asked the Paymaster-General, following the ending of house coal allocation arrangements and price control for domestic coal supplies, what restrictions by the Ministry of Power, the Board of Trade or the National Coal Board will continue to exist in respect of imports of coal into the United Kingdom; to what extent it will be in order, without impediment or interference from Government Departments or from the National Coal Board, for any private trader or consumer of coal in the United Kingdom to bring in his own supplies from foreign sources should he so desire; and whether he will make a statement.

Except for imports from the sterling area which are on open general licence, coal can be imported only under licence issued by the Board of Trade which consults the Ministry of Power. This control will continue when the statutory control on house coal supplies is ended. As previously announced, Government policy is not to authorise further coal imports beyond existing contracts, and this applies to both private and National Coal Board imports from non-sterling area sources.

Whilst not wishing to see any resumption in coal imports, which, fortunately, we have now been able to end, would not my right hon. Friend agree that continued restriction in terms of coal imports, for example from Western Germany or Poland, both of which are non-sterling countries, represents a contradiction of Her Majesty's Government's policy on the liberalisation of Western European trade?

We have not yet carried out the 100 per cent. liberalisation of Western European trade. In the meantime, we think that for the sake of the balance of payments this country could not and should not import further coal.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether he received any applications from private traders to import coal in the period when it could not be obtained in the world market under £8 a ton?

I cannot see why they should have wanted to import coal at prohibitive prices, but, with the fall in transatlantic freight rates and in view of the present commercial policy of the Poles, the situation has changed.

asked the Paymaster-General to what extent the Shape process briquettes have proved successful; and what steps are being taken to provide plants in coal fields other than South Wales.

A pilot plant has been erected in South Wales and two variants of the Shape process are being tried there. Until the process has been further developed the question of erecting plant in coal fields other than South Wales cannot be decided.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that if this scheme is successful, in order to bring about efficiency and to cheapen transportation, one of these plants should be installed in the Yorkshire coalfield?

I gather that there are still engineering difficulties in the process. The briquettes are too brittle and it is difficult to make them at adequate speed to be economic, but, if the National Coal Board can solve these difficulties, I think there are considerable possibilities in this process.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that we spent £250,000 last year on research, and does he not realise that we ought now to be receiving some of the fruits of that expenditure?

Research is an extremely expensive business. I think that a lot of work has been done on this matter, but it is not easy to find a briquette which is free from the difficulties involved in the traditional briquette.

asked the Paymaster-General what advantages in safety have derived from the introduction of Roof-master supports into coal mines.

This system, like others recently introduced, is an attempt to mechanise the process of setting and advancing supports at the coal face, and it will be some time before its effect on safety can be judged.

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that reply, but if it is intended to extend the use of this support throughout other coal mines, can he say whether the output results have been favourable?

Once again, I think it is too early. It is a very complicated business involving a complicated technical matter, and there are other systems designed to achieve rather similar results. I think that it would be too early to give any forecast of what is likely to happen, but the idea behind these systems is rather promising and is being pursued with great interest.

asked the Paymaster-General how many men, as a percentage of the total employed, have been lost to the coalmining industry in North Staffordshire as a result of a diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, or pneumoconiosis accompanied by tuberculosis, for the years 1955, 1956, and 1957; and, in view of the high incidence of the disease, whether he will recommend that a research centre be established in this area.

In 1955, 1956 and 1937, the number of men suspended from the industry in North Staffordshire as a result of a diagnosis of pneumoconiosis with tuberculosis was 11, 13 and 11, respectively, out of a total of about 22,000. No estimate can be made of the number of men leaving the industry solely as a result of a diagnosis of pneumoconiosis. The research carried out by the Pneumoconiosis Research Unit at Llandough covers the whole country and the National Joint Pneumoconiosis Committee, in agreement with the Medical Research Council, has decided that the provision of additional research centres would not help to solve the problem.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a research centre for the pottery industry in this area which does invaluable work? As there is a basis for tackling the problem in one industry, would it not be better, and certainly not very costly, to add to it so that both industries, coal and pottery, could be looked at together? Will he consider that?

