asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Board, in laying an Order imposing a duty on fabric gloves, took into account the interests of spinners of yarn; whether any representations were made on their behalf; and, if so, to what effect?

The answer to the brat part of the question is in the affirmative. Representations were made on behalf of the spinners of fine cotton yarns in this country, the general contention being that the imposition of a duty on fabric gloves would be adverse to their interests, since it would tend to restrict the exports of yarn to Germany.

To whom were these representations made? Who decided on their merits?

My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

Did the hon. Gentleman not say that they could not take into account any of the evidence given before the Committee?

Was not this matter taken out of the hands of the Committee, and settled by the Board of Trade?

Is it not a fact that no harm whatever will be done in this case?

This question will be debated in a few days.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he would be prepared to bring up to date the memorandum drawn up by the Statistical Department of the Board of Trade on German currency; and, if so, can he state when copies will be available?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the table given on page 10 of the Fabric Glove Committee's Report can be amplified by a supplementary table showing the figures down to a more recent date than December last, seeing that such supplementary figures are already in possession of the Department, showing a different ratio between the internal purchasing power of the mark and the external purchasing power of the mark; and whether he can inform the House why the Fabric Glove Committee's Report, which is the earliest of the Safeguarding of Industries Acts, Part II Reports, is in the appendix rather than the latest Report at the date of which more recent figures could have been supplied?

I will have circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT additional figures, bringing the table referred to up to date as far as the information is available. With regard to the last part of Question 22, the Reports of the Committees are printed in the form in which they were received by the Board of Trade, and the Fabric Gloves Committee was the only one which appended the table in question to its Report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Committee set up to inquire as to the importation of fabric gloves decided to disregard the evidence of the Bolton spinners on the ground that its terms of reference did not allow of consideration being given to any effect which a protective order might have upon employment in industries other than those handling the finished article against which the order was made; and whether he will consider an amendment of the Act in order to admit consideration of evidence so important to the issue?

I am aware that although the Committee took certain evidence of the kind to which the hon. Member refers, they ultimately decided to make no report upon it for the reason given. The purpose of the appointment of a Committee under Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Act is to elicit specific facts as to the position of the industry to which the complaint relates, and to arrive at some conclusion as to the direct effect of the imposition of a duty. The consideration of indirect effects would involve the Committee in an indefinite inquiry, and is a matter rather for the Board of Trade and this House, if and when a draft order is laid before it, and my right hon. Friend is not prepared to propose any Amendment of the Act of the kind suggested.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why the draft Order under Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Act applies only in respect of domestic illuminating and mounting glassware to articles imported from Germany, in view of the fact that the Committee inquired into and recommended a duty upon similar articles imported from Czecho-Slovakia?

This is one of the matters with which my right hon. Friend will deal when the Order comes before the House.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the total quantities and values of glassware imported from Germany into this country for the year ending 31st March, 1922, and on which it is now proposed to impose a duty of 33⅓ per cent.?

The answer involves a statement of figures, which, with the hon. Member's permission, I will have circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has had an opportunity of considering the decision of the referee, given on 12th June, regarding the complaint of Messrs. Lang and Sons as to the referee's definition of scientific glassware; and, if so, whether it is intended to take action thereon?

The learned referee has decided that the articles to which the complaint relates are properly included in the list issued by the Board of Trade. The question whether any particular imported goods do or do not fall within any of the descriptions is a matter for the determination of His Majesty's Customs.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the very grave unemployment in the Yorkshire glass trade at Mexborough and elsewhere, he can expedite the completion of the inquiry into the importation of glass bottles and take the requisite action thereon if a case is proved?

I am informed that the Committee have completed the hearing of evidence, and I have no doubt that they will prepare their Report as expeditiously as possible.

