asked the Minister of Food why he expects to make a loss of £650,000 on concentrated orange juice; and why it was found unsuitable for issue under the welfare scheme.

:The figure of expected loss is the difference between the cost of the juice and the estimated proceeds of sale. As regards the second part of the Question, the juice is unsuitable because it contains an added preservative.

asked the Minister of Food when he expects to receive the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Slaughtering.

The Committee have made an Interim Report which is about to be issued as a White Paper.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is now in a position to announce a date for the end of meat rationing; and whether he will indicate the level of the ration during the intervening period.

My right hon. and gallant Friend hopes very shortly to be able to announce a date for the end of meat rationing. My hon. and gallant Friend will understand that I cannot forecast ration changes in any intervening period.

asked the Minister of Food when he expects to allow the re-introduction of branded margarine.

On 9th May.

asked the Minister of Food whether he can now announce the date for the end of the rationing of butter and fats; and whether he will indicate the level of the ration for the intervening period.

Though I cannot forecast ration changes in the intervening period, the rationing of butter, cheese, margarine and cooking fats will end on 8th May next.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the greatly increased egg production in this country, he will take steps during the current year to limit the importation of foreign eggs.

While home egg production and sales have been rising, the sales of imported eggs have been falling and it is unlikely that there will be any significant change in imported supplies this year. The home producer is in any case protected by the guarantees given by the Agriculture Act, 1947.

asked the Minister of Food whether he can now state when the use of agene as a flour improver and bleacher is to be discontinued; and what alternative improver will be substituted.

The Medical Research Council are now assessing the significance of the results of tests they have carried out on a number of flour improvers. As indicated in the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 26th October, my right hon. and gallant Friend hopes to be in a position to make a statement fairly soon.

asked the Minister of Food the quantity of sugar dumped in the open on beds of wooden boxes and covered with tarpaulins at Barton Hill, Bristol; and why the vacant factory premises of Christopher Thomas close by containing 250,000 square feet were not used for storing this food.

About 14,000 tons of sugar are held at this site, under satisfactory conditions and in the custody of an experienced warehousing firm. The question of alternative accommodation does not therefore arise. In any case, I understand that the premises mentioned have recently been sold.

asked the Minister of Food what would be the approximate cost of supplying to old-age pensioners milk at the same price as that charged for milk for young children.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8th December to my hon. Friend the Member for Louth (Mr. Osborne).

asked the Minister of Supply why Her Majesty's Government's policy of encouraging fit men to stay on at work after the normal retirement age is not being applied at the Royal Ordnance factory at Radway Green.

Our policy is to retain employees in the Royal Ordnance factories so long as they are willing, fit and efficient, and there is continued need for their services. Radway Green is no exception to this rule.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware of the anxiety of employees at the Royal Ordnance factory, Llanishen, concerning the dangers of redundancy due to lack of contracts; and what steps he is taking to ensure full employment in this establishment.

Yes. I am afraid that some reduction will have to be made in the labour force at this factory over the next few months. This is due to the fact that an order for reconditioning service vehicles has now come to an end and that no other suitable work is available. The position is about to be discussed with the workpeople through our normal consultative machinery.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he is taking to pro mote research into jet aircraft development.

A large and varied programme of research into the development of jet aircraft and ancillary equipment is being undertaken. This includes research work at Ministry of Supply Establishments, the provision of wind tunnels and extensive facilities to simulate conditions which may be met at higher speeds and altitude, and the placing of numerous research and development contracts with outside firms in the aircraft, electronic and other industries.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will initiate discussions with Remploy Limited on planning long-term Government contracts with a view to allowing sheltered employment to be provided for severely disabled workers on a larger and more economical scale.

We endeavour at all times to provide Remploy and similar organisations with work suited to their capacity. The possibility of placing more extended contracts so as to provide assured long-term employment for disabled industrial workers is at present being examined jointly by the Departments concerned.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will circulate in Hansard a statement of the circumstances in which the case of Mr. Michael Teuber, of Woodham Mortimer, Essex, was mishandled by his Department; and what precautions have been taken to guard against the possibility of a similar succession of mistakes in future.