Yes, but I think it is right to say that the Medical Research Council looked at this as a result of questions raised in the House two years ago by hon. Members from Stoke-on-Trent and it recommended against a new project. The matter was considered again by the National Joint Pneumoconiosis Committee, on which the National Union of Mineworkers is represented, and it also came down, on balance, against it.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he has noted that in 1956, of the 405 cases of pneumoconiosis diagnosed for the first time among miners in North Staffordshire, only 36 cases were under 40 years of age; and what reason has been deduced for the steep increase in the figures for the older workers.

The proportion of younger to older men in 1956 was virtually the same as in previous years. In view of the nature of the disease, most of the new cases diagnosed are, naturally, from among older men who have been exposed to dust for longer periods.

Is it not a fact that in this area the number of cases of pneumoconiosis tends to be high and there is a feeling among the men that it is higher in North Staffordshire than in almost any other area in the country? Could not the right hon. Gentleman tell us whether any special effort is to be made to make the work safer and whether special preventive measures could be made available for pits which are deep, hot, and certainly very dusty?

The Question referred to the ratio between men over 40 and under 40. I have the figures here for the period since 1951. Of those men contracting the disease, between 90 per cent. and 92 per cent. were aged 41 and over, so there has been very little difference in the trend.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will make a statement on the future export prospects of the British coal industry.

The export demand for coal has fallen sharply this year owing to the slackening in economic activity on the Continent and to competition from oil and from other coal producers. With a higher level of activity there should be opportunities, which I am sure the Coal Board and the coal exporters will take, for expanding this trade.

But now that the National Coal Board has gained for itself a breathing space, is it not time to make a new effort in this direction? After all, this country is very close to Western Europe and the United States is relatively far.

Certainly, and the National Coal Board is making a continued effort, but so are all its competitors, because all its competitors and its customers are facing the same situation—relatively high stocks and rather flagging demand.

asked the Paymaster-General for what reasons coal production has fallen by 5 million tons in the first half of 1958; how much of that loss is attributable to further increases in absenteeism from 12·84 per cent. to 14·22 per cent.; and, having regard to the grave consequences of continued decline in output and increased absenteeism, what steps are being taken to remedy matters.

There has been a fall in demand, and production has been kept in reasonable balance by restrictions in recruiting and by the stoppage of Saturday working and limitation of overtime. Absenteeism in the coalfields continues at a high rate but has been fairly constant for some months.

Does my right hon. Friend view with equanimity the present fall in coal production at a rate of 10 million tons in a full year? Is this not likely to lead later on to a recurrent shortage of coal for domestic purposes and further to undermine what opportunities there may be for rebuilding Britain's tattered coal export trade?

I certainly do not view with equanimity the continued rate of absenteeism in the coalfields, but the fact is that a good deal of reduction in production has been the result of deliberate policy, such as reducing recruiting and limiting overtime, which has been brought in by the Coal Board in face of the reduced demand for coal and the very large stocks which are piling up. I think that my hon. Friend is slightly over-anxious on that side of the matter.

No, merely prudent.

asked the Paymaster-General, having regard to his statutory responsibilities for National Coal Board finances and borrowing, whether he will state the accumulated deficit, or loss forward, of the Board at 31st March, 1958; and, in view of falling production, rising absenteeism in the pits, exports at only one-half of last year's low level, and other factors militating against profitable enterprise, what steps are being taken to prevent a large increase in coal prices in the early future, thus undermining the success of anti-inflationary policies of Her Majesty's Government.

I invite my hon. Friend to await the Board's quarterly statistical statement for the first quarter of the year, which will be issued within the next few days.

But that is begging the question. Would my right hon. Friend have some regard to the fact that the accumulated losses forward of the Board at 31st December last were of the order of £30 million, and as only a tiny part of that might be offset in the first quarter of this year, can he give the House an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will not underwrite these continuing Coal Board losses by facilitating additional borrowing by the Board?

The measures the Board is taking to deal with the situation and the need for economy include the restriction of adult recruitment, the suspension of Saturday working, the closure of uneconomic pits, the standstill on non-operational expenditure, and a limitation of overtime working, all of which, I think, should produce useful results.

If it is a question of the price of coal being put up again, will my right hon. Friend reconsider the Government's import policy?

