asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the date upon which he expects work on the Brentwood by-pass to begin.

In the spring of 1963, I hope.

asked the Minister of Transport when the survey of the route for the proposed motorway from London to Basingstoke will be completed; and when he will be in a position to publish a draft scheme.

In about 18 months' time. It should be possible to publish a draft scheme about six months after that.

asked the Minister of Transport what measures he now proposes to increase safety arrangements between the two carriageways on the M.1 in order to reduce accidents.

I am having a full study made of the measures which might be taken to reduce accidents caused by vehicles crossing the central reserve. But the greatest contribution to safety on M.1 can be made by everyone driving with the utmost care.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the dangerous condition of the M.1 motorway on a 20-mile stretch between Harpenden and Bedford; and what action is being taken to repair it.

I do not accept that the condition of this motorway is in any way dangerous. Re-surfacing is required on some lengths of the slow lane in Bedfordshire. Trials have been made to decide the best method, and temporary repairs have been carried out meanwhile. I expect to put permanent repairs in hand this summer.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will reconsider his decision not to re-route the South Circular Road, as put forward in the plan suggested by Mr. Philip Hicks, Alderman Gaines, and Mr. Plant, a copy of which has been sent to him by the hon. Member for Richmond, Surrey, for the diversion of traffic via the Cromwell Road extension instead of through the village of Kew.

The considerations detailed in my letter of 10th July, 1961, to my hon. Friend still apply.

asked the Minister of Transport how many people were seriously injured on the roads in 1931, 1941, 1951, and 1961; and what were the ratios of the number seriously injured to the number of vehicles in the same years.

There are no figures available for the number of people injured in 1941, and serious and slight casualties were not given separately in 1931.The total numbers of people injured were as follows:

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to improve the North to South Wales road; and if he will make a statement.

I hope to undertake nine major improvement schemes to a value of some £300,000 within the next three years on this road. Among the schemes will be a bypass of Trawsfynydd.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of objections by the Lambeth Borough Council and local residents, he will reconsider his proposal for east-to-west one-way traffic in Porden Road.

The proposals for Porden Road are part of a larger scheme for relieving congestion at the major road intersection by Lambeth Town Hall. I am considering whether the scheme can be modified so as not to affect Porden Road.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made in the preparation of the A.34 road improvement scheme from London Road to the Milehouse roundabout, Newcastle-under-Lyme; when it will be commenced; and how long it will take to complete.

Work on the northern section of this scheme is expected to begin this summer. Preparation of the central and southern sections is proceeding satisfactorily and work will be put in hand as these preliminary steps are completed. I hope that the full improvement will be completed by 1965.

asked the Minister of Transport what have been the results of his Department's tests of the new Danish anti-skid material for roads, known as Synopal.

I understand that this material is not available in quantity in this country. As yet, therefore, no tests have been carried out.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will examine the possibility of re-routing the south orbital road to avoid the densely populated neighbourhoods of Orpington.

A preliminary line for this section of the road passing some two miles south-east of Orpington is shown in the Kent Development Plan approved in January, 1958. Kent County Council, as my agent authority, are now surveying a detailed line. I must await the results of this before I can publish a draft Order under the Highways Act, 1959.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the inadequate public transport facilities in the Seisdon Rural District of Staffordshire; and what consultations he has had with transport undertakings in the area with a view to improving these rural bus services.

I am not aware of any general inadequacy in the bus services in Seisdon Rural District. I have written to my hon. Friend about a service between Wombourn and Sedgley.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will seek to arrange for licences for agricultural tractors to be available, with other Road Fund licences, at post offices.

The arrangements which I have made with my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General allow for the renewal of licences for agricultural tractors by all those post offices which undertake motor vehicle licence business. I understand however, that some such post offices may not keep these particular licences because there is no general demand for them. If my hon. Friend has any particular difficulty in mind and would let me have details I will gladly look into it.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration has been given to the proposal that loads of loose materials such as rubble, ballast and gravel must be conveyed only in vehicles designed to prevent their contents from falling on the roads.

