Mr. STANLEY KNOWLES (Winnipeg North Centre):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Mines and Resources in his capacity as Minister of Immigration. On behalf of a number of Canadian

servicemen who have fiancees in Holland, Belgium, France or other European countries, may I ask the minister whether he will try to find a way to facilitate their coming to Canada at an early date? Is it possible to give these girls the same consideration as that given to overseas war brides?

Hon. J. A. GLEN (Minister of Mines and Resources):

The hon. member gave me notice of this question. The problem of the movement to Canada from the continent of Europe of the fiancees of Canadian servicemen is primarily one of transportation. A similar situation exists in the British isles, where many fiancees are awaiting an opportunity to proceed to Canada to join their intended husbands. It is not possible to make provision for the movement of fiancees on the same basis as the wives and children of servicemen. There are still approximately 25,000 servicemen's wives and children in the British isles, and 2,400 on the continent. These are being brought forward just as quickly as transportation is available and they are, of course, entitled to preference.

I can assure the hon. member that everything possible will be done to facilitate the movement of servicemen's fiancees. The situation is a difficult one. There are still many Canadians overseas who have been waiting for many months to secure accommodation for return to Canada; in fact some of them have been endeavouring to return since early last year. There will, of course, be an immediate improvement in the situation when the movement to Canada of service personnel and their dependents is completed.

Mr. GREEN:

Press dispatches of this morning indicate that the United States government has released information about the use of atomic energy. Can the minister give a statement to the committee telling us just what the United States action means?

Right Hon. C. D. HOWE (Minister of Reconstruction and Supply); I am afraid I did not read the article. I saw the headlines and intended to read it, but I have not had time; therefore I cannot answer the question.

Atomic Energy Control

I know of no special release of information about atomic energy, although there very well may have been such a release. Canada, in any event, was not consulted in the matter.

Mr. GREEN:

Can the minister indicate

what the expenditures in connection with atomic energy control will be during the fiscal year? I notice that in Great Britain an estimate was given when their bill was introduced into the House of Commons. The Canadian ministry must have some idea as to what the cost will be.

Mr. HOWE:

So far as the current fiscal year is concerned, there are two types of expenditure involved, one on capital account and the other on operating account. At the moment the two pretty well overlap, because there is still some work going on in construction, and also some on operation. The construction of the Chalk River project will entail a cost of about $20,000,000. I am not sure how much will be spent this year; perhaps it will be five or six millions, which will be a carry-over from last year

Mr. GREEN:

The total capital expenditure on Chalk River will be $20,000,000?

Mr. HOWE:

Yes. The operating is estimated to cost $3,500,000 annually.

Mr. GREEN:

Are there any other expenses involved in addition to those at Chalk River.

Mr. HOWE:

No, not directly on atomic energy. At the moment the activities of the Eldorado company are self-supporting, and I know of no expenditures outside of those I have mentioned.

Mr. GREEN:

This is the section which deals with various definitions. For example, it defines the board, the president of the board, and a member of the board. Has any consideration been given to having the minister, who is over the board, a member of the board itself? It does seem to me that there might be some merit in having a member of the government an actual member of the board. It would tie the House of Commons in that much closer with the activities of the board.

Mr. HOWE:

I suggest that it would not be good organization. I think the board should have some body capable of sitting outside its orbit to review its work. For example, in my department the deputy minister is never permitted to be a member of a board of directors, the theory being that the job 63260-157J

of the deputy minister is to see that the work of the board is kept in order. I rather think there should be a wholly outside body to check this work. If the minister was on the board there would be no one except parliament, or the government as a whole, perhaps, to check the work of the board.

The CHAIRMAN:

Order. May I point out to the committee that we are now dealing with the definitions. Section 4 of the bill sets forth the composition of the board. Probably this discussion would be more appropriate under section 4.

Mr. GREEN:

Section 2 defines a member, the board and the president. Surely we are in order in asking questions such as I asked on this section; and I think we will get along a great deal faster if we are not tied down too rigidly on the sections. I believe my question was quite in order.

The CHAIRMAN:

I am not saying it is not in order, but I should think any discussion as to who sits on the board should be taken up when we are considering the composition of the board. I thought it would facilitate the work of the committee if we discussed that matter when discussing the composition of the board. However, I am entirely in the hands of the committee.

Mr. HACKETT:

I want to ask the minister if he believes the rule-and I consider it a good rule-which precludes deputy ministers from sitting on the board of a crown company would necessarily apply to a minister. It seems to me that it would be a proper thing to have the minister on the board, because the company is administering and spending crown moneys. With the minister on the board the house could feel that it had a watch-dog on the board, and it would have a representative responsible to the house whose presence on the board would do away with much of the criticism that has been levelled at crown companies in that they are spending money without control on the part of the house.