As there is no proposal for an increase in the price of coal put to us, that seems to me to be a hypothetical question.

asked the Paymaster-General when house coal decontrol will take place.

On Monday next, 14th July. A Statutory Instrument revoking the control orders will be laid on Wednesday.

-General whether, in view of the divergent opinions on the value of opencast coal mining, he will arrange for hon. Members who are interested to be shown opencast operations and restored sites in their regions.

The National Coal Board has told me that it will be glad to arrange for such visits by hon. Members if they will approach the Chairman of the Board.

Does the Paymaster-General mean that we should approach him individually or in regional groups? It is obviously preferable for hon. Members to go round in groups rather than individually, which means repeating the same trips over and over again.

I am not sure how far each hon. Member is gregarious in this matter, but the National Coal Board will be glad to do all it can to help. Clearly it would be much more convenient to the Board if hon. Members would go in groups.

However the groups are chosen, will the right hon. Gentleman arrange that their first trip is to Derbyshire to see how opencast coal mining has ruined and is ruining that county?

That is what is sometimes called a loaded supplementary.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will request the Iron and Steel Board, under Section 16 (2) of the Iron and Steel Act, 1953, to furnish a special report on the industry in the light of the present recession and falling output.

No, Sir. The Iron and Steel Board made a special report to my noble Friend last summer on the development of the iron and steel industry. Further information will be found in the Board's Annual Report which will be published shortly.

Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the recession has developed since that time? Was it not for this kind of purpose that the Iron and Steel Board was established, to look at special difficulties? Does the right hon. Gentleman suggest that the Iron and Steel Board is not effective for this purpose?

No, Sir, not at all. The steel situation is dominated, first, by the very steep fall in the export demand, which I do not think the Iron and Steel Board could really do much about, and, secondly, by the substantial destocking in the home market. Therefore, I do not think that a special report by the Iron and Steel Board would be appropriate in the present circumstances.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will give a direction for the Hinkley Point nuclear power station, now being built for the Central Electricity Generating Board, to be constructed and operated as a maximum efficiency power plant and to be excluded from the military plutonium programme.

The efficiency of the station will not be affected by the modifications authorised as an insurance against the need for additional military plutonium.

Since the plutonium credits are slightly to be offset, and since this station is likely to be one of the most modern and up to date, which will give foreign buyers a real check upon the operating costs of British nuclear plant, will not the right hon. Gentleman agree that there is a case for this station to be excluded from the military plutonium programme?

No; if it should be necessary—it is by no means certain— to use this station at some stage for the production of military plutonium, I am quite certain that should not impede the obtaining of any scientific information which might be necessary from the operating of this station.

asked the Paymaster-General if the experiment in underground gasification at Newman Spinney is successful; and whether a commercial power station will now be erected.

It is still too early to say whether this experiment will be successful and whether a commercial power station will be erected.

The Paymaster-General says that it is too early. After nine years of experimentation in this direction, does he not think that it is time that some commercial results were obtained, or should the idea be written off as a complete loss?

The National Coal Board is doing all it can, but it is a difficult project. The Board has studied experience in other countries. It still believes that it is worth going ahead on this experimentation, and I think we should support the Board in that.

asked the Paymaster-General what instructions he has given for the preparation of plans to provide for a high pressure gas grid linking the coalfields of the Midlands with London and Lancashire.

The Gas Council is examining the possibilities of such a grid in anticipation of the wider use of high pressure gasification processes now under development.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that there are great opportunities in this process, it being cheaper to convey gas by this method than to bring coal from the Midlands or the North to the London area by sea or by land?

There are certainly great economic possibilities in transporting gas under high pressure, but we have not yet solved the problem of manufacturing gas under high pressure. There are at least two, possibly three, experimental plants in being for this purpose, and I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the gas industry is very well aware of the great importance of this development.

asked the Paymaster-General what research is being done into finding economical ways of using coal for the production of oil.

Before coal can be economically converted into oil in this country, we must develop an efficient means of gasifying it at high pressure. Our efforts to solve this problem were described in the reply to the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. A. Roberts) on 16th June. Co-ordinated work on other aspects of the problem of oil synthesis is being pressed forward by the Fuel Research Station and by my Department.