Is the hon. Baronet aware that, if any rise in the price of glass bottles takes place, the mineral water trade of this country will be entirely ruined?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether hi special attention has been called to Section r of the Report of the Domestic Illuminating and Mounting Glassware Committee under Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Act; whether the draft Order laid upon the Table of the House includes the tumblers to which that Section refers; and, if so, whether he can offer the House any statistics or other information as to the grounds on which he has made the Order in respect of tumblers in the face of the Committee's recommendation?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; the answer to the second part is in the negative; and the third part consequently does not arise.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that Section 5 of the Domestic, Illuminating, and Mounting Glassware Committee's Report under the Safeguarding of Industries Act, Part II, expressly states their opinion that glassware, so far as it may be the subject of an Order in consequence of this Report, should be expressly defined as not including pressed glass, he will state why note (a) to the Schedule contained in the draft Order laid upon the Table of the House limits the exclusion to any article of glassware which is only pressed; and whether he can state why this form of words is used in place of the words recommended by the Committee?

I am advised that certain types of glassware which are made of pressed glass undergo other processes and are not ordinarily included within the term "pressed glass," and the formula employed in the draft Order has consequently been adopted for the sake of greater clearness.

Is it understood that pressed glass is exempted from the Order, although, if it is coloured in any way, it is dutiable?

I can only refer my hon. Friend to the terms of the Order.

Has the Board of Trade power to include an article not recommended by the Committee for duty?

I shall require notice of that question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, under the Safeguarding of Industries Act, Part II, Sub-section 2, the Committee had power to inquire into the effect of any proposed order on industries using the goods on which a duty was to be imposed; and whether evidence was, in fact, tendered or invited from workshops, restaurants and other establishments using for the purposes of their business the articles on which a- duty is to be laid?

The terms of reference to Committees appointed under Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Act have, in accordance with Section 2 (3) of the Act, in all cases included a direction that the Committee should report on the effect which the imposition of a duty would exert on employment in any industry using goods of the description in question as material. As regards the goods covered by the draft Order, the Reports of the Committees indicate that no evidence was offered to lead them to conclude that the imposition of a duty on imports from Germany would affect employment in other industries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that no announcement has yet been made as to the findings of the Bronze Powders Committee set up under Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Act, and of the fact that the Order laid upon the Table of the House contains no mention of bronze powders, he will say whether no Order will be made applying the Act to bronze powders imported from Germany?

In view of the nature of the Report of the Committee, which will be presented to Parliament and published in the course of the next few days, it is not proposed to make an Order applying to imported bronze powders.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to Section 14 of the Aluminium Hollow-ware Committee's Report under Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Act, and to the fact that the recommendation contained therein was repeated in the same Committee's Report respecting wrought enamelled hollowware; and whether he can give the reason why, in spite of this recommendation emphasised by repetition, the draft Order proposes to place an import duty on both types of hollow-ware for the maximum period of time allowed under Section 9 of the Safeguarding of Industries Act?

This is a matter with which my right hon. Friend will deal when moving the Resolution to approve the draft Order.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why, when an importer of certain powders in a toy photographic outfit applied to his Department to know if duty was payable, his Department refused the information, although a sample was submitted; and can he state why the same was not submitted to his expert for his decision seeing that the importer had no means of ascertaining, as the supplier refused to disclose the composition of the mixture in question?

The hon. Member appears to be under some misapprehension. The analysis of samples of goods proposed to be imported is no part of the duties of the Board of Trade; they are, however, always ready to give information as to the liability to duty of goods the composition of which is stated. In this case the applicant furnished no information on the subject, but it is, of course, open to him to employ an independent commercial analyst.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether naphthalene when imported in the shape of flakes is free of duty, but when imported in ball shape duty must be paid; and whether he can further state what action can be taken by the importer to obtain a refund of the sum he is compelled to deposit before delivery of naphthalene in ball form can be obtained, seeing that His Majesty's Customs refuse to return the same?

As regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on the 20th June, and as regards the second part, I must direct his attention to Section 1 (5) of the Safeguarding of Industries Act.

A few days ago I was told in answer to a question that this article was not dutiable, and how does the hon. Baronet harmonise that reply with his answer to-day?

It harmonises perfectly.

Will the hon. Baronet say whether it is dutiable or not? I have had two replies, one saying "Yes," and the other "No."

I said it was not.

