Mr. J. A. Blanchette (Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of National Defence):

Mr. Speaker, in the absence of the Minister of National Defence, may I take this question as notice.

Mr. J. W. Noseworthy (York South):

Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of National Defence? Has the Department of National Defence ever ordered the demolition of the shacks on its property at Long Branch, Toronto? If so, have these orders been carried out? If not, why not, and what use is now being made of these shacks?

Mr. J. A. Blanchette (Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of National Defence):

Mr. Speaker, in the absence of the minister, may I take this question as notice?

Mr. E. G. McCullough (Moose Mountain):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Prime Minister. Has the matter of flood loss assistance to Saskatchewan been settled? If so, can the Prime Minister say on what basis settlement has been made? Was it on the same basis used with respect to the Red river flood and the flood in the Fraser river valley in 1950? If not, why not?

Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Prime Minister):

Mr. Speaker, the answer to the first part of the first question is yes; the federal government made proposals of assistance to the province of Saskatchewan last October. This contained an offer to share the cost of repairing homes and associated structures damaged in the floods of last spring. It was a proposal similar to the arrangement made in the case of the Ontario floods in the fall of 1954.

Under this arrangement, which has been accepted by the province, although the premier has expressed some disappointment about it, the federal government has agreed to assume 50 per cent of the expenditures in those cases where the provincial government has rendered assistance along the following lines.

The first $100 of damage to be met by the owner with the provincial government making reimbursement of 80 per cent of the balance of the assessed damage up to a maximum payment of $5,000 for any one establishment. This would cover the repair of homes and associated structures. Naturally this does not limit the extent of the assistance the provincial government may see fit to provide but fixes the proportion in which the federal government would share.

As to the second question, the form of assistance is not identical with that given in respect to the Red river and the Fraser valley floods where in both instances the damage caused was of much greater relative magnitude. Moreover, since those earlier events parliament has passed legislation which had to be taken into consideration when the Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan flood situations were being studied.

This legislation, the Canada Water Conservation Act, passed in 1953 takes into account the responsibility of the provinces in the control of floods, but at the same time makes federal assistance available in connection with major projects upon the application of any province. I may say that no proposals have been submitted by the government of Saskatchewan under this legislation.

Mr. McCullough (Moose Mountain):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask the Prime Minister a supplementary question. Could he inform the house of the amount of contribution the federal government will pay under this agreement?

Mr. St. Laurent (Quebec East):

I do not

have that amount. The arrangement provided that there would be co-operation between the officials of the finance department and officials of the appropriate department of the government of Saskatchewan to determine what the amounts would be. I shall ascertain whether the matter has been completed and as soon as possible give the hon. member the total of the federal contribution.

Mr. H. R. Argue (Assiniboia):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask a supplementary question. Could the Prime Minister say what consideration was given to paying compensation on account of damage to municipal roads? This damage was very extensive.

Mr. St. Laurent (Quebec East):

That matter was very carefully considered, and the premier of Saskatchewan was informed that the federal government could not undertake to share in the repairs to municipal works.

Mr. McCullough (Moose Mountain):

I should like to ask another supplementary question.

67509-34J

Inquiries of the Ministry Could the Prime Minister inform the house whether consideration was given to those individual farmers who will not be compensated under any other legislation for complete crop loss owing to flooding?

Mr. St. Laurent (Quebec East):

Mr. Speaker, consideration was given to all the representations-and I can assure you that the premier of Saskatchewan did not omit any of them- that were submitted to the government. This was the answer that we finally gave to the government of Saskatchewan.

Mr. W. B. Nesbitt (Oxford):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Trade and Commerce. Has the minister any information as to whether or not there are likely to be any imports of New Zealand cheddar cheese into Canada during the next six months?

Right Hon. C. D. Howe (Minister of Trade

and Commerce): Mr. Speaker, I have not had advance information, either through the spirits or otherwise, of the intentions of the New Zealand government. I shall be glad to make inquiries and see whether anyone in the department knows anything about them.