The use of vehicles for unsuitable purposes, and the carriage of loads not well enough secured to prevent danger being caused by their falling off, are both offences under the existing law. I do not think any strengthening of the present provisions governing these matters is necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to make it an offence for any heavy goods vehicle not to use a designated bypass route that avoids busy urban centres.

Outside the London Traffic Area it is for the local authority in the first instance to make traffic regulation orders. So far orders have been made by two local authorities prohibiting heavy goods vehicles from driving through busy urban centres.

asked the Minister of Transport what qualifications and experience it is necessary for instructors examining learner drivers to possess.

The requirements are set out in a memorandum issued to applicants, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend. The main items are wide driving experience, a knowledge of the Highway Code and of road safety matters, an adequate educational standard, and personal qualities which equip the candidate for dealing with the public.

asked the Minister of of Transport if he will take action to improve the road travelling facilities for people travelling daily to and from their employment in the greater Manchester and Liverpool area; and if he will take action to introduce modernisation and more through inter-city running.

I cannot add to what I said to the hon. Member in my reply to his Question this afternoon.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he proposes to take on the recommendation made in the report, details of which have been sent to him, of the London and Home Counties Regional Advisory Council for Technological Education on transport in the region, that there is a need for the provision of more qualified traffic engineers in the region.

The report was addressed to the local education authorities for London and the home counties. With the rapid and continuing growth of traffic and the need to make the best use of the existing road systems in towns there should be growing scope for traffic measures. There are already courses for traffic engineers at several Universities and technical colleges and the Institution of Civil Engineers is preparing a syllabus for a two-year course for technicians.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to invite other nations to share the cost of maintaining the two lighthouses for which Her Majesty's Government are responsible at the southern end of the Red Sea.

The Government of the Netherlands have for many years made a contribution of 6 per cent. towards the total cost of maintaining the lighthouses of Abu Ail and Jabal at Tair. The question of sharing the costs more equitably between nations whose shipping benefits from the lights was discussed at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation in April, 1961. It was then agreed that Her Majesty's Government should convene a diplomatic conference on the subject, and this conference was held in London in October, 1961. It was attended by 12 nations including the United Kingdom.An agreement for sharing the costs was drawn up at this conference and was opened for signature in London on 20th February, 1962. So far only the United Kingdom and the United States have signed the agreement, the United States subject to acceptance, but I hope that other countries will follow suit. The agreement will come into force when countries representing fifty per cent. of the tonnage passing through the Suez Canal have become parties to it either by signature alone or by signature subject to acceptance, followed by acceptance.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will initiate a full inquiry into the recent accident on the Beachley-Aust ferry when four people narrowly escaped drowning.

We have called for particulars of this accident. When we have considered them we will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport how many prosecutions for unlawful discharge of oil under the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1955, took place during 1961; and with what results.

There were 50 prosecutions for unlawful discharge of oil during 1961, resulting in 43 convictions.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to assess the social consequences of the large scale rail closures which will follow the British Transport Commission's economic reappraisal of the railway system in Scotland.

Under the procedure proposed in the Transport Bill the Scottish Transport Users Consultative Committee will report to me on any hardship involved in a proposed railway passenger closure to which objections have been made. I shall consider their report and all the relevant factors before deciding whether to consent to the closure. I may also attach conditions or give the Railways Board a direction.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether, during the discussions on inspection and verification at the Geneva disarmament conference, there has been a thorough examination of the Sohn sampling scheme; and what attitude to this scheme has been taken by the various powers.