But the Government are still levying the duty.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now in a position to state the result of his investigation into the statement made by a large exporting house of French optical goods that their turnover in these goods had been seriously affected by a duty of 33⅓ per cent. imposed upon French optical goods, which he formerly exported to Australia and other British Dominions, which trade was now being done from France direct instead of viâ London as hitherto; and can he state the result of his investigation into the statement of another manufacturer that his trade with the United States and Canada had been affected owing to his inability to obtain drawback on opera glasses which he fitted into bags?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which was given to him on the 19th June, to which I have at present nothing to add.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his atten- tion has been called to the statement made by Major A. G. Church, D.S.O., general secretary of the National Union of Scientific Workers, before the Optical and Scientific Committee under the Safeguarding of Industries Act, to the effect that the operation of the Safeguarding of Industries Act and the consequent difficulties placed in the way of an adequate supply of glass vessels and instruments to hospitals and medical schools have greatly retarded scientific research; whether he is aware that in some cases research in certain branches has been abandoned owing to the vastly increased cost; and what steps he proposes to take in order to obviate this threatened arrest of medical and scientific progress?

I have seen the statement in question, which appears to be based on the assumption that all difficulties of the kinds mentioned are due to the operation of the Safeguarding of Industries Act, and takes no account of the change in the cost of all commodities, and also in industrial conditions in Germany which have resulted in abnormal delay in delivery and a lower standard of quality than prevailed pre-War. I am satisfied that British manufacturers are making every effort to improve the quality and reduce the cost of their products, and sympathetic cooperation with them on the part of men of science will expedite that process and be to the advantage of all concerned.

Are the research workers to be content to wait until these materials and instruments are satisfactorily produced in this country?

I have already said in my answer that I do not think it is fair to attribute the whole of these results to the operation of the Act.

asked the Prime Minister whether he can make any statement as to the attitude of the Government towards the admission of Germany to the League of Nations?

This is not a question which concerns Great Britain alone, and it primarily concerns Germany herself; but as far as His Majesty's Government are concerned, we would support a proposal to admit Germany into the League of Nations.

asked the Prime Minister if he will state the actual present position of the German reparation problem; and if it is the intention of the Government to co-operate with France in enforcing reparations from Germany as laid down in the Treaty of Versailles?

A partial postponement of the reparation payments which would otherwise have been due in 1922 was granted conditionally by the decision of the Reparation Commission communicated to the German Government on the 21st March, which has been presented to Parliament (Command Paper 1634). The postponement was confirmed on the 31st May. The German Government have up to the present made the payments required by these decisions and satisfied the Reparation Commission in regard to the conditions laid down. The technical position at the moment, therefore, is that payment is being made by Germany in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, and no question arises of special steps to enforce payment.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the Pierpoint Morgan committee of bankers reported that a German loan could be successfully floated if considerable reductions were made in the amount claimed for reparations under the Versailles Treaty, and seeing that France, under such a scheme, would be called upon to make the greatest sacrifice of her claims, the Government will endeavour, in the interests of international prosperity, to effect a settlement by proposing to France to remit her debt to this country if France will agree to the reduction of her reparation claims?

I do not think it is desirable at the present time to add anything to the statement which I made in the Debate on the 31st May.

asked the Prime Minister whether the German Government have intimated their intention of maintaining a police organisation twice as strong in number as that allowed; and, if so, what action the Government and the Allies contemplate in the matter?

I have been asked to answer this question. I have no information that the German Government have asked to maintain a police organisation twice as strong as that sanctioned by the Allies. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise. The question of the organisation of the police is, however, under the consideration of the Inter-Allied Commission of Control.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the large amount of unemployment in the building trades, involving expenditure at the rate of over £65,000 per week in unemployment benefit, the Government will revise their policy and now allow grants to be made from their unemployment relief fund towards local authorities prepared to erect houses where serious overcrowding continues?

The question whether it is possible to assist local authorities in the manner suggested is to be considered by the Unemployment Committee of the Cabinet.

When the Committee consider this question, will they bear in mind that the present system is costing the rates £4,000,000 a year, which is paid to building operatives who are doing nothing? Would it not be more productive to use the money for building houses?