Could my right hon. Friend say why this was not considered by the Select Committee on the Coal Industry, and could he assure the House that its omission was not due to any complacency with regard to this development?

I can only speak for my noble Friend, who attaches very great importance indeed to this matter.

asked the Paymaster-General, in view of representations which have been made to the Government on behalf of other sites in the United Kingdom, if he will give an assurance that, whatever further delay must ensue before an announcement can be made about the starting of the new Richard Thomas and Baldwins steel works, no step will be taken to prevent the company from siting this undertaking in South Wales in accordance with their desire.

No, Sir. As no decision has yet been taken about the siting of works in question, I am not in a position to make any statement on the matter.

May I ask my right hon. Friend two questions about this very important matter? First, in his reconsideration of the matter, will he take account of the long association of Richard Thomas and Baldwins with South Wales? Secondly, will he bear in mind the fact that the company and the Iron and Steel Board have expressed their opinion that the best site would be in South Wales? Is it not in accordance with Conservative policy, apart from extraordinary circumstances, that a decision of this kind should be taken by experts in an industry and not by politicians subject to political influence and pressure?

All these considerations are certainly being taken into account to get the views expressed by right hon. and hon. Members on both sides on a matter which, one must admit, has not only very great economic implications but also social implications.

Will the Paymaster-General convey to the Prime Minister that it is desirable that this decision should be announced before very long because of the rivalries and rumours, and so on? The future of the communities depends on this decision, and it is far better that they should know where they stand. Can he assure his hon. Friend the Member for Barry (Mr. Gower) that Barry and South Wales would have been in a desperate plight if politicians had not exercised some influence in the interwar years?

I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that the Prime Minister is well aware of the need for as early a decision as possible in this matter, but there are conflicting genuine interests and we must be certain of getting the right answers, even if it means delay in order to get them.

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the overriding consideration in deciding this site should be the public interest? Will he also pay attention to the plea made by his hon. Friend the Member for Barry (Mr. Gower)? Is he aware that in Scotland, where the decision one way or the other is of vital importance, great assistance would be given to the public if one knew how long approximately it would take before a decision was reached?

I take the point, but I am afraid that the public interest in these matters is not a thing that can be determined either by economists or politicians alone. It is a blend of the two.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he has now authorised the manufacturers of the N.A. 39 to seek orders for this aircraft from the United States of America.

Yes, Sir.

Will the Minister give us some idea why an aeroplane as outstanding as this appears to be should be sold commercially in this way instead of being used by us and kept to trade against other "know-how" and important secrets or new weapons others may have? Secondly, is he quite satisfied that the failure of the Royal Air Force to consider a modified version of this aircraft and insistence upon something which will take ten years to develop—which, I understand, is the reason for seeking the American orders—is justified and not merely the chase after perfectionism which has so bedevilled us in this sphere?

I cannot agree with the assumptions underlying the right hon. Gentleman's supplementary question. This aircraft is being developed because of a naval need for it. There is, therefore, a British need. On the other hand, if an aircraft is developed for British purposes, it is in the interests of the country as a whole that it should be exported either as a complete aircraft built in this country or under licence. I should have thought that the right hon. Gentleman would have taken pleasure in the fact that certain negotiations with a view to a licensing agreement are taking place.

Is it not true that the R.A.F. has flatly declined to have anything to do with this aircraft, while the Admiralty has accepted it? Can the right hon. Gentleman be frank with the House and explain why the R.A.F. has refused to have this aircraft?

Certainly, I will try to be frank, although, of course, I am not speaking for the Air Ministry. As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Air said in a recent debate, the Air Ministry has a requirement for a low-flying bomber. It is examining the question whether or not this requirement is best met by the N.A. 39 or by some other aircraft. That examination has not yet been completed.

If the Royal Air Force are examining it at this moment and they were to place an order, would that not mean a combined order for this aeroplane big enough for the overheads to be spread to the satisfaction of the Treasury? If the R.A.F. were to decide in favour of it, would we still need to sell it to the Americans in order to get a big enough order to justify its production? In that event, ought not we to hold it back until that decision is taken?