On 20th March, my noble Friend told the Conference that he believed that inspection by sampling, which is the essence of Dr. Sohn's proposals, held considerable promise. On 27th March, Mr. Rusk said his Government were prepared to put forward detailed plans. The Soviet Delegation has not so far responded to my noble Friend's inquiry about their views or shown interest in Mr. Rusk's proposal for a special sub-committee to examine this subject. There has thus been no opportunity so far for thorough consideration of it or for ascertaining the views of other Governments.

asked the Lord Privy Seal to what degree the 12-mile limit has been introduced off the Russian coast.

The Soviet Union has since 1927 claimed a twelve-mile limit for her territorial waters. This claim is not recognised by Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what consultations have taken place between Her Majesty's Government and the United States Government with regard to the United States Government's new proposal that a tests ban treaty should include some form of safeguard against secret preparations for testing.

There was, of course, full consultation between our delegations, as a result of which proposals for periodic declarations by Heads of Governments and periodic inspection of known testing sites were put to the Russians on the 15th of March. More recently they were put forward in the Disarmament Committee as part of a number of possible modifications to the Western Draft Treaty of April, 1961. But the Russians have rejected the Western draft.

asked the Lord Privy Seal, having regard to Her Majesty's Government's initiative in referring the question of slavery to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, which member States of the United Nations Organisation have still not ratified the Slavery Conventions; and what are the special circumstances delaying such ratification.

As some forty-seven members of the United Nations have not yet ratified the 1926 Convention and sixty-eight have not yet acceded to the Supplementary Convention of 1956, I will, with permission, circulate a list in the OFFICIAL REPORT. With regard to the second part of my hon. Friend's Question, it is not for Her Majesty's Government to attempt to explain the actions of other Governments.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the text of the resolution of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe protesting against the arrest of French officials in Egypt contrary to the practice of states and the general rules of international law and to special agreements between France and the United Arab Republic; and what further action was taken by the United Kingdom and other member-States of the Council of Europe, or by the Council collectively on this matter.

As the text of the Resolution in question is already available in the Library of the House, the answer to the first part of the Question is No. In answer to the second part of the Question, the Resolution called for no further action from Member States of the Council of Europe or by the Council collectively. As the House is aware, we have recently heard the good news that the French officials in question were released on 7th April and are now back in France.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the policy of the Government in regard to Recommendation 291 of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, which asks the Committee of Ministers to request the Administrative Board of the Cultural Fund to grant fellowships and scholarships to scientists, artists, writers, philosophers and students, initially from Poland, and later, when circumstances allow, from other countries of Eastern Europe, to work and study in the member States of the Council of Europe.

At the 102nd meeting of the Deputies of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in October last, the Deputies invited Governments to provide information for the Consultative Assembly, on which action on paragraph 4 of Recommendation 291 could be based. Her Majesty's Government have provided this information, as requested, but the Ministers' Deputies have not yet decided whether to request the Administrative Board of the Cultural Fund to grant the proposed fellowships and scholarships.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what financial contribution Her Majesty's Government now proposes to make towards the resettlement of the 400,000 Algerian refugees who are still living under conditions of great hardship in Tunisia and Morocco.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he is aware that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has accepted the invitation to participate in a tripartite committee for the repatriation of Algerian refugees from Tunisia and Morocco and is taking steps to facilitate an orderly return of refugees to their homes, and that the Norwegian Committee has already made a substantial contribution to this special work; and, in view of the additional assistance which will be required during this period, if he will now make a special contribution to the United Nations Commission for Refugees for this particular purpose.

I understand that the High Commissioner for Refugees has agreed to serve on the tripartite commission charged with the duty of repatriating the refugees from Algeria. I am also aware that the Norwegian Refugee Council has contributed $15,000 in response to the recent appeal of the High Commissioner for funds to assist in this operation. Her Majesty's Government are at present studying this appeal.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what discussions have taken place with the Algerian Provisional Government in Tunis about the establishment of normal diplomatic relations after Algerian independence later this year: and if he will make a statement.