Of course, the Committee will bear that in mind. It is what they are considering.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the additional charges thrown on the local rates by the exceptional amount of unemployment in the Middlesbrough district has increased the cost of production, on account of local rates, on every ton of steel manufactured in certain large works from 8d. per ton in 1914 to 5s. 4d. per ton to-day; and will the Government therefore consider the possibility of granting further assistance to local authorities for these national charges?

I have no knowledge of the figures which the hon. Member quotes, and I am not clear whether in his calculations he has made allowance for decreased production. As regards the question of further State assistance towards local charges, the Government can add nothing to the statement recently made by the Prime Minister to a deputation of local authorities.

As the Prime Minister is to consider some points submitted to him, shall we be able to get a reply to those further points?

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to a Resolution passed on 17th June by the magistrates of the county of Notts, who, being impressed with the extreme distress now existing among the miners and their families in portions of the county, are of opinion that steps should be taken by His Majesty's Government to tide over the emergency by allowing an immediate advance of such unemployment pay as would, under existing Regulations, be payable at a later date to such applicants as are wholly or partially unemployed; and whether the Government is prepared to take such steps?

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received a communication from the Notts county magistrates asking for emergency relief to miners and their families who are suffering acute distress in certain districts; and, if so, what steps he intends to take to relieve the distress?

I have been asked to reply. I have received a copy of the resolution referred to, and have sent a reply, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend and my Noble Friend. I may add that a deputation from boards of guardians and others represented to the Prime Minister last Tuesday that a heavy burden is thrown upon Poor Law Unions by the "gaps" in unemployment benefit, and the Prime Minister in reply undertook to consider the matter in consultation with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Has any decision been come to? Are these people to be handed over entirely to boards of guardians?

I have said that consideration is now being given to the matter.

Meanwhile these people are starving.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he can give the reasons why miners are receiving low wages while the price of coal to the consumer is so far above pre-War levels; and if he has the figures to show what factors prevail to cause such wide divergence between pithead prices for coal and the cost to the consumer?

In a reply given to my hon. Friend the. Member for Keighley (Sir R. Clough) on the 29th May, I gave the figures supplied to me by the Coal Merchants' Federation, giving the various items accounting for the difference between pithead and retail prices for coal. Since then there has been a considerable reduction in the retail prices in London, and I have asked the Coal Merchants' Federation if they can give me similar figures applicable to the present position. As regards miners' wages, I am to-day giving in reply to the hon. Member for Farnworth (Captain Bagley) some figures relating to the average weekly wages of miners. But the chief cause of low earnings in many districts lies in the fact that short time is being worked owing to the industrial depression.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say why it is that the consumer has to pay such large prices for coal when the miners are receiving such low wages?

If the right hon. Gentleman will look at the answer to which I have referred him, he will see that the prices for London were given, including pithead prices, railway charges, distribution charges, clerical charges, and so on, which account for the whole sum; but, as I have said, since then there has been a reduction in the price in London, and I am asking for further figures, because the old ones cannot be quite up to date.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how a sudden reduction in the price of coal in London can be made when there has been no corresponding sudden reduction in the wages of the miners, or in railway freights or any other particular?

That is exactly the question I have put to the Coal Merchants' Federation.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether the Anglo-Persian Oil Company's refinery at Llandarcy, near Swansea, in which the Government holds a controlling interest, will be available for refining oil produced by the destructive distillation of coal should any South Wales coal owners consider it desirable to set up the necessary retorts?

I understand that the refinery, as at present arranged, will be occupied with the treatment of crude petroleum only. Any extension of it for refining oil produced by the destructive distillation of coal would be a matter for negotiation between the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and colliery interests.

Will the Government look with favour on any proposal in that direction?

I cannot imagine that the Government will have any objection to it, but I think they have already said that they do not interfere in the commercial activities of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been drawn to the increasing replacement of coal by oil in many spheres of industry and commerce, and the consequent permanent increase in unemployment in the coal industry; and whether his Department has made any researches into the desirability of setting up retorts in those coalfields where profits are declining and unemployment increasing, with a view to producing oil by destructive distillation?

