asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the outbreak in this country of myxomatosis amongst rabbits in certain areas, he can now state what is to be the policy of his Department in this connection.

The Secretary of State for Scotland and I have set up a Committee to advise on the problems arising in connection with myxomatosis in rabbits and the action that should be taken by the Government. The Chairman of the Committee is Lord Carrington and the following have already accepted invitations to serve:

• Lord Merthyr.
• Dr. C. H. Andrewes.
• Mr. H. Collison.
• Dr. J. W. Evans.
• Professor R. E. Glover.
• Mr. H. Gardner.
• Mr. J. Scott Henderson, Q.C.
• The Hon. Mrs. George Lane.
• Mr. C. T. Plumb.
• Mr. J. N. Ritchie.
• Mr. W. H. Senior.
• Major R. Verney.
• Mr. Harold Woolley.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will make a statement about the future of the stallion, "Gay Time," which was purchased by the National Stud last year.

"Gay Time" was bought by the National Stud for £50,000 in July, 1952, to stand at a moderate fee for the benefit of smaller breeders. He had won four races and was second to "Tulyar" in the Derby and in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. In the interests of the thoroughbred breed it was decided to test the horse on the racecourse in 1953 as a four-year old. Although he won his first race, "Gay Time" subsequently developed an ailment and it has been decided that he is not suitable to be kept as a stallion at the National Stud. "Gay Time" has now been sold to the Government of Japan, the amount realised being £15,000. Breeders who subscribed for nominations have been released from their obligations.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation which bridge construction schemes in Wales are to be placed in the priority list for the road building programme next year.

I do not think that I can usefully attempt a priority list without knowing what funds will be available for road works generally next year.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will arrange a road test for the illumination device for use at Zebra crossings as suggested by Mr. E. Goodman, 666 Bolton Road, Pendlebury, Manchester, details of which have been supplied to his Department.

I have carefully considered Mr. Goodman's suggestion, but as the hon. Member was informed last January, there are objections to it in principle. In the circumstances, I do not think that a road test would serve any useful purpose.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will now make an announcement about the investigation into a proposal for a road bridge over the present Forth railway bridge.

I am glad to announce that the following gentlemen have accepted my invitation to form a panel to advise me on this matter:

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware of the increased volume of through traffic now using the Chiswick High Road; what plans he has for the development of Ellesmere Road, W.4, to link up with the Cromwell Road extension and the Great West Road; when he anticipates work will be restarted on this project; and whether, in view of the importance of hastening road traffic from London Airport to Central London, he will make a statement.

I know of the increased traffic in Chiswick High Road and, in view also of the increasing use of London Airport. I realise the importance of completing as soon as possible the alternative route from West Cromwell Road to the Great West Road, of which the Ellesmere Road section was an instalment. This work would cost about £4½ million and I cannot at present forecast when funds will be available to enable it to proceed.

asked the Minister of Education what financial assistance has been provided by her Department during the years 1952 and 1953 to encourage directly or indirectly, the production of educational films.

The Ministry of Education have never given financial assistance specifically for the production of educational films, though a number were sponsored by the Central Office of Information on behalf of the Ministry in the period immediately after the war. I am not clear what the hon. Member would regard as falling within the definition of indirect encouragement.

asked the Minister of Education, how many new films approved for use in schools have been produced in the United Kingdom during the years 1952 and 1953, with financial aid from industrial or commercial undertakings; and how many have been produced in the year in question without such aid.

This information is not available; there is in any case no procedure tinder which films are approved for use in schools.

asked the Minister of Education how many of the 927 new schools, completed since 1st June, 1952, were either planned or commenced to be built under the auspices of the previous Administration.

The number of new primary and secondary schools completed between 1st June, 1952, and 31st August, 1953, the latest date for which figures are available, is 634. 582 of these were started before 1st November, 1951.

asked the Minister of Education whether her attention has been called to the refusal of the Wandsworth Borough Council to erect guard railings and warning signs outside certain schools in the borough as requested by the school governors; and what action she will take to secure that these necessary safety precautions are otherwise provided.

I have seen Press reports on this matter. I understand that the education authority are considering the question of safety precautions at the schools concerned in the light of the recent decision of the Wandsworth Borough Council. I will give any help in my power in finding a satisfactory solution.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will exempt from purchase tax electric tubular heaters for use in churches and Sunday schools.