The reply to the first part of the Question is: None. As regards the second part of the Question, I have no statement to make, but Her Majesty's Government naturally hope to establish diplomatic relations with a future independent Algeria.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether Her Majesty's Government will make available opportunities for technical training in this country to the Algerians before the complete transfer of power takes place in Algeria, with a view to assisting them in their tasks of reconstruction.

Her Majesty's Government are always prepared to consider sympathetically requests for assistance in technical training.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make representations to the Chinese People's Government in respect of its obligations for pensions to ex-employees of the Shanghai Waterworks Company Limited; and whether the Chinese People's Government is now prepared to pay compensation to the shareholders of that company in respect of the sequestrated property.

The Chinese Government agreed, in May, 1956, to remit to the management of the Shanghai Water Works Company the sum of £13,710, which was the amount due to pensioners on 30th June, 1952. Despite further representations, the Chinese Government have not accepted liability for the payment of pensions after that date. On 10th January, 1957, Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires formally reserved the rights of the pensioners. I do not consider that any further representations would be useful at the present stage.With regard to compensation for the sequestration of the Company, Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires last sent a reminder to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 22nd June, 1961. No reply has yet been received.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the value in £s sterling of the aid granted by Her Majesty's Government during the past 12 months in respect of famine relief to the Chinese People's Government.

No such aid has been granted.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what was the purpose of his recent official conversations with the United States Under-Secretary of State. Mr. George Ball.

I was glad to be able to take advantage of Mr. Ball's visit to London by inviting him to exchange views with me on a variety of subjects. Our discussions were confidential.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a statement about the visit of a Sub-Committee from the United Nations General Assembly to London; and what arrangements have been made to inform them of the history and achievements of self-government in Southern Rhodesia since 1923 and the significance of its new non-racial constitution.

Yes. We invited this Sub-Committee to visit London as part of our established practice of cooperating with the United Nations on colonial questions by providing them with full information about developments in our territories. The Sub-Committee had a cordial and useful meeting on 10th April with my noble Friend the Foreign Secretary and my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary, the Colonial Secretary and the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. Members of the Sub-Committee spoke with warm approval of Her Majesty's Government's record in the colonial field, which the Chairman described as based on justice and respect for democratic principles. They emphasised that the United Nations Committee recognised that responsibility for our dependent territories must rest with Her Majesty's Government and that they had no wish to interfere in the exercise of this. We said that we understood and shared the interest of the members of the United Nations in the progress of dependent peoples. While we could not of course share our responsibilities or accept intervention, we were ready to provide full information and were anxious to cooperate with the Committees concerned.On Southern Rhodesia the Sub-Committee questioned Ministers about the constitutional position. We explained the constitutional advance which has been made in the territory and made it clear that we had no power and no right to intervene in matters in which Southern Rhodesia had been autonomous for many years.The Sub-Committee is still in London and we expect to have further meetings with them but I think the visit has already been valuable in bringing about a closer mutual understanding between Her Majesty's Government and the Committee.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the present percentage of wholly unemployed and partly unemployed in Nelson and Colne; and what proportion of these are unemployed textile workers.

At 12th March 1·9 per cent. of insured employees in Nelson and Colne were registered as wholly unemployed and 1·6 per cent. as temporarily stopped; 67·2 per cent. of the total number unemployed were last employed in the textile industry.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the number of unemployed textile workers has been steadily increasing for many months, that they are likely to go on increasing, and that the number of current school-leavers for whom no jobs are available is large and growing larger; and what steps he proposes to take.

Since December there has been an increase of 5,700 in the number of textile workers unemployed. About 60 per cent. of the increase has been in the number temporarily stopped. The number of school leavers unemployed in the country is small. By mid-March all but 1 per cent. of those who left school last Christmas had started work. My local officers and Youth Employment Officers will continue to do all they can to help those who are seeking employment.

asked the Minister of Labour what progress has been made towards a solution of the dock dispute in the Port of Liverpool, in view of the damage being done to trade, and in particular the export trade.

