asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether he is aware that the railway rates on home-grown timber are still 100 per cent. above the pre-War rates, although the increased cost-of-living figure has fallen from 176 to 81, and the cost of railway labour, stores, and material has been much reduced; and whether, seeing that the selling price of such timber is now only 25 per cent. above pre-War price, and the railway rate now has an extraordinarily high proportion to the selling price, he will use his influence with the railway companies to reduce the existing rate and thereby encourage a hardly-hit home industry?

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to my reply of the 8th instant to the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Betterton), of which I am sending him a copy.

Has the hon. Member forgotten that in the reduction of railway rates that are coming into operation to-day home-grown timber is not included, and is he aware that it now costs more to convey English timber from Sussex to London than it does to bring foreign timber from Finland to London?

I have not forgotten those facts.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether, in view of the large sums of public money now being expended on roads and the changed conditions of present-day vehicular traffic, he is aware that hundreds of different types of manholes, gullies, and other ironwork details, many of which are unsuitable or unsafe, are in daily use; and whether, in order to secure safety and economy of design and maintenance, he will take steps to bring about a definite scheme of standardisation for such details?

I am aware that there is little uniformity in the types of manholes, gullies, and other iron work used on highways. Local circumstances and conditions vary, however, so widely, that I am not disposed to attempt the, standardisation of castings for such purposes.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether he will consider the advisability of appointing a Committee to inquire into the whole question of the upkeep and repair of roads, having special regard to the division of responsibility therefore between the State and local authorities and to the equitable apportionment of the necessary taxation between various classes of road-users?

Yes, Sir, the matter is receiving consideration. No decision has yet been arrived at.

Will a Committee actually be set up in conformity with the promise given by the First Commissioner of Works?

There has been no promise given by my Noble Friend, but in the reply which I have just read I have told my hon. and gallant Friend that the matter is receiving consideration.

But was not a promise given by the First Commissioner of Works in another place on behalf of the Government?

No.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether the attention of his Department has been called to the urgent necessity of providing better approach roads to the docks of London; whether his Department has prepared or proposed any road improvement schemes to any of the road authorities concerned; and whether, in view of the necessity of providing work at the present time, his Department will call a conference of the authorities concerned with a view of improving all these roads as soon as possible?

The need for better approach roads to the London dock district is recognised, and various improvement schemes have been drafted. Discussions on the subject have been in progress for some time with the Port of London Authority and the local authorities concerned, and the. Ministry of Transport intend to pursue the matter in the hope of securing the collaboration of all interested parties in the promotion of measures designed to relieve the present congestion and delay.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether his attention has been called to the notice of the railway companies that they propose to extend weekend tickets from Fridays to Mondays, but only to places when the single third-class fare is 15s.; whether he is aware that the effect of this will be that the large population of London and Greater London will be unable to obtain this pre-War condition to any of the coast holiday resorts or other inland places unless they are over 100 miles away from London; and whether he will urge on the various railway companies the necessity of treating all passengers on equal terms, and of giving London short-distance passengers the same facilities as long-distance passengers are to be given?

I am informed that the conditions in respect of week-end tickets on the railways generally are as stated by the hon. Member. As the hon. Member is aware, the Minister has now no jurisdiction over railway fares; the railway companies are at liberty to make such modifications in fares as they consider expedient, but I am sending them a copy of my hon. Friend's question.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether any Return is issued of the grants made from the Road Fund to various local authorities and of the use to which such grants are put?

Information on the points mentioned in my Noble Friend's question is contained in the Annual Report on the Administration of the Road Fund presented by the Minister of Transport to Parliament. The report for the year 1920–21 has been available for some time, and I hope it will be possible to present the report for the year 1921–22 before the Summer Recess.

Does this report make it quite clear that the local authorities do in fact spend the grants allocated to them in all cases?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the number of British Legations abroad of which His Majesty's Government own the buildings; what is the number held on lease; and what is the total annual amount of rent paid for these leasehold buildings?

His Majesty's Government own the buildings of 17 Legations. There are also 17 buildings held on lease at a total annual rental of £15,100.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the buildings of the nine occupied British Embassies abroad are the property of His Majesty's Government; whether he can state approximately the amount originally expended in the purchase of those buildings which are owned by the Government; and what is the approximate value of that property to-day?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, except that the summer residence only at Rio is the property of His Majesty's Government. Figures are not available in regard to Tokio, but the cost of the remainder was £252,759, the site at Constantinople and the villa at Posilipo being gifts. I regret that I am not in a position to give a reliable estimate of the present day value.

asked the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether any reply has yet been received from the Portuguese Government as regards the increased charges now being made on British shipping entering Portuguese ports; and can he make any statement as to what action the British Government has taken on this important action to British interests by a friendly and Allied Power?

Yes, Sir; His Majesty's Minister at Lisbon was recently informed by the Portuguese Government that they intended to submit shortly to the Cortes a Bill which, as far as national interests permitted, would take into sympathetic consideration the representations made by His Majesty's Government. The Portuguese Government having shown their readiness to meet His Majesty's Government in a friendly spirit, my hon. Friend will see that the second part of his question does not arise.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether his Department is encouraging British exhibitors to participate in the coming Centenary Exhibition at Rio; and whether the Foreign Office is, on his representations, simultaneously urging on the Brazilian Government the desirability of settling the long outstanding claims of British business men against it?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; as regards the second part, I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to the hon. Member for Stratford (Mr. L. Lyle) on the 11th May and the hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Sir W. de Frece) on the 18th May.

asked the hon. Member for the Pollok Division of Glasgow, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, what is the value of the land occupied by the Geological Museum in Piccadilly and Jermyn Street; what number of persons visited the Museum in the years 1919, 1920 and 1921, respectively; and whether arrangements could be made for the housing of the contents of the Museum at South Kensington or elsewhere so that it might be possible to dispose of this very valuable central site?

As regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which I gave to a similar question on the 4th of April last, of which I am sending him a copy. I am informed that the number of visitors to the Museum during the years in question was 27,600, 30,100 and 26,800, respectively. The First Commissioner hesitates to offer an opinion in regard to the suggestion contained in the last part of the question.