asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has now received the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Siting of Slaughterhouses; and whether he is yet in a position to issue regulations providing for charges to be made by a local authority for the inspection of meat or, alternatively, whether he will allow local authorities to adopt by-laws in respect of private slaughterhouses.

I have now received the Report, and am considering the proposals referred to by the hon. Member in the light of it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect he estimates the increased price of coal will have on the price of horticultural products grown under glass.

It is not possible to estimate in advance the effect of the increased price of coal on the prices of horticultural products grown under glass, which are affected by many other factors.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the recent death in Whiston Hospital of Maria Colette Moogan, 3, Butleigh Road, Huyton, caused by an explosion in her throat during a tonsillectomy; what inquiry has been held by the hospital service into this case; and what steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence of such accidents.

I am aware of this unfortunate incident, and I want to take this opportunity of expressing my deep sympathy with the child's parents. An immediate inquiry was held by the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board which I understand is believed to have established that the cause of the tragedy was the use of an electric cautery at the same time as an inflammable anaesthetic. The Board has circulated the facts to all hospital medical advisory committees in the Region and has emphasised the necessity for the closest possible liaison between surgeons and anaesthetists.

asked the Minister of Health approximately what proportion of the recently announced £17,500,000 capital programme is represented by mental hospital projects; and what proportion by mental deficiency hospital projects.

On present estimates, about 8 per cent. and 14 per cent. respectively.

asked the Minister of Health when the Cardiff Hospital Management Committee will be permitted to invite architects to submit plans for the new Welsh Teaching Hospital; and whether he will make a statement.

As soon as agreement has been reached on what accommodation is to be provided, which I hope will be before the end of the year.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons waiting for beds in hospitals in the County of Durham; and whether he is satisfied with the accommodation provided there for sick persons.

9,459 in the geographical county, or 4,431 in the administrative county, at 31st May last. I am of course aware of the need for further building and improvements, and a number of schemes are in hand.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has yet received the Report of his Working Party on Hospital Costing; and what action he proposes to take.

Yes. The Report, which sets out the Working Party's recommendations as to the arrangements to be made for Departmental costing in the hospital service, is being published today and copies are being made available at the Vote Office. I propose at once to consult hospital boards and the representative associations of hospital authorities, and to decide in the light of those consultations what further action to take. I should like to take this opportunity of expresing to all the members of the Working Party my deep appreciation of the detailed, careful and valuable study which they have carried out in a difficult and technical field.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the increasing use of atomic power in industry and medicine, he will publish a memorandum setting out the dangers that are known to exist and the best way in which they can be avoided.

A handbook on "Precautions in the Use of Ionising Radiations in Industry," which sets out the known dangers and makes recommendations for avoiding them, was issued in 1953 by the Factories Department of the Ministry of Labour and National Service. The Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee has submitted to me a code of practice for the protection of persons working with ionising radiations in hospitals which I am considering and which I hope to be able to publish shortly.

asked the Minister of Health what special difficulty arose to prevent the compilation of his Department's statistics relating to diphtheria in the year 1953 with the same degree of accuracy as in the years 1948, 1949 and 1950, when the incidence of the disease was much greater, but the cases given in the immunised and unimmunised classes were made to agree with the total number of cases notified.

The statistics for the years 1948 to 1950 were corrected and adjusted. Those for 1953 were, as my right hon. Friend has already informed the hon. Member, only partly adjusted. It is hoped that we shall be able to avoid any discrepancies in future.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give an assurance that the terms of reference of the Medical Manpower Committee will enable it to take evidence on the need for extra manpower to develop a fully adequate Health Service and meet the needs of our Armed Forces and of colonial and other services abroad, in addition to evidence on the numbers of practitioners likely to be engaged in these services in the future.

The Committee is of course free to take whatever evidence it considers it requires for discharging its terms of reference. I understand that invitations to submit evidence have already been sent to Departments and organisations concerned with the National Health Service, the Armed Forces and medical services overseas.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give an assurance that due regard will be had to the views of the Committee on the Recruitment of Dentists recently appointed under the chairmanship of Sir Arnold McNair before an experiment in the use of ancillary workers of the type employed in New Zealand is initiated.