As my hon. Friend is no doubt aware the recent dock strike in Liverpool ended on 2nd April and I understand that urgent consideration is being given locally to means for avoiding a recurrence of similar difficulties.

asked the Minister of Labour how many civilians employed in connection with the United States Air Force base at Sculthorpe are likely to lose their jobs as a result of the proposed decreased use of the base; and what are his plans for finding other employment for them in West Norfolk.

About 400. Arrangements are being made to register these workers in advance of their discharge and my local officers will do all they can to find alternative employment for them.

asked the Minister of Defence what plans he has for making an alternative weapon available to the Royal Air Force, in view of the recent difficulties that have emerged in the development of Skybolt.

I have no evidence that Skybolt is running into unforeseen difficulties.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty to what extent he considered using compulsory purchase powers for the purpose of acquiring the pier at Holy Loch from Leeds Trailways Ltd.

The use of compulsory purchase powers was considered, but it was decided that this would not be justified.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if, on the precedent of the optional issue of rum in Her Majesty's ships, he will authorise an optional payment of 3s. 6d. a day, or some other appropriate sum, in lieu of the privilege of buying cigarettes duty-free.

My noble Friend is considering what steps should be taken to discourage the acquisition of the smoking habit by young men in the Royal Navy, and it would be premature to authorise any special measures pending the outcome of this review.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many soldiers are currently used as servants in the royal palaces; what rank they hold; and what is the estimated cost.

The number is still eleven: four sergeants, three corporals and four lance/corporals and guardsmen. The average individual cost is about £970 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much warning he now estimates would be given in the event of a nuclear war so that the proposed evacuation of millions of people to the West and Wales could be effectively carried out.

No one can say how much time there might be in an emergency to carry out dispersal, but unless plans are made now it would not be possible to use the time available if it were thought right to carry out any such scheme.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will give the names of local authorities where

Listed below are the schemes involving treatment of spoil heaps which have been submitted by local authorities since the beginning of 1960 for loan sanction approval or the making of a grant. Many other schemes have been undertaken by local authorities and other bodies in circumstances where my right hon. Friend's approval is not needed, but information about them is necessarily incomplete.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state in the OFFICIAL REPORT the names of local authorities who have applied for financial grants for the clearance of derelict sites, the kinds of schemes proposed,

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will now announce Her Majesty's Government's conclusions on the new approach to the problem of water conservation recommended in the Final Report of the Central Advisory Water Committee's Sub-Committee on the growing demand for water.

Yes. The Government's conclusions are set out in a White Paper "Water Conservation: England and Wales" which has been presented to Parliament today. Copies may be obtained from the Vote Office.

asked the Minister of Education what special arrangements there are for the provision of information and accommodation for young people of less than university age who wish to come here to learn the language or for other educational purposes.

The Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges issues a pamphlet, of which I am sending a copy to the hon. and learned Member, giving information about various activities, including schools and courses in English, in which young visitors from abroad may want to take part. H.M. Missions and British Council offices overseas distribute free to inquirers leaflets on these subjects issued by the Central Bureau and the British Council. Many organisations, if they are not themselves residential, arrange accommodation for these young people.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the amount of each class of hydrocarbon oils retained for home consumption during the year ended 31st March, 1962, and the net amount received in respect of duty thereon, showing, in particular the amounts received on motor spirit and heavy oils used as fuel in road vehicles.

I regret that these figures are not yet available.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will reduce substantially the rental charges upon persons in the Western Isles constituency. who, at their own expense, have built telephone kiosks, open to the public though privately rented, where the Post Office has refused to provide its own kiosks and telephone apparatus.

I am grateful to those who have made these arrangements, and to those people who have agreed to make telephones in their homes available for use by others in the community. But I am afraid I could not justify the introduction of concessionary rentals, with the consequent addition to the heavy loss already incurred on public telephone kiosks in the Western Isles.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of interest charges paid by local authorities in Scotland in each of the years from 1951 to date.

