by Communists during the Second World War is still kept secret; and whether he will now release for publication a full report on the illegal activities of Douglas Frank Springhall, formerly National Organiser of the Communist Party, who was convicted on 28th July, 1943.

Any general disclosure of information about espionage activities in the Second World War would be contrary to the public interest, and I am not prepared to single out for publication information about such activities by the adherents of one political group. The essential facts of the offences of which Douglas Frank Springhall was convicted were published on the authority of the court at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Her Majesty's Government have reached a decision regarding the introduction of legislation on the subject of Royal Irish Constabulary pensions.

Yes. It is proposed to introduce legislation authorizing an increase in the pensions of certain widows of former members of the Royal Irish Constabulary and the award of a pension to certain other widows whose husbands served in the force, but who are not at present entitled to a pension.

asked the Minister of Transport when Western Avenue, Cardiff, is to be extended eastwards.

A survey has been made for an extension of Western Avenue, Cardiff, in an easterly direction for the purpose of an Order under the Trunk Roads Act, 1946. I cannot say when this scheme, which is estimated to cost over £1 million, can be put in hand.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement regarding the preliminary work in respect of the proposed new motor road over the Manchester Ship Canal near Barton Bridge, Eccles.

I have now decided that this preliminary work can properly be authorised, subject to approval of details, on the understanding that if and when the construction of the bridge is approved the preliminary work will rank for any grant that may be made from the Road Fund, and on the further understanding that the approval of the preliminary work will not in any way commit me as to the priority to be given to the construction of the bridge.

asked the Minister of Transport when the proposed prohibition of traffic turning right off Barton bridge into Barton Road, Stretford, will come into operation.

I expect to receive the necessary traffic order from the Urmston Urban District Council within the next month or so for my confirmation. I cannot say exactly how soon after that it could come into operation. The order will have to be advertised; any objections will have to be considered and, if I decide to confirm the order, the appropriate signs will have to be erected.

asked the Minister of Transport the nature of the machinery involved in reaching a decision as to what investment ceiling should apply, respectively, to the railways and roads of this country; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that a higher ceiling for road development is authorised in the near future.

The amount to be allocated for investment in railways and roads is determined by the Government after consideration of proposals submitted by all Departments concerned with capital investment. I shall continue to urge the need for adequate provision for road development.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a list of the major plans for the new construction and major improvements in roads to cost £22 million which are to be commenced next year or as soon thereafter as resources permit.

I should prefer not to give a precise list at this stage. The actual selection of schemes will depend on conditions prevailing at the time and it will be necessary to consult the local highway authorities who are responsible for initiating schemes on classified roads.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the increasingly adverse effect on the tourist and holiday trade in North Wales of the traffic bottle neck at Conway Bridge; and whether he can now fix a date for his intended inspection of that bridge.

I am fully aware of the traffic conditions at Conway Bridge. As my hon. Friend knows, plans are being prepared for a new bridge, which will be constructed as soon as resources permit. I intend to visit Conway to see this bridge during the Summer Recess and will make firm arrangements as soon as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the nature of the season, he will extend the availability of the lime subsidy in Scotland beyond 15th August.

I am examining, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, the possibility of extending the period of the extra summer subsidy for lime.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the cost of housing, per head of population, for Scotland in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1952, respectively.

The net annual expenditure by the central Government and the local authorities on housing in Scotland for the years in question was

—			£m.	Approximate amount per head of the population
				s.	d.
1948–49	…	…	12·1	47	0
1949–50	…	…	13·6	53	0
1950–51	…	…	13·7	54	0
1951–52	…	…	14·5	57	0

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the average debt on each local authority house in Scotland in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1952 respectively.

I have no information which would show the average capital debt per house over the whole country.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the value of all houses owned by local authorities and Government in Scotland; and what would be the reduction of the ratepayers' and taxpayers' burden, annually, if these were sold to occupiers and others at this valuation.

I regret that I do not have information as to the value of local authority houses or the reduction in the ratepayers' burden which would result if they were sold. If Exchequer contributions were to cease on sale, the total reduction in the taxpayers' burden would be about £6·5 million per annum for local authority permanent houses.