There is no question of selling to the Americans merely in order to get a big enough order. However big the domestic order, it is surely in the national interest to enlarge the market to meet a national demand.

As this aircraft obviously does not meet the operational requirements of the Royal Air Force, is this not just another example of the Government's failure to plan so that the operational requirements of the Navy and the Royal Air Force can be dovetailed and a satisfactory aircraft produced instead of this appalling situation which now confronts Blackburn and General Aircraft Limited?

I think the hon. Gentleman is presuming too much. There is no decision in this matter, although an attempt may well be made to correlate the demands of the two Services. It still remains to be seen whether the two demands match.

This has now become even more important. Do we understand that a decision has not been reached whether the Royal Air Force will accept this aircraft? What is the reason for the delay?

The situation is as it was described to the right hon. Gentleman in a recent Adjournment debate by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Air. I can add nothing at the moment to that statement.

In view of what I think the whole House will regard as the very unsatisfactory way in which the Minister has replied, I must give notice that in one form or another we shall raise the matter at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made since December, 1957, to provide the Coleshill Hall, Chelmsley and Weston Mental Hospital Group with a hostel for high-grade patients ready to return to normal life or handicapped by being orphans.

The regional hospital board has considered three more properties without success. A fourth is under consideration.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman recollect that he was kind enough to say on a previous occasion that he accepted in principle the provision of hostels, and is he aware that the opinion is growing that the regional board does not want to find one because of the delays in reaching decisions when opportunities arise? Can he write to the regional board to ask it to take up this as a matter of great urgency, because it would be tremendously useful to the hospital concerned?

I reiterate that I am in favour of the principle of providing this type of hostel in suitable places, and I am satisfied that that is also the policy of the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board. The board, in fact, is not guilty of any delay. Of the three properties to which I refer in my Answer, two were not approved for planning purposes by the local planning authority.

In view of the fact that it is well known that the Minister approves in principle of the provision of these particular institutions, can he say why there is an urgent need in other areas for them and why he does not apply more pressure?

I do not think I can answer that supplementary question within the bounds of order. It is a question about progress made in this particular locality.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients are on the waiting lists for admission to hospitals in the Accrington area.

1,280 at 25th June.

In view of the alarming figure, can the right hon. and learned Gentleman say what is being done to try to shorten this waiting list? Is he certain that the waiting list is not so large because of the surgeons being linked up with patients who can afford to pay to get to the head of the queue?

With regard to the latter part of the Question, there is no reason for thinking this is the case. In regard to the first part of the Question, the main projected easement of the situation is in the proposed 100-bed extension at the Blackburn Royal Infirmary in the same hospital management committee group, which should, of course, considerably help the position in Accrington.

In view of the very surprising figure, can the Minister let the House know which departments are in greatest need of beds, whether for E.N.T. cases or for malignant cases?

Yes. The position is worst in respect of general surgery; the E.N.T. list is long, but there is no worsening trend in respect of that. Only in respect of general surgery and orthopaedics is there any worsening trend.

asked the Minister of Health if he will estimate the number of girl leavers from the secondary schools of England and Wales who took up nursing in the years 1956, 1957 and 1958, respectively; how far this falls short of an adequate intake; and what steps he is taking to increase these numbers.

The number of female entrants to nurse training in England and Wales in 1956, 1957 and the first three months of 1958 were, respectively, 20,877, 20,887 and 5,801. So far as can be judged these numbers should be fully adequate to meet the requirements of the nursing services, but there is still a need to reduce wastage by good selection and other measures.

While welcoming those figures, may I ask whether on close examination they do not show geographical maldistribution; in other words, that the Midlands, places like Coventry and Rugby, are short of recruits while London is turning numbers of student nurses away? What is the right hon. and learned Gentleman doing to cure that situation?

Since the hon. Gentleman has raised the question of distribution as distinct from entry to the nursing profession, the National Consultative Committee on the Recruitment of Nurses and Midwives is undertaking a special and detailed study of the question of distribution, and I am sure it will take note of the observations of the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Minister of Health how many psychiatric day hospitals are in operation; and how many of these are outside the four metropolitan regions.

There are 25 day centres providing psychiatric treatment; 17 are outside the metropolitan regions.