No. For practical reasons, it has been a general principle, since the inception of Purchase Tax, that articles cannot be exempted by reference to the particular use to which they may be put.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is now in a position to announce his decision with regard to the request by the staff side of the National Whitley Council that pre-1949 temporary service should be reckonable in full for pension: and if he is not in a position to announce his decision, if he will bear in mind the increasing rate of retirement from the Civil Service of men with 1914–18 forces service and arrange that a decision should be given without undue delay.

No. So far as the second part of the Question is concerned, my hon. and learned Friend will no doubt be aware that the request to which he refers does not relate to 1914–18 war service.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the percentage cost of Civil Service pensions in relation to the salaries of established civil servants for each of the financial years from 1938–39 to 1952–53; and the estimated percentage for the current year.

I regret that this information is not available and could not be obtained without the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of time and labour because (a) there are no central pay records for industrial civil servants and the departmental records do not distinguish between unestablished and established staff; (b) the central pay records for non-industrial civil servants also do not distinguish between unestablished and established staff.

asked the Minister of Food (1) to what extent, and against what risks, he insures commodities bought by him, during sea transit and after arrival in the United Kingdom; by whom such insurances are underwritten and through what intermediary; and whether or not they are accepted on a normal commercial basis;(2) the insurance premiums paid by his Department for each year since its inception in respect of marine risks; and the corresponding amounts of claims paid to his Department.

My Department insures against marine risks and also, in the case of refrigerated commodities, against the risk of breakdown of machinery. After arrival of the goods in the United Kingdom, my Department insures against fire, and in appropriate cases also against spontaneous combustion.My Department's marine insurance is part of the larger Government insurance with the British insurance market and is effected through the intermediary of the Food and Supply Marine Insurance Management Committee.My Department's fire insurance is also part of the larger Government insurance. In this case the policies are issued by Associated Fire Insurers (Government Commodities) Management Committee. Both the marine and the fire insurances are effected on standard commercial policies.The following schedule gives the information sought in respect of marine insurance premiums and claims up to 31st December, 1952. The figures for the year 1953 are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Food how many animals of each variety were killed by the Jewish method of ritual slaughter last year; and, in view of the greater cruelty so caused, what steps are being taken to abolish this method.

In 1952, 73,000 cattle, 34,000 calves and 93,000 sheep and lambs were slaughtered by the Jewish method.As regards the second part of the Question, without necessarily accepting the implication contained in it, I would point out that the abolition of this method of slaughter would deprive orthodox Jews of meat.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities of dried apricots and prunes have been imported during the past 10 months; what percentage has been used for manufacturing purposes; and what percentage has been distributed as a dried fruit allocation.

One thousand tons of Persian apricots have been imported specifically for the use of the Services. There has been no importation of prunes.

asked the Minister of Food how much of the 238,000 tons of meat and offals which Argentina undertook to deliver this year has now been delivered; and what arrangements have been made for the delivery of meat from Argentina next year.

By the end of October Argentina will have shipped about 138,000 tons of carcase meat and offals. The Trade and Payments Agreement of 1949 expires on 30th June, 1954. As envisaged in the current Protocol to that Agreement, Her Majesty's representatives in Buenos Aires are in communication with the Argentine authorities about the arrangements to be made for meat shipments in the first six months of next year.

asked the Minister of Food when the next allocation of dried prunes and apricots will be made, particularly in East Anglia.

There will be no further allocations. Control over the distribution of all dried fruit will be removed on 1st December.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps are being

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how far adequate stocks of coal are available for the domestic consumer this winter; and how they compare with last year.

As I told the House last Monday, house coal stocks should be just under 2 million tons by the beginning of the coal winter. On 1st November last year they amounted to 2·08 million tons.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the continuing increase in the number of cases of cancer recorded and the increase in the number of deaths each year during the last 50 years, he will now recommend the

Between 1946 and 1952 the consumption of coal for electricity generation has risen by 35·6 per cent. and the tonnage of coal carbonised by 24·4 per cent. Included in the latter figure is an increase of 22·0 per cent. in the tonnage of coal carbonised by the gas industry, which is the principal supplier of solid smokeless fuel and gas for the general domestic and industrial market. These increases compared with an increase of only 1·7 per cent. in all other inland consumption of coal during the same period.The resultant increases in the availability of smokeless fuels produced from coal are shown in the following table:appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into this disease.