The main facts are that this man had an accident while at work in July, 1950, and took no steps to claim benefit until March, 1952, when he was advised to do so by an Inspector of the Ministry who called in connection with the payment of contributions. The establishment of the circumstances of the accident after such a long delay proved difficult and I regret that mistakes, the nature of which have already been explained to the hon. Member, were made in dealing with the case. Mr. Teuber was eventually awarded disablement benefit at the rate of 20 per cent., and arrears amounting to over £50 were paid. In general I think I can claim that there is no undue delay in handling claims to benefit.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of cases under the Pneumoconiosis Benefit Scheme, 1952, giving, from 4th January, 1953, up to and including 3rd January, 1954, the number of applications received for total disablement, the number of claims allowed, the number of claims disallowed, the number of claims under examination, and the number of deaths during the 12 months.

During the year ending 3rd January, 1954, 3,587 claims were received for total disablement; during the same period 1,148 such claims were allowed and 2,850 were disallowed;843 were under examination at the end of the period. 393 beneficiaries died during 1953.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the percentage value of the contributions made to the National Insurance Fund by the workers and by the Government, respectively, during each of the years 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953.

From the inception of the scheme in 1948 until the changes made by the National Insurance Act of 1951 became effective, the employed man in Class 1 paid about 40 per cent. of the combined contributions (excluding the National Health Service element) and the Exchequer about 22 per cent. Since then the proportions have been about 44 per cent. and 14 per cent., respectively.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will establish a separate fund for retirement pensions to be maintained directly by the Exchequer.

No.

asked the Minister of of Pensions and National Insurance what proportion of the workers weekly contribution to the National Insurance Fund is used for retirement pension purposes.

Nearly half the employed person's contribution for National Insurance benefits is made in respect of retirement pensions.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, in the mutual interests of many of those in receipt of retirement pensions and employers, he will consider amending the permitted earnings of pensioners from £2 weekly to £104 annually.

No. Any such change would require legislation and I am not satisfied that it would be practicable to depart from the weekly basis of earnings adjustment provided by the 1946 Act.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps are being taken by his Department to bring the number of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Mines, which are below the usual number at present, up to establishment.

A further open competition will shortly be held to select suitable candidates for appointment as Inspectors of Mines, and such competitions will continue to beheld at frequent intervals.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) if he will give figures showing the quantity and value of sea coal salvaged annually from beaches at Horden and Black Hull during recent years;(2) if he will give figures showing the quantity and value of sea coal salvaged annually from beaches adjacent to coalfields, during recent years.

This coal, which comes from colliery refuse dumped into the sea or from submerged out-crops, can be salvaged from beaches by anyone and no records are available of the quantities obtained or values.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) which districts have completed their valuations for compensation under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act; and what are the amounts of each district separately;(2) the amount of compensation that has been paid to the previous coal owners in each district of the United Kingdom in accordance with the Nationalisation Act of 1946.

:The amount of compensation to the former coal owners satisfied in each valuation district up to 31st December, 1953. is:

	£
Northumberland	15,556,206
Durham	28,764,945
Lancashire and Cheshire	11,026,811
Cumberland	1,116,465
North Wales	1,914,751
Yorkshire	48,021,117
North Derbyshire	20,433,797
South Derbyshire	3,884,543
Nottinghamshire	23,518,141
North Staffordshire	8,007,213
Leicestershire	4,466,200
Warwickshire	8,095,222
Shropshire	651,484
Cannock Chase	7,185,241
South Staffordshire and East Worcestershire	801,283
South Wales and Monmouth	27,755,053
Bristol	28,784
Forest of Dean	914,982
Somerset	841,322
Kent	1,782,893
Scotland	22,733,626
Total	£237,500,079

The districts which have completed their valuations are Cumberland, North Staffordshire, Bristol, Forest of Dean, Somerset, Kent. The total valuation for each of these districts is that shown above.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the present state of coal stocks in Scotland compared with the figures for the last three years.