Does the Minister not agree that the day hospital is no longer experimental but a proven method of keeping patients out of mental hospitals? Will he do all he can to encourage the development of the day hospital?

Yes, I certainly welcome any measure which can reduce the burden of in-patient treatment. The actual provision is a matter for regional hospital boards.

asked the Minister of Health whether it will be open to the Hospitals Staffing Working Party to report and make recommendations, if they wish, upon the levels of consultant staffing either in the country as a whole, or in particular regions; and approximately how long he expects the working party will require to complete their task.

As the working party's task is to study the principles on which the medical staffing structure in the hospital service should be organised, they will not be concerned with the numbers of consultants as such. No estimate can be made yet of the time they will require, but I am sure they will proceed as quickly as they can.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman not appreciate that the level of consultant staffing is a basic consideration, not only to the senior registrar problem but to everything else that the working party is supposed to be examining? Does he not realise that unless they can recommend on this matter, these distinguished gentlemen will be wasting their time?

It is for these distinguished gentlemen themselves to decide what matters they will need to go into so that they can discharge the terms of reference, of which they are aware and which they have accepted.

asked the Minister of Health why he did not include either a psychiatrist or a layman with special knowledge of the staffing structure requirements of the mental hospitals among his nominees on the Hospitals Staffing Working Party.

The reason is that the working party as constituted is well equipped to cover the hospital service generally and is free to obtain evidence about particular classes of hospital, mental and others.

Is the Minister not aware of the indignation which is felt among psychiatrists at the way they have been excluded from this important body? Does he not realise that the needs of the mental hospitals, even concerning the staffing structure, may be very different from those of general hospitals? Will he not reconsider the matter?

No, Sir, I am not aware of any such indignation as the hon. Member suggests. He will, I know, appreciate that to give representation to all the various specialities and to the different kinds of hospitals which would logically follow, would only increase the size of the working party far above the number of 12 and would certainly have delayed the results of its proceedings.

This is a curious omission, because the hospitals which are grossly overcrowded in every area are the mental hospitals. The main problem very often is lack of staff or the proper allocation of staff. Therefore, to omit a psychiatrist from a committee which is considering the overall allocation of staff is, I am sure the right hon. and learned Gentleman will admit, a little peculiar.

No, Sir. The working party consists of people all of whom have great experience in the hospital service. They can, I am sure, be trusted to obtain such information as they will need in regard to all the particular classes of hospitals and specialities with which they are concerned.

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of this and the previous reply, I give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Minister of Health what action he is taking to ensure that imports of egg white are fully inspected before release to manufacturers.

Port health and other local authorities have been asked to pay special attention to the sampling of imported egg products for bacteriological examination. At present, the authorities try, whenever possible, to sample every batch. It would not, of course, be practicable to sample every tin.

Does the Minister recognise the importance of this issue in view of the wide use of this material in the general preparation of confectionery of all kinds? Does he not agree that the reports from his own Ministry show that there is a large proportion of samples taken which show a high level of infection?

Yes, we recognise that there is a problem here, but we consider that the present arrangements for sampling are the best we have tried and also that the wish which we have made known to the exporting countries ought to provide a solution.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement on the Hinchliffe Committee's Report on Prescribing.

I cannot as 'yet add anything to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Dover (Mr. Arbuthnot) on 16th June.

Would the right hon. and learned Gentleman say when he expects to be in a position to say something more on the matter, which, I think he will realise, interests hon. Members on both sides of the House?

Yes. I shall be in a position to make a more precise statement as to the implications of the more detailed recommendations of the Interim Report when my consultations with the British Medical Association and other professional bodies are complete.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a contribution to the World Health Organisation's Malaria Fund.

It is not possible in present circumstances to supplement the contributions which we make to the Regular Budget of the World Health Organisation. We are in any case already making substantial contributions in this field.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman not recognise that here is here an urgent problem, an attempt to get rid altogether of malaria in the world, and that here is a chance which we may lose if action is not taken quickly? Does he not recognise that the regular budget of the W.H.O. does not nearly provide for the sort of funds which are needed? Why does not Britain in this case at least accept the leadership of the United States, which has made a considerable contribution to this Fund?