The total amount of interest charges paid by local authorities from 1951 to 1961 is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for a phased clearance of derelict areas in central West Fife in order to provide an attractive environment for new industries.

This is in the first place a matter for the county council which is, I understand, preparing a plan of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that 70 maternity beds promised to Fife in 1960 have not yet been made available, that a woman in labour had recently to lie in the corridor at the maternity hospital, and that these facts were stated at the Fife Health and Welfare Committee on 3rd April; and what action he proposes to take to remedy the position.

The South-Eastern Regional Hospital Board have accepted that additional maternity accommodation in Fife is desirable, but that other claims on their resources, both in Fife and elsewhere in the region, are at present more urgent. The accommodation described as a corridor is in fact space wholly within the self-contained delivery unit, which normally serves as an ante-room to the designated labour rooms. While it is not normally used to accommodate patients, I am informed that the consultant obstetrician is satisfied that its use for this purpose involves no danger either to the patients or to their babies.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to see that nurses, serving districts in the Scottish Islands, are paid a substantial cost-of-living bonus.

This would be a matter for the local health authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total estimated commitment outstanding on 31st March last and the total estimated new commitments in 1962–63 in respect of new construction and major improvements for trunk roads and for classified roads and loans to highway authorities, respectively.

The estimated commitment for major improvements and new construction outstanding at 31st March, 1962, was £23·82 million made up of

included above. The remaining £12·7 million is made up as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consult the Scottish National Housing Company over their decision to increase the rents of their Rosyth and Dunfermline houses by 50 per cent., in view of the age and poor condition of many of these houses; and whether he will urge the company to reconsider their decision in view of the hardship that will be caused to tenants.

The new rent scheme, which includes provision for rebates where any question of hardship might arise, was adopted by the company with my assent, and after consultation with the Admiralty who nominate the tenants for the houses. The new rents are mostly still well below the gross annual values recently placed upon the houses by the assessor.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the first Report of the Development of Day-Release Committee of the Scottish Technical Education Consultative Council.

I have arranged for the publication of the Report today and for a supply of copies and of the circular issued to education authorities to be placed in the Vote Office. I have sent copies of the Report to education authorities and invited them to take early action on the recommendations addressed to them. I am consulting the local authority associations and representative industrial bodies on the recommendation that a scheme of compulsory registration of young persons training for skilled occupation should be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes are being made in the distribution of responsibilities within his Departments; and if he will make a statement.

In order to meet changing administrative needs, I have given a Direction under the Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Act, 1939, redistributing those of my functions which are assigned to the Scottish Home Department and the Department of Health for Scotland. This is a regrouping of my present responsibilities and does not affect those which my right hon. Friends the President of the Board of Trade and the Minister of Labour or other Ministers discharge in Scotland.On 1st June, 1962, the Scottish Home Department and the Department of Health for Scotland will be dissolved and replaced by two new departments—the Scottish Home and Health Department and the Scottish Development Department. The Scottish Home and Health Department will discharge the present home affairs functions of the Scottish Home Department and the present health and welfare functions of the Department of Health. The Scottish Development Department will discharge the functions relating to local government, electricity, roads and industry at present carried out by the Scottish Home Department, and the functions relating to housing, town and country planning and environmental services at present carried out by the Department of Health.The functions assigned to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and to the Scottish Education Department remain unchanged.

asked the Minister of Works whether he has appointed an architect for the scheme to improve and increase the court accommodation at the Royal Courts of Justice.

The scheme is being designed under the direction of my chief architect. Good progress is being made, particularly on the first phase of the scheme, which will provide more courts on the west side of the Central Hall.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will draw the attention of appropriate firms to the availability of the feldspar deposits, partly exploited during the war years, at Rodel, Isle of Harris, with a view to industrial development in that area.

My belief is that the existence of these deposits is already widely known, and the information available to me raises doubts if they could be economically worked in competition with material from other sources.