On 9th January, 1954, the total of distributed coal stocks in Scotland was 1·4 million tons compared with 1·2, 1·3 and 1 million tons at similar dates in 1953, 1952 and 1951, respectively.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the present state of coal stocks in the United Kingdom compared with the figures for the last three years.

On 9th January, 1954, the total of distributed coal stocks in Great Britain was 17·4 million tons compared with 15·2 million tons at comparable dates in each of the two preceding years and 11 million tons at a similar date in 1951.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many power cuts there were during the years 1953, 1952, 1951, 1950.

Power cuts due to shortage of generating plant were as follows: none in 1953, 12 in 1952, 100 in 1951 and 85 in 1950.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power in view of the growing shortage of all forms of fuel and power, what progress has been made in the proposal for a Severn barrage; and when he will be in a position to authorise this scheme.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if, in view of the development in the use of electricity for domestic and industrial purposes, he will now give consideration to the revival of the Severn Barrage Scheme which has been worked out in all its details and is now awaiting implementation by the Government.

Judgment on the economic and technical soundness of this scheme must await the outcome of research now being conducted by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Results of preliminary experiments with a small model are expected by the end of the year and a building to house a larger model should be ready about the same time. But I have been warned that there are many technical difficulties to be overcome and that early results cannot be expected from the further experiments that will be necessary.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what consultation she has had with the Gas Council during the past six months concerning the appointment of full-time medical staffs by the area boards; and what progress has been made towards the establishment of a comprehensive medical service for the gas industry.

My Department and the Ministry of Labour Medical Inspectors of factories are in close touch with the gas industry. Four gas boards have medical officers, five more are in course of appointing them and one has arranged with the head of a university medical department to act as industrial medical consultant.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether the figures of persons attempting to commit suicide under road vehicles are separately segregated in the road casualty statistics in the same way as is done for railway casualty statistics.

No.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what advice he has given to local authorities on the matter of rents to be paid by tenants in requisitioned houses.

I would refer the hon. Member to paragraph 17 (a) of the First Interim Report of the Working Party on Requisitioned Properties in Use for Housing. This Working Party included representatives of the London County Council and of all the associations of local authorities concerned with housing. The Report's recommendations with regard to the charges to be made to occupants were commended to local authorities in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Circular No. 73/52 issued on 6th October, 1952. I am sending the hon. Member copies of the Report and of the Circular.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals to quarter sessions there were against decisions taken by stipendiary magistrates in Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds for the 12 months ended 31st December, 1952 and 1953, respectively.

The following table shows the number of persons who appealed to quarter sessions against convictions or findings of guilt by the city magistrates' courts in Liverpool and Leeds in 1952 and 1953, and in Birmingham and Manchester in 1952. The figures for Birmingham and Manchester for 1953 are not yet available.

—	1952	1953
Liverpool	131	95
Birmingham	20	—
Manchester	45	—
Leeds	32	21

It is not possible to distinguish between appeals against decisions of the stipendiary magistrate and appeals against decisions of the lay justices.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will have full consultation with the National Farmers' Union before taking any action to change the existing legislation on weights and measures.

The National Farmers' Union is being consulted on the recommendations of the Committee on Weights and Measures Legislation affecting its interests.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish in the Official Report a statement showing the proposals drawn up by the Raw Cotton Commission for compensation of displaced staff.

Yes. The scheme of compensation for the staff of the Raw Cotton Commission discharged as a result of the Government's action in changing the arrangements for the importation of cotton is on the following lines:1. The provision will be of two kinds:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what a Member of Parliament's salary of £400 in 1911, £600 in 1937 and £1,000 in 1946, respectively, would be equivalent to in purchasing power on 1st January, 1954.

About £1,470, £1,389 and £1,446, respectively.

asked the Minister of Health the number of deaths from smallpox in this country during the period 1938 to 1952.

There were 48 deaths from smallpox registered in England and Wales during the period 1938 to 1952