I do not think we need stand in a white sheet on this matter. We are the third largest contributor to the regular budget of W.H.O., and we contribute heavily to the United Nations Technical Assistance programme and Children's Fund, both of which play a prominent part in anti-malarial work, and all this takes no account of the money we spend on colonial development and welfare and under the Colombo Plan.

Before the hon. Gentleman turns this down altogether, may I ask him to ask the Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to look at the implications of this matter again, in view of the very high scientific advice which is available that this is a most urgent world problem and that we stand to gain from its solution as well as everybody else in the world?

Yes, but we are opposed to the creation of special funds financed by voluntary contributions—which are, I think, what the hon. Gentleman has in mind—for organisations which are normally financed by compulsory assessment on member States.

asked the Minister of Health what effect the mass X-ray examination of miners in North Staffordshire has had in increasing the figures of men diagnosed to be suffering from pneumoconiosis for the first time in the year 1956; and whether he will make a statement on his intentions for the future of this essential survey.

8,523 mineworkers in North Staffordshire were examined by mass miniature radiography in 1956, and 399 new cases of pneumoconiosis were found. It is intended that this type of survey should continue.

Do not these figures illustrate particularly how very valuable mass miniature radiography can be if pithead examination can be made? May I ask, therefore, whether this type of work is to be offered to other areas in the country where, I believe, it is still not yet available? In other words, will it be extended so that the whole of the country and every area will be covered by this method? Secondly, does the answer mean that it will continue year by year in North Staffordshire?

In reply to the second part of the supplementary, as I said, it is intended that this work shall continue for Staffordshire. On the generality of the matter, I understand that the National Coal Board will be approaching shortly the regional boards to discuss the co-ordination of X-ray surveys as a whole.

Would the Minister consider asking those responsible for this examination whether they will also indicate what proportion of the men in the mines they find are suffering not only from pneumoconiosis as defined in the Regulations but also from emphysema?

I will certainly give consideration to that.

Is there any resistance on the part of any number of people to submitting to the X-ray?

Not as far as I am aware.

In view of the success of this examination, is there any intention to extend it to foundry workers who also suffer from pneumoconiosis?

I think I should like notice of that.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons who died as a result of bronchitis during the years 1950, 1955, and 1957, respectively.

The number of deaths attributed to bronchitis in 1950, 1955 and 1957 in England and Wales was:—

Is the Minister aware that these figures reveal a frightening state of affairs, that we are probably the worst country in the world in the incidence of bronchitis and deaths from bronchitis, that the figures for Scandinavia are forty times better than for Great Britain, and that in heavy industrialised areas such as the Ruhr and Belgium the figures are four times better than the figures in Britain?

I do not entirely accept the ratios which the hon. Member has given, but I do accept that the figures here are a good deal ahead of the other countries to which he has referred. It certainly is a considerable problem in this country and is accepted as such.

Representing a constituency with the highest mortality from chronic bronchitis, may I ask how far the Minister is collaborating with local authorities to establish clean air zones?

Clean air zones, as the right hon. Lady will appreciate, are not the responsibility of my Department, but I am, of course, constructively interested in all aspects of preventive medicine.

asked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take on the report by Dr. Percy Stocks to the British Empire Cancer Campaign following his survey of cancer incidence in North Wales and Liverpool; and whether he will arrange for similar surveys to be carried out officially in other parts of the country.

I understand that cancer research under official auspices is already devoting much attention to epidemiological studies of the causes of cancer with similar aims to those pursued by Dr. Stocks. I do not think that the publication of his results, interesting as they are, call for any special action by me.

I assume that the right hon. and learned Gentleman has read the report of Dr. Stocks. Is he not satisfied from that report that it is highly essential that similar investigations should take place throughout the country so that a definite decision can be reached, particularly on the question of smoking and the pollution of the atmosphere by smoke in various places?

Yes, Sir. As the hon. Member knows, matters of research are for my noble and learned Friend the Lord President, who I have no doubt will take appropriate note of what the hon. Gentleman has said.

asked the Minister of Health the number of industrial establishments which have medical inspectorates attached to them under the auspices of his Department.

None, Sir.

