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Oral Answers

[THE PRIME Minister.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS

of factors, such as production capacity, capital investment policy and also finan- cial considerations.

Mr. Philips Price: May we take it that the Prime Minister is doing everything he can to expedite the application as soon as possible of these new scientific methods of economy in the use of coal?

The Prime Minister: Certainly.

SMOKE ABATEMENT

(RESEARCH)

47. Mrs. Leah Manning asked the Lord President of the Council what steps are being taken by the Scientific Research Council in respect of smoke abatement, in view of the menace to health, and the serious results to industry, commerce and transport caused by fogs such as this country recently suffered.

The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Morrison): The reduction of smoke in the air will not prevent fogs, but it should reduce their intensity and frequency. The Fuel Research Station of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research has studied methods of reducing the emission of smoke by using fuel more efficiently. Smoke elim- inators developed by the Station for hand-fired industrial boilers are being marketed commercially. Research on the design of domestic appliances and on the production and use of smokeless fuels is in progress, but this is essentially a long- term problem. The Department has also, over many years, organised the measure- ment of smoke pollution to assess any change in its distribution and intensity.

Mrs. Manning: While thanking my right hon. Friend for his reply, may I ask him whether, in view of the fact that smoke in fog makes the fog heavy and therefore much more difficult to move quickly, there is not a short-term remedy which his Department has considered?

Mr. Morrison: I devoutly wish there were, but I am afraid that there is not a short-term remedy. They have elabor- ated very much improved fireplaces and boilers, and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health is, in respect of new housing, urging local authorities to use new types of fireplaces, and in other ways

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to improve the boilers. I can assure my hon. Friend that I am anxious to do all I can, but this does involve a change in equipment over a period.

Mr. Skeffington-Lodge: Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind the benefits which accrue to those who insist on having an open coal fire; and in that connection, will he also bear in mind the possibility of burning smokeless fuel in open grates?

Mr. Morrison: That is one of the aspects of research, because it is recog- nised that many people wish for an open fire. That is taken into account.

Mr. Bossom: Would the Lord Presi- dent look into the question of using more district heating? That is possible, and would do a lot to help this very situation?

Mr. Morrison: Well, we are getting rather wide of the original Question now. I am not sure that I am competent to answer in detail about district heating.

DISABLED PERSONS

(EMPLOYMENT)

48. Mr. Attewell asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons in Leicester and Leicestershire registered under the Disabled Persons (Employ- ment) Act, 1944; the total unemployed; the number unemployed for 12 months and over; and the number severely dis- abled and in need of sheltered employ- ment, respectively.

The Minister of Labour (Mr. Isaacs): On 18th October, 1948, the numbers were 5,769 and 9,400, respectively. At Leicester there were 82 registered disabled persons unemployed, of whom eight were in need of sheltered employment; the corre- sponding figures for Leicestershire were 174 and 30. The number of registered disabled persons who had been unem- ployed for 12 months or more were 15 at Leicester and 52 for Leicestershire.

49. Mr. Anthony Greenwood asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make arrangements to provide the Disabled Persons Employment Corporation with work on Government contracts to a suffi- cient extent to keep their severely dis- abled employees fully occupied.

Oral Answers

9 DECEMBER 1948 Mr. Isaacs: These factories do not rely entirely on production for the Gov- ernment, though this must provide some part of their work. I am glad to say that arrangements to make full use of the expanding capacity of the Corpora- tion are in hand. Contracting Depart- ments have agreed to allocate to the Corporation, at current prices, a share of their orders for production which the Corporation is in a position to under- take, which should ensure an adequate and steady flow of work. The applica- tion of this principle to voluntary under- takings approved by my Department is under consideration.

Mr. Greenwood: While thanking my right hon. Friend for his very satisfactory answer, may I ask him whether, if he finds it impossible to pursue his policy so far as Government Departments are con- cerned, he will consider invoking the aid of local authorites?

Mr. Isaacs: Yes, Sir. I should like to announce to the House that I see no difficulty so far as Government Depart- ments are concerned. They are very anxious to co-operate

a proper arrangement. We do propose, as the number of these factories grows in differ- ent parts of the country, to seek the co-operation of local authorities.

on

50. Mr. Skeffington asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that there are nearly 9,000 disabled per- sons out of work in the Metropolitan area, greater efforts will be made to find suitable training for them in his Depart- ment's training centres.

Mr. Isaacs: It is in only the minority of cases that vocational training is needed. My purpose is to make provision for the training of all the disabled un- employed for whom a course of training is the best means of resettlement.

Mr. Skeffington: Can the Minister say how many of these 9,000 disabled persons have been trained?

Mr. Isaacs: I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman is referring to the previous answer. I did not refer to 9,000 disabled persons in my present answer.

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Capital Issues Committee 51. Mr. Erroll asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the qualifications of the present members of the Capital Issues Committee; what salaries and allowances they are paid; how frequently they meet; and how many new issues they have sanctioned during this year.

The

to Economic Secretary

the Treasury (Mr. Douglas Jay): The mem- bers have all been chosen for their experi- ence of finance and industry, and are unpaid. The Committee meets at least once a week. About 470 applications involving new money have been approved so far this year.

Mr. Erroll: Have the members of this Committee the

necessary qualities of enterprise to enable them to judge the value of issues to companies anxious to develop new inventions and new ideas?

Mr. Jay Certainly, in our opinion; and I should like to take this opportunity of expressing our appreciation of the hard work done by the Committee in the public interest without remuneration.

Lieut.-Commander Gurney Braith- waite If differences of opinion arise on the Capital Issues Committee as to the desirability of a flotation, is reference made to the National Investment Council?

Mr. Jay: No, Sir. The Capital In- vestments Committee advises the Council, and then the Treasury make up their minds.

Mr. Chamberlain : Since the decision of this Committee on a question to which I referred last week appears to be neither in conformity with the national interest nor their written instructions, will the Minister look into the whole set-up and write out instructions in a new and simple form if necessary?

Mr. Jay: The hon. Member is raising a particular case which is not involved in this Question.

Viscount Hinchingbrooke: Would the hon. Gentleman indicate to the House whether there is a great weight of money seeking investment, which is being held back by the Capital Issues Committee at

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