asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the wholesale price of potatoes per ton to the bulk purchaser for the purpose of chip frying today; and what was the price on the same date in 1956, and 1957.

I have no specific information about prices paid by chip friers for potatoes but wholesale prices for maincrop potatoes last week were generally from about £24 to £42 per ton according to variety and country of origin compared with about £12 10s. 0d. to £19 10s. 0d. in the comparable period in 1957 and about £15 to £39 10s. 0d. in 1956.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is now able to state the number of sight tests carried out under the Supplementary Ophthalmic Service in the City of Manchester, between 1st January and 31st March, 1958.

The figure is 23,917.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will make a statement on his future plans for the ward now being used as the children's ward of the City General Hospital, Carlisle; in view of the official proposal that it should be used for the chronic sick and elderly, how many patients it will accommodate; and how many staff he estimates will be needed to look after them;(2) how many patients the children's ward of the City General Hospital, Carlisle, contained on 31st March, 1958; how many of these patients were from the City of Carlisle; and how many were from the County of Cumberland and other areas;

The use of this accommodation is in the first instance a matter for the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board. I am communicating with it and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as I am in a position to answer his Questions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give particulars of variations in the tax on harps and harp strings since it was first levied to date.

Purchase Tax was first imposed on harps at the rate of 33⅓ per cent. of the wholesale value by the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1940. Subsequent variations have been as follows:—

Finance Act,1942	66⅔ per cent.
Finance Act, 1943	100 per cent.
Finance Act, 1946	33⅓ per cent.
Finance (No. 2) Act, 1947	50 per cent.
Finance Act. 1948	66⅔ per cent.
Finance Act, 1953	50 per cent.
Finance (No. 2) Act, 1955	60 per cent.
Budget Resolution, 1958	30 per cent.

The rate of tax on harp strings has been the same as that on harps except during the period 1943 to 1946 when under the Purchase Tax (Alteration of Rates) (No. 1) Order, 1943, it was reduced to 33⅓ per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour, what action he and his officials have taken in connection with the strike at the Pressed Steel. Company's factory near Swindon; and what further action he proposes to take.

Meetings were held on 20th and 21st May under the Chairmanship of my Regional Controller to discuss this dispute, but these did not result in a settlement. My officers will keep in touch with the parties with a view to giving any further assistance which may be possible.

asked the Minister of Labour how many mobile employment exchanges are in use in Scotland; and in what areas.

None.

asked the Paymaster-General what change of policy he has in mind in regard to the type of projects eligible for loans under the Government Fuel Saving Loans Scheme.

In present circumstances the resources available for the Government Fuel Saving Loans Scheme are necessarily restricted and must be concentrated on schemes most likely to be of direct benefit to the country particularly those leading to a reduction in the demand for large coal.In future, the amount of any loan will not exceed £25,000. Within this limit provision will continue to be made for schemes which do not involve any change in the fuel used. Loans for conversions from one type of fuel to another, however, will only be approved where there is a worthwhile fuel saving, and where the change will release substantial quantities of large coal in relation to the capital expenditure involved.

asked the Postmaster-General when the necessary link will be provided to enable independent television to be extended to Northern Ireland; what representations he has had in this matter from the Independent Television Authority; and what is the cause of the delay.

I hope that the link will be ready about the end of 1959. The Independent Television Authority would have liked it earlier but its provision is a major engineering task and I cannot promise any earlier completion.

asked the Postmaster-General when he anticipates automatic dialling for trunk calls will be extended to include telephone subscribers in Northern Ireland.

In 1961 for Belfast. The new service will be introduced in the rest of Northern Ireland progressively over a period of years.

asked the Postmaster-General when trunk dialling will come into operation in the Portsmouth and Southampton areas.

In 1961 for subscribers connected to the Portsmouth Central, and Southampton Central exchanges.

asked the Minister of Supply what military application of the polymorph Swallow aircraft is now foreseen by Her Majesty's Government; and to what extent he has in mind the development of a supersonic airliner embodying the principles of the Swallow aircraft.

No military application of the polymorph Swallow concept is at present foreseen. My Department is keeping in close touch with developments, but it is too early to predict whether the concept might be successfully applied to the development of a supersonic civil aircraft.