Is the Minister aware that in the older types of industrial area, such as Salford, Warrington and Oldham, the incidence of chronic bronchitis is six times what it is in Eastbourne, and that in the newer type of industrial centre, such as Coventry, the incidence of chronic bronchitis is comparable to a non-industrial city such as Canterbury? In the latter type of new industrial centre, such as Coventry, there is surely a higher rate of medical inspection.

I have no statutory responsibility for medical inspectors in industrial establishments. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service is responsible for the medical inspection of factories, although his inspectors are not attached to industrial establishments in terms of the hon. Member's Question.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman not at least aware of the rather disturbing interim report issued to his right hon. Friend concerning the industrial health situation in Halifax, particularly in view of the close link between this matter and the facilities offered by general practitioners? Will he not consider, in conjunction with his right hon. Friend, the importance of encouraging general practitioners to play a much wider part in this type of industrial health work?

I am, of course, aware of the report to which the hon. Member refers and I am always happy to discuss these matters with my right hon. Friend. If the hon. Member has any more specific proposals in mind, perhaps he would be good enough to communicate them to me.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he is now able to indicate an early date for the publication of the Report from the Medical Research Council on the relation of drink and road accidents.

The report on the experimental work upon the effect of alcohol on the skill of drivers of motor vehicles has now been considered by the Joint Committee appointed by the Medical Research Council and the Road Research Board, under whose auspices the work was carried out. It is at present undergoing revision and will be published as soon as possible.

Has my right hon. and learned Friend seen the fairly wide speculation in the Press on the gravity of this Report and the connection between drink and road accidents? Is he in consultation with the Minister of Transport and others with a view to bringing forward some constructive proposals?

I do not take my assessment of the contents of the official reports altogether from the newspapers, but as to the latter part of my hon. Friend's supplementary, the Report has been transmitted by my noble and learned Friend to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many working days were lost in 1957, or the latest available year for which the figures are known, which were attributable to the incidence of bronchitis.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state the number of working days lost as a result of bronchitis in each of the last five years fully recorded.

I can answer only for the number of days of incapacity attributed to bronchitis among people insured for sickness benefit, which as they involve a table of figures, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the Minister aware that, in a country which is as dependent as ours on maximum industrial production, these figures should not be taken complacently but demand drastic investigation by the Minister?

I assure the hon. Member that they will not be taken complacently.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans are being made for a third television network.

No decision has yet been reached on the applications made by the B.B.C. and I.T.A. for alternative television programmes.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there have been leakages about the Government's intentions in this matter? As this is a most important political decision which the Government have to take, may we be assured that the Postmaster-General will make some kind of statement on the matter before the House rises for the Summer Recess?

There have been no leakages of any kind. I can assure the hon. Member of that. I cannot say when a statement will be made.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that such a departure as this, or such a step as this, would involve very big questions of principle? Therefore, before the Government take action, will they bring the matter to the House, to obtain its opinion, remembering that when commercial television began they not only came to the House but there was legislation?

I will take note of what the right hon. Gentleman says but, if I remember rightly, at the time of those fierce debates the party opposite did not want commercial television. I do not know whether it stands by its statement that it would do away with it.

Irrespective of what happened when commercial television was first introduced, will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that the House will be given the necessary information before the Government come to any irrevocable decision in the matter?

I can assure the hon. Member that the House will be given information before anybody else, newspapers or not. When the Government have made up their mind, which is their duty, they will inform the House accordingly.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what precautions are taken to ensure that aircraft based on Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom are subject to such security control as to make impossible the unauthorised dropping of atomic bombs in the North Sea.

The normal precautions are entirely adequate.

In view of the widespread speculation in the Press last week, why did not the Air Ministry issue a statement pointing out that security precautions at R.A.F. stations used as American bases were such that the alleged threat by the alleged American airman was not just very difficult indeed but impossible to carry out? Why was not an immediate statement made by the Air Ministry?

The House is well aware, because it has been told so many times in the past, that the precautions taken are very thorough and the procedures, both on the ground and in the air, need the co-operation of large numbers of people.

While that may be true, was it not right that a statement like this should have been made by the Air Ministry? After all, the Air Ministry has the facts and should tell the public about them.