Yes, I have no doubt that the Privy Council, with whom it will rest to initiate the experiment after consultation with the proposed General Dental Council will wish to see the Report of Sir Arnold McNair's Committee before putting in hand this experiment which, in any case, could hardly be started within a year after the Dentists Bill becomes law.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the total amount expended on relief of Palestinian refugees by United Nations Agencies since 1948; and the number now in receipt of relief.

The United Nations Agencies spent altogether about £53½ million on the relief of Palestinian refugees between December, 1948, and the end of March, 1955. The latest recorded number of refugees in receipt of relief is 890,000 as at June, 1954.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the total amount spent by United Nations Agencies on the resettlement of Palestinian refugees since 1948; and the number resettled.

The total spent by United Nations Agencies on the resettlement of Palestinian refugees is £6¼ million, expended by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency largely between 1951 and the present. The former United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees organisation dealt only with relief. The number resettled directly by U.N.R.W.A. is recorded as about 8,000 up to June, 1954.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the existing political situation in Korea; and what our present obligations are as a member of the United Nations in respect of rehabilitation in both parts of that country.

The objective of the United Nations and of Her Majesty's Government in Korea is the establishment by peaceful means of a united, independent and democratic Korea. An attempt was made at the Geneva Conference last year to achieve this by agreement, but to no avail. Her Majesty's Government have made a contribution of £9,585,715 to the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency which has done excellent work in contributing to the rehabilitation of the country.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware of the growing difficulties of pensioners in meeting the steadily increasing cost of living; that the recent increases fall short of meeting the present situation, particularly in the case of single pensioners and widowers and that the difficulties are aggravated by differential means tests; and what steps are being taken to improve the position.

I would remind the hon. Member that retirement pensions are a part of a contributory insurance scheme the benefits and contributions of which were increased this year following the statutory review. In cases of need, National Assistance is available the scales of which were also increased this year and are kept under review by the National Assistance Board.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware that payments for optical services made by the National Assistance Board to the patient involve unnecessary trouble for the patient and for the optician; and whether he will make arrangements for the payments to be made direct to the optician.

The Board tells me that it is not aware of any difficulty arising from its arrangements for the payment in case of need, of charges for optical services, but if the hon. Member has some particular instance in mind, I shall be glad to inquire into it.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will consider an amendment to the Royal Warrant to permit war widows being maintained under court order at the time of their husband's deaths to receive the full amount of war pension applicable, had they not been so maintained.

A war widow who was separated from her husband receives the normal widow's pension if she was receiving support from her husband of a like amount. Where, however, the husband's support was less, the widow's pension is restricted to the amount of the husband's support. I do not think I should be justified in altering this long standing arrangement.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when he expects the report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee on the case of widows receiving 10s. per week.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Poole (Captain Pilkington) on 4th July.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many war widows who are receiving dependant's war pensions in respect of the death of their husbands are subjected to a reduced rate of retirement pension under Statutory Instrument No. 612 of 1948; and what would be the cost of abolishing this reduction.

I regret that no separate information about war widows affected by this Statutory Instrument is available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether agreement has been reached on the transfer of rights to old-age pensions and other social services with countries which are members of the Council of Europe.

The Government have ratified the Council of Europe Interim Agreements on Social Security and the Convention on Social and Medical Assistance as well as the Brussels Treaty Conventions on Social Security and on Social and Medical Assistance, and have concluded bilateral agreements on social security with the Irish Republic, France, the Netherlands, Luxemburg and Italy. Similar agreements are being negotiated with other members of the Council of Europe.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will now make a statement on the outcome of the discussions he had with Sir W. Bodkin, Minister of Social Security of the New Zealand Government in June, 1954, on the question of the payment of reciprocal pensions to old-age pensioners now in this country from New Zealand.

I had an opportunity last month of discussing this matter with Mr. Halstead, the present Minister of Social Security in New Zealand, and I have now heard from him that he is ready to send officers of his Department to London to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on social security.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what special arrangements his Department and the National Assistance Board are now making to compensate old-age pensioners for the increase in the price of domestic fuel.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to Questions on this subject on 18th July.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will extend the existing period of credits for contributions to National Insurance in the case of students up till the age of 18 years to cover such extended period beyond that age in case of students taking a full-time course at a university.

