Hon. L. B. Pearson (Leader of the Opposition):

May I ask the Minister of Trade and Commerce whether he expects to be able to announce during this session of parliament the signing of the uranium agreement with the United Kingdom?

Hon. George H. Hees (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

Mr. Speaker, I have every hope that the negotiations are drawing to a close. We hope to reach a conclusion very soon.

Inquiries of the Ministry MINES AND TECHNICAL SURVEYS

Hon. Jacques Flynn (Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys):

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday last the Leader of the Opposition asked whether I could confirm a statement reported to have been made the other day in Elliot Lake by the chief of research for my department, Dr. John Convey, to the effect that in two years the department's research into non-nuclear uses of uranium could approach a state at which sufficient uranium could be needed to keep all mines at Elliot Lake in production.

My answer is as follows. On April 5, 1962 Dr. John Convey, director of the mines branch, was guest speaker at the annual banquet of the chamber of commerce in Elliot Lake, at which time he discussed the research work of the mines branch in the development of non-nuclear uses of uranium. As my hon. friend possibly knows, this research program began in 1959 in co-operation with the Eldorado Mining and Refining Company Limited. During the past year, 1961, the Canadian uranium producing companies have contributed toward the support of the program.

In reporting on the results of this experimental work on the use of uranium as an alloying element in ferrous materials, Dr. Convey mentioned that several of the fields of study had shown promising possible uses. He suggested that the program should be more vigorously pursued by both government and industry. Such a vigorously pursued co-ordinated program, he intimated, might possibly provide results within two years which could prove of real assistance to the Canadian uranium industry. From there to state that sufficient uranium could be needed within two years "to keep all mines at Elliot Lake in production" is pure speculation; and I am informed that no such specific statement was made by Dr. Convey.

Hon. L. B. Pearson (Leader of the Opposiiion):

Mr. Speaker, may I ask the minister whether he can inform the house what steps are being taken to get in touch with the steel companies to encourage them to use this process in the manufacture of steel by hardening through uranium, to which the hon. gentleman referred.

Mr. Flynn:

Mr. Speaker, I could not describe in detail this program which has been going on for two years. However, I may say we have received full co-operation from the industry. As I said earlier, the results of the research program to date have been highly encouraging, although we cannot draw any definite conclusions as yet.

Hon. Paul Hellyer (Trinity):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to direct a question to the Minister of National Defence. Can the minister advise the house whether there is any particular reason why the army and navy have been unable to recruit the additional men authorized last fall, and whether he expects they will be able to come up to their new limits soon?

Hon. D. S. Harkness (Minister of National Defence):

Mr. Speaker, both the army and navy have been recruiting men at the rate at which they anticipated getting them. The recruiting has been going very well indeed. The navy has had a definite quota of men. The maximum they would take in any monthly period has been met.

The army, as I said, has been recruiting men at about the rate they expected to recruit them. They have recruited sufficient men, as a matter of fact, to overtax the training depots.

Mr. D. M. Fisher (Port Arthur):

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Secretary of State stemming from a report in today's Globe and Mail to the effect that the head of the civil service commission, Hon. S. H. S. Hughes, Q.C., is reported to have expressed the view that the reform movement in patronage may have gone too far. My question is, could the Secretary of State indicate whether the government has also revised its views on patronage along the same line?

Hon. Noel Dorion (Secretary of Stale):

Mr. Speaker, I have not seen the article to which the hon. gentleman referred. I shall examine it and endeavour to bring in an answer tomorrow.