A great volume of research is being carried out, and information is being exchanged both inside the country and internationally. The Medical Research Council is promoting and coordinating cancer research in a wide variety of ways, and maintaining close relations with two important voluntary bodies, the British Empire Cancer Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. I am not satisfied that a Royal Commission could make any special contribution towards solving the problems in this field.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take to overcome the serious shortage of institutional places for mental defectives under the age of 16 in Derbyshire.

Arrangements are being made to provide an additional 60 places at Aston Hall, Derbyshire, within the next two years. Other schemes are in hand or in preparation which will help to meet the serious shortage and these will be proceeded with as quickly as circumstances permit.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the overcrowding in the Crawley and District Hospital and the inadequate out-patients' and maternity facilities; and what measures are being taken to alleviate the situation.

Yes. I am informed that the South-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board have consulted the Crawley Development Corporation, and are preparing plans for extending these departments.

asked the Minister of Health what researches have been made to determine how much of the sulphur oxides and other gaseous contents of fog are removed from inspired air by the use of a dry gauze mask.

asked the Minister of Health what research is being conducted in the use of suitable respirators to combat thick fog; and how far he is advised that surgical gauze or chiffon scarves are reasonably efficacious.

There has been extensive research, both here and abroad, on protection from the toxic solid and gaseous contents of air in different conditions. Respirators to achieve this have been known for many years; they are of rather elaborate canister types, something like those used in the Forces. But the real problem of the "smog" is that of persons—and particularly old persons—suffering from weaknesses of the lungs or heart, as last winter showed, and further research is needed to determine what respirators could be safely worn by such people for long periods, this is going on actively amongst the out-patients of a large hospital.As to surgical gauze masks and chiffon scarves, I am advised that they would be of little or no value in absorbing the toxic gases, although like any other comparable form of improvised protection they would impede some of the solid particles in a fog.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the number of houses in the new town of Harlow which have been sold to private buyers since the inception of the scheme for their sale.

The Harlow Development Corporation have so far sold five houses to private buyers.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the number of houses sold by new town development corporations to private owners, specifying the number of such houses in the case of each new town but excluding the new town of Harlow

I regret that in the time available it has not been possible to obtain the information asked for by my hon. Friend, but I will write to him about it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to extend the Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937, to new town development corporations with a view to enabling the making of grants to them for physical training and recreation and for playing fields and for other similar purposes.

No. The Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937, already applies to local authorities in the new town areas, and there would be no advantage to be gained from extending it to the development corporations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what arrangements he proposes for the release of requisitioned houses in proved cases of hardship.

I am considering this and other aspects of the problem of requisitioned houses.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement as to the rents which may be charged for dwellings constructed under the Building Materials and Housing Act, 1945, after that Act lapses on 20th December next.

I am advised that the rent charged after 20th December next for rent-controlled houses built under licence will be subject to review by rent tribunals.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he can make of the number of scientists of graduate or equivalent level employed in Scottish industry.

I regret that the information required is not available.

asked the Minister of Supply the total amount of Government orders to the electronics industry in the 12 months ended on the latest convenient date; and what part of this has been placed with the Scottish electronics industry.

My Department placed orders for electronics equipment to the value of £50 million in the financial year 1952–53. As I informed the hon. Member on 19th June, the form in which our records are kept does not divide by geographical locations the amount of work carried out annually.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a pledge to the agricultural industry that the Government will maintain its powers to limit imports of cereals and other foodstuffs by the system of quotas; and that this system will be used without hesitation to prevent foreign dumping or flooding of the cereals market.

Cereals and feedingstuffs may at present be imported freely under open individual licence, and it would not be in accordance with the general policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the use of quantitative restriction of imports to modify these arrangements unless this were to become necessary for balance of payments reasons.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to set out in tabular form the different rates of duty charged on different categories of timber imported

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take immediate action to refer the monopolistic practices in the fishing industry to the Monopolies Commission; and if he will set a deadline by which action must be taken in this matter to bring to the housewife, the wholesale and retail merchant and the small fisherman the freedom and security denied them by restrictive practices in the industry.

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the obstacles which the United Kingdom fish industry have put in the way of the marketing of Icelandic fish. These obstacles were imposed by the fish industry after the introduction in May, 1952, by the Government of Iceland of new fishery regulations. These are the subject of a difference between the Icelandic Government and Her Majesty's Government which we still

The rates of import duty chargeable on timber (not including manufactures of timber), and the approximate total duty received in the financial year 1952–53 under each heading, are as follows:hope to resolve. In all the circumstances, I do not consider that this matter is one which could be appropriately referred to the Monopolies Commission.