There is already provision for crediting contributions for the purposes of sickness and unemployment benefits in the case of persons who continue full-time education after age 18. Ample time is allowed to former students for making up any deficiency of contributions for the purpose of other benefits. The arrangements for students have been carefully considered on several occasions, and I do not see my way to making further concessions which would be at the expense of the general body of contributors.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the levels of coal stocks held in Shropshire, compared with the same period in the last two years.

I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how present coal stocks in the county of Glamorgan compare with stocks a year ago and two years ago; and if he will make a statement.

I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, in view of the financial loss involved in exporting coal at a lower price than that at which it is imported, when he anticipates that home production will be sufficient to meet all home requirements.

Home production of coal is at present about equal to the sum of inland consumption and bunker requirements, but it needs to be supplemented by oil in order to meet the country's increasing fuel requirements.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of foreign nationals working in the coal mines.

10,300.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he expects to be in a position to make a statement on his consultations with the National Coal Board on the proposals contained in the Turner Report on Mining Subsidence.

As my right hon. Friend informed the hon. Member on 4th July, this whole problem is now being reexamined and it is thus not possible to foresee when he will be able to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how much of the total amount of compensation paid to previous owners of the coal mining industry is in respect of the collieries.

£163,090,421.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how far the cost of transhipping coal cargoes from Continental ports, where some of the coal imports from the United States of America will have to be unloaded, has been included in the calculation of the recent increase in coal prices.

In full.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if, in consequence of the extra cost of production caused by the rise in the price of coal and coke, he will arrange to have a concession in price made to growers and market gardeners using glasshouses.

No.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he is taking to study new methods for coking coal employed in Lorraine, particularly at the Carling plant.

The National Coal Board, the British Coke Research Association and my Ministry are all in touch with this work, and an officer of my Ministry recently visited the Carling plant.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the terms of reference of the Departmental inquiry now in progress to decide whether Wales shall have its own separate electricity board; if he will state what bodies or persons were invited to make representations or to give evidence at this inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the Committee of Inquiry under the Chairmanship of Sir Edwin Herbert which is inquiring into the organisation and efficiency of the electricity supply industry in England and Wales.I understand that this Committee recently visited Wales in order to give interested persons and organisations an opportunity for discussion of all questions affecting the electricity supply industry in Wales.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) how much of the approved capital expenditure was, in fact, spent by the National Coal Board in each year since nationalisation;(2) how much of the approved capital expenditure was, in fact, spent by the Central Electricity Authority and its predecessor in each year since nationalisation;(3) how much of the approved capital expenditure was, in fact, spent by area gas boards in each year since nationalisation.

Generally, the capital expenditure of each industry has approximated to the approved level in each year since nationalisation, but in 1950 and 1951 the National Coal Board, and in 1949 and 1953 the area gas boards, were between 15 per cent. and 25 per cent. below. In some years original approvals have been extended to allow for acceleration of the programme.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is satisfied with the rate of recruitment to the nursing profession in Warwickshire; and whether he will make a statement.

No, not while we are unable to meet demands for additional nursing staff. I am glad to say that at the end of 1954 more trained nurses were in employment and more student nurses were in training in the hospitals in Warwickshire than a year earlier, but there was a drop in the number of unqualified nursing staff.There is much competition in this area from other forms of employment, but my nursing appointments offices will continue to encourage recruitment to the nursing profession.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the shortage of nurses in the Manor, George Eliot and Bramcote Hospitals in Nuneaton; and what steps are being taken to effect an improvement.

My nursing appointments office has particulars of forty vacancies for nursing staff for the three hospitals in question. In the last three years there has been a substantial increase in the number of trained nurses and student nurses, but the number of other nursing staff has dropped.Apart from general publicity, exhibitions, talks at schools and elsewhere, special publicity has recently been given locally to the needs of these hospitals. All possible steps to encourage recruitment of nurses will continue to be taken.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent it is the practice of his Department when envelopes are in use for the first time to send them out with economy labels containing the recipient's name and address affixed thereto; and whether, in the interests of economy, he will take steps to stop such a practice.

The standard practice as laid down in my Department provides that economy labels should be used only with old envelopes or ungummed new ones.

asked the Minister of Supply why aircraft from Moreton Valence aerodrome fly at night at dangerously low heights causing danger to church spires and losses and damage to livestock; why the aircraft fly on regular circuits causing repeated discomfort to those living on the track of the circuits; and whether he will issue instructions that aircraft shall fly at a reasonable height and over the Severn estuary so far as is possible.

Low-flying tests by the Javelin all-weather fighter are not carried out at night. The low flying to which my hon. Friend refers is normal landing. Although I much regret any disturbance caused in this way, landing directions are governed by prevailing weather conditions which must necessarily be observed.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will make a statement on the decision requiring young scientists, called up for National Service, to do their training in uniform at atom research stations; and if he will extend this new policy of using Service men to other civilian establishments.

Owing to the special need of the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment and the great importance of the speedy development of atomic weapons to the Army, a small number of National Service soldiers with suitable scientific qualifications are being permitted, after completing their basic training, to volunteer for service with the Atomic Energy Authority. No extension of the scheme is intended at present.

asked the Minister of Works what regulations have been issued under Section 5 of the Radioactive Substances Act, 1948, for the safety of those dealing with the apparatus and substances referred to in the Act.

No regulations have yet been issued, but they will be made as required by the appropriate Ministers under the Act.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, if he will make a statement giving his reasons for transferring the unit under his control dealing with poliomyelitis research to the Gambia.

I am glad to have the opportunity of answering this Question as there seems to be some misunderstanding on the subject. It is not proposed to move to the Gambia any of the units under the control of the Medical Research Council working in this country on poliomyelitis. The Medical Research Council already has laboratories in the Gambia for research in tropical medicine. Arrangements have been made to send preparations of monkey tissue from there for use in poliomyelitis work in this country. It is also proposed to send out an investigator to study the possibility of finding strains of virus occurring naturally among the relatively immune local population which may be suitable for inclusion in an improved form of the Salk vaccine.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, if he will state the results of the visit to Africa of representatives of the Medical Research Council, who were sent to study the possibility of further supplies of monkeys from that continent for poliomyelitis research.

The purpose of the recent visit to West Africa by a member of the Medical Research Council's staff was not only to investigate the supply of live monkeys, but also to find out whether monkey kidney tissue flown to this country was a suitable medium for growing the poliomyelitis virus. His report is now being studied.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, how far the Medical Research Council's search for monkeys in West Africa for growing poliomyelitis virus in this country was successful and what arrangements are being made for the import of monkeys from Gambia or any other area outside India.

The Medical Research Council is at present studying the feasibility of transporting monkey kidney tissue to this country for use as a culture medium for growing poliomyelitis virus. No arrangements have yet been made for importing live monkeys from areas outside India, but the possibilities are being investigated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he estimates he will receive during the current financial year from Purchase Tax on shot gun cartridges; and how much he received during the year 1954–55.

Traders are not required to make separate returns of the tax paid in respect of all the many classes of goods in which they deal. I regret, therefore, that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners were registered at the end of 1954; how many received tobacco tokens; the weekly value of these tokens to those who receive them; and the total cost per year for all these vouchers.

There were about 4,716,000 retirement and non-contributory old-age pensioners at the end of 1954; of these, 2,468,000 were in receipt of tobacco tokens. The weekly value of each token is 2s. 4d. The cost in 1954 was approximately £15 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the percentage of married couples who as old-age pensioners get two tobacco coupons.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to arrange that tobacco tokens for pensioners could be used alternatively for tobacco, coal, gas, or electricity so that almost all pensioners would receive an equal advantage.

The tobacco token scheme relieves old age pensioners from some part of the post-war increases in tobacco duty. As duty or tax is not payable on coal or gas or electricity, tobacco tokens could not be used for these commodities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made with the review of the pensions of retired civil servants promised by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance on 4th May last.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for New Forest (Colonel Crosthwaite-Eyre) on 12th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what request has been made to him to make Election day 27th July a national holiday in the Federation of Malaya; and if he will approve this proposal.

It is for the Government of the Federation of Malaya to decide whether to make polling day on 27th July a public holiday. The suggestion that this should be done was debated in the Legislative Council on 5th May, 1955, and was not adopted by the Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make sure that facilities to hold political meetings are given to the political parties who are sponsoring candidates in the Federation of Malaya elections for 27th July.

The Government of the Federation are giving all necessary facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will ensure that all employers in the Federation of Malaya grant every reasonable facility to employees to vote on Election day, 27th July.

This has already been ensured by the Federation of Malaya Election Offences Ordinance, 1954, which provides that every employer shall, on polling day, allow every elector in his employ a reasonable period for voting and shall make no deduction from his pay in respect of his absence.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will improve the access roads to Turnhouse Aerodrome so that a speedy approach may be made from more than one direction.

For the most part the approach roads to Turnhouse Aerodrome are good, but some improvement in the approach from Falkirk is required, and I am glad to inform my hon. and gallant Friend that an Order has already been published for a diversion of the Edinburgh-Falkirk Road which will shorten the approach from the Falkirk direction by nearly four miles.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has yet appointed a Scottish river purification advisory committee under the terms of the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) (Scotland) Act, 1951.

No. I propose to consider the matter in the autumn, by which time the more important river purification boards, including that for the Clyde area, will be in operation.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations how frequently the Commonwealth Shipping Committee meets; what it does; on what date Her Majesty's Government took a decision not to refer shipping freight rates to the Committee; and under what circumstances it is still open to a Commonwealth Government to place the matter on the agenda.

The Committee meets as and when its business requires. Since 1945 it has held twenty-one meetings and published seven Reports. The work of the Committee is defined in its terms of reference, which are as follows:

(i) To inquire into complaints from persons and bodies interested in regard to ocean freights, facilities and conditions in the inter-Imperial trade, or questions of a similar nature referred to them by any of the nominating authorities; and to report their conclusions to the Governments concerned.

(ii) To survey the facilities for maritime transport on such routes as appear to them to be necessary for trade within the Empire, and to make recommendations to the proper authority for the co-ordination and improvement of such facilities with regard to the type, size and speed of ships, depth of water in docks and channels, construction and harbour works, and similar matters; and in doing so to take into account facilities for air transport on the routes in question.

2. As regards the third part of the Question, Her Majesty's Government have not taken a specific decision not to refer the matter of freight rates to the Committee; this, as I explained in my reply to the hon. Member's Question on 14th July, is in accordance with their long-established policy.3. As the terms of reference show, it is open to any interested Commonwealth Government at any time to ask the Committee to inquire into a question concerning ocean freight rates.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the shortage of tinplate; and what steps he proposes to take to improve the position.

I am aware that supplies are insufficient to meet the full home and export demand despite an increase in home production. About 80,000 tons are likely to be imported this year and the period of suspension of the import duties on tinplate has recently been extended to 18th March, 1956. Production will increase further from 1956 onwards and the developments leading to this are described in the Iron and Steel Board's Report on "Development of the Iron and Steel Industry—1953 to 1958" presented to Parliament on 22nd February, 1955.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the increased price of coal will offset some of the advantage given to the horticultural industry by the tariff increases which become effective in 1954; and whether he will take further steps to remedy the situation.

I am aware that the increased cost of coal may affect some sections of the horticultural industry in common with other coal users, but adjustments in a tariff depend on many different considerations and there can be no presumption that increases or reductions can be made in any tariff solely on grounds of changes in the price of coal.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will arrange to have the annual accounts of each new town published separately.

Yes, if and when I am satisfied that there is sufficient demand to justify the additional expenditure which would be involved.

asked the the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give instructions that the land known as Belmont Camp, Upton St. Leonards, Gloucestershire, shall be derequisitioned as soon as possible; and by what date he anticipates that this will be done.

I am satisfied that the Gloucester Rural District Council is doing all that is possible to secure the early release of this site, and that there is a good prospect of this being achieved before the end of this year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware of the rapid deterioration of bungalows built in Aberdulais Crescent, Cardiff, and that the complaints of their tenants remain unremedied; and what action he proposes to take in conjunction with the local authority.

According to my information, the complaints received by the local authority have been concerned almost entirely with defects of a minor character. I understand that all these have been dealt with, except one where the work has been deferred at the request of the tenant.