I am aware that the use of oil is increasing, but I think it is only a small factor among the causes of unemployment in the coalfields. The development of supplies of oil from home sources by the carbonisation of coal is a subject that is now occupying the close attention of the Fuel Research Board, and, in fact, was largely responsible for its institution in 1917. I would refer the hon. Member to the Report of the Board for the years 1920–21, the second section of which is devoted to the question of low temperature carbonisation.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that a number of miners from South Wales have recently travelled to South Yorkshire in search of employment in the pits there; what proportion have been able to obtain it; and whether he can issue a warning to men in other coalfields that there is scarcely sufficient work in the Yorkshire coalfield for the local miners?

I gather from reports in the Press that a number of miners from South Wales have recently been seeking employment at South Yorkshire collieries, but I am unable to say what proportion of them have been successful. With regard to the last part of the question, the conditions in the coalfields are, I think, already sufficiently well known to make any such warning unnecessary, but I am consulting the Ministry of Labour on the subject.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that Captain E. S. Robinson, of Urney, Killiney, county Dublin, was invalided out of the Army in July, 1919 suffering from Meniere's disease, which was entirely due to military service, and has rendered him incapable of any employment since that time; that, notwithstanding this, his disability is now found to have been aggravated only by military service, and his pension reduced to 60 per cent.; and whether, under the special circumstances, he will take such steps as will restore this officer's pension to the original amount?

This officer's disability has at no time been accepted by the Ministry as attributable to service, but only as aggravated by it. He has been informed of his right of appeal against this decision to an independent tribunal, but has declined to exercise it. The award current at the 60 per cent. disablement rate is in accordance with the finding of the last medical board, and as the officer declines to be re-examined by a Medical Appeal Board there are no grounds for reviewing this assessment.

What is the particular independent tribunal to which the officer will have an opportunity of going?

It. will be the ordinary Medical Appeal Board, the ordinary channel which everyone else accepts, though so far this officer has not thought fit to avail himself of it.

Which means, in other words, a further Medical Board?

Certainly, a further Medical Board.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will state the total number of ex-service men drawing disability pensions, divided as follows: Under 10 per cent.; between 10 per cent. and 20 per cent.; between 20 per cent. and 50 per cent.; and over 50 per cent.?

The Royal Warrant does not provide for pension where the degree of disablement is assessed at less than 20 per cent.: but I may inform my hon. and gallant Friend that about 120,000 men in this category are receiving final weekly allowances. Approximately, 633,000 disability pensions, assessed at from 20 to 50 per cent. (both inclusive), and about 107,000, assessed at over 50 per cent., are now in payment.

asked the Postmaster-General if his attention has been called to the case of William Johnston, a Glasgow dairyman, who found two bags, the property of the Post Office, containing £1,760, and which bags had been dropped from a mail van, and who was rewarded with 30s. for his honesty; and whether, in addition to increasing the sum indicated, he will follow the example of the police authorities and base future rewards on a percentage of the value of the property?

Two other persons claimed to have found these bags, which contained £1,380, and the evidence points to the fact that all three claimants, in addition to a police constable, contributed to their restoration. In the circumstances the three claimants were all rewarded. I do not think that Mr. Johnston's share was inadequate for the services which he rendered. The circumstances were such as to afford the finders reasonable knowledge of the ownership of the property, sufficient to have rendered it incumbent upon them to return the property to the Post Office and, if instead of so doing, they intended to appropriate the property to their own use, they would have laid themselves open to prosecution for larceny by finding. I cannot undertake that a finder of a mail bag should be rewarded according to the value of the property.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that sums amounting to £1,273 lls. ld. are due by the Postmaster-General to the Hornsey Town Council in respect of trench re-instalment accounts, and that some of these accounts date back to January last; and whether, seeing that on its side the General Post Office demands payments in advance in respect of sums to be due by the corporation without any interest allowance, the Department will now pay this £1,273 to the corporation together with an allowance for interest?

The sums referred to are in respect of seven accounts received on various dates between January and May, of which four had to be returned to the Council for amendment. All the accounts have now been paid except one, which was received back from the council, after correction, a few days ago. There is no case of payment of interest.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will make arrangements by which any Metropolitan police station can be enabