asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if his attention has been drawn to the slot-meter gassing incident in Glasgow on 10th February, in which three boys were saved from death only by chance; and if he is prepared to assist the Gas Board to install a cut-off valve which would eliminate this danger.

The Scottish Gas Board has not asked for my help. In the first instance, it is to the boards themselves that I look to do what they can to eliminate the danger of gas-poisoning accidents.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will give a general direction to the British Electricity Authority that where its tariff is based upon rateable values it should continue to charge upon rateable values prevailing today and not upon those prevailing from 1st April next.

The only area board intending to retain any tariffs based upon rateable values is the North Western Electricity Board. The Board has announced that no alteration will be made in its tariffs as a result of the new rateable values coming into force on 1st April next.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what action he proposes to take consequent upon the resignation of the Chairman of the London Electricity Board; and whether he will make a statement.

I shall in due course appoint a new Chairman to fill the vacancy which will occur on 30th June next when Mr. Randall's resignation takes effect.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that notwithstanding his refusal to grant new finance to the nationalised electricity industry for hire-purchase contract facilities during 1956, such hire-purchase sales of television sets, vacuum cleaners, radios, and similar equipment are proceeding; that such sales are being financed at the expense of power station construction, rural electrification, and other similar essential work; and, as this is being financed out of working capital, whether he will withdraw this capital to repay outstanding capital borrowing by the Authority under Treasury guarantee.

I would agree with my hon. Friend that especially in present circumstances available capital should be used to the best advantage, and I will not overlook his point when I come to consider how the industry's reduced programme is to be financed.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power his latest estimate of the total reserves of coking coal in the United Kingdom; and what proportion of this coal is reckoned to be winnable.

The latest available information is that published by the National Coal Board in 1950 in "Plan for Coal" and by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in 1946 in "Fuel Research Survey Paper No. 58." According to this, roughly half the country's coal has caking qualities and volatile contents making it suitable for carbonisation, but some of this coal has a high ash or sulphur content and the best quality coking coal is of very limited extent.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will give details of the additional costs which have arisen in connection with the disposal of surplus stores; and to what extent the proceeds of the sales will absorb these costs.

The additional costs referred to in the Supplementary Estimate for my Department are in respect of auction expenses and the cost of breaking down ammunition. The proceeds of the sales were about ten times as much.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has now completed his consultations on the Heneage Report; and if he will make a statement.

The matters involved are difficult and controversial, and there is not yet sufficient agreement among those concerned to justify action.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the present policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the International Wheat Agreement.

I am placing in the library of the House copies of a statement on the subject which has been made today by the United Kingdom delegate to the International Wheat Conference.

asked the Prime Minister if he will extend an invitation to the Israeli Government to send a Parliamentary delegation to this country as the guests of Her Majesty's Government.

Visits from foreign Parliamentary delegations are normally arranged through the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, of which Israel is a member. The last visit from an Israel Parliamentary delegation in 1950 was arranged this way, and it would be right to continue the present practice.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will appoint a Select Committee to consider and report on the powers vested in the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Post Office, and Ministry of Supply, to provide for the manufacture, under their own control, of stores, clothing, footwear, vehicles, and other needs.

I have no reason to think that existing powers are not adequate; but if the right hon. Gentleman has any particular suggestion to make I will certainly see that it is considered.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking towards the implementation of Section 28 (1) of the National Health Service Act, 1946, in relation to mental illness; and if he will send a circular to local authorities advising them to make appropriate arrangements, not only for pre-care and aftercare, but also for an emergency medical psychiatric service, so that a larger number of mentally-ill people can be cared for under home conditions and without the necessity of hospitalisation.

Local health authorities already provide services for the care and after-care of the mentally ill, including provision for appropriate treatment at home in co-operation with the general practitioner and hospital out-patient services. Arrangements are made for domiciliary visits by psychiatrists if called in by the general practitioner. I do not consider that there is at present a need for a circular.

asked the Minister of Health why it took from December, 1954, to January, 1956, to approve plans for the extension of Hollymow Mental Hospital, Birmingham; and what action he is taking to give greater responsibility to regional hospital boards so that delays of this kind do not continue.

The greater part of this period was spent in preparation of working drawings and bills of quantities and in obtaining tenders. The Guillebaud Committee made some recommendations regarding the financial responsibility of regional hospital boards. These are now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what assurances he has received from the Egyptian Government, and what specific practical steps that Government propose to take, for the protection of British stores in the Suez base once the last British troops have been withdrawn.

The assurance given by the Egyptian Government about the protection of British stores in the Suez Base are contained in the Anglo-Egyptian Agreement of 19th October, 1954 (Command 9298) at Annex I, Part B, paragraph 8, and Annex II, Part E. I am satisfied with the way these arrangements are working in practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which British Embassies in Africa possess British motor cars.

All.

asked the Attorney-General how many cases have been before the courts in the last five years in which freeholders have obtained vacant possession of premises through forfeiture of leases as a result of the use of the premises for purposes of prostitution.

These figures are not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to what extent the men employed by the Imperial War Graves Commission on the Continent are regarded as being employed in this country and covered by the National Insurance Scheme, particularly with reference to their old-age pensions, when they return home on retirement at the age of 65 years; and if he will take steps to see that they are fully covered.

Nearly all the staff of the Imperial War Graves Commission who, before entering the service of the Commission, were insured under the insurance scheme of this country, are either compulsorily insured or entitled to pay contributions voluntarily and are thus covered for National Insurance retirement pension.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will amend the regulations so that sickness benefit shall be paid even though a doctor has inadvertently provided a private medical certificate instead of a National Health certificate.

The Regulations already cover such cases; if the hon. Member knows of any case where difficulty has arisen perhaps he will let me have particulars.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware that persons are accepting family allowance books as security for loans made, and subsequently cashing the vouchers themselves, and are parties to transactions which make social security benefits negotiable; and if he will institute proceedings in such cases.

There are only a few of which I have information in the last 18 months. Under Section 10 (1) of the Family Allowances Act, 1945, assignments of or charges on these payments are void, but an attempt to carry out a transaction of this kind is not necessarily of itself an offence. Apart from taking proceedings when appropriate I have power to impound the books, and I will gladly look into any particular case of this deplorable practice which the hon. Member would be good enough to draw to my attention.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware that old-age pensioners who take an occasional week's employment from Monday to Saturday are liable to lose two weeks' pension on the grounds that pension week is from Thursday to Wednesday; and whether he will take steps to correct this anomaly.

As I am explaining in my reply to the letter which the hon. Member was good enough to send me last Thursday, this matter is within the scope of the review of the earnings rules on which the National Insurance Advisory Committee is now engaged.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the receipts from overseas sales of Royal Air Force radio, radar and electronic equipment in new condition in 1954–55 and 1955–56; and what proportion of these receipts was derived from sales of such equipment at less than the industry's export prices.

Detailed figures are not available but, on a rough assessment, the sales of radio and electronic equipment by the R.A.F. to other countries amounted to between £750,000 and £1 million in each of the past two years. Much of this equipment was used or reconditioned, and no comparison with the export prices obtained by industry is practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many horses and mules were on the strength on 1st January, 1947, 1st January, 1950, and the latest convenient date.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what special treatment is being provided in Central Prison, Nicosia, for detainees Economou, suffering from osteitis and arthritis, Perdios, Christodoulou and Emmanuel, ex-tubercular cases, Siepis, suffering from chronic bronchitis, and Mouskos, from duodenal ulcer; and when it is intended to charge these men with an offence.

As the information is lengthy I will send the hon. Member details of the medical notes on these detainees and of the medical attention which they are receiving. He will, I hope, be satisfied that everything possible is being done for them. It is not at present intended to prefer charges against any of them.

asked the Minister of Defence what action has been taken as a result of the recent inquiries into the sale of arms to private dealers.

Action is being taken along the lines which were indicated in the White Paper on the Export of Surplus War Material (Cmd. 9676) and during the debate in the House on 24th January. Proceedings have been instituted against the company charged with attempting to export tank tracks after the revocation of the export licence (which is referred to in paragraph 16 (c) (ii) of the White Paper).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce legislation to enable the Government to have the necessary control over exports, imports, currency, and new buildings, by means of statutory orders, as and when the occasion demands it.

The Government have no intention of introducing any legislation in this field to give powers exceeding those which already exist.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proportion, by value, of total imports and of dollar imports, respectively, are still subject to physical import controls; and if he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the principal commodities or commodity groups which are still subject to such controls.

It is estimated that in 1955 about one-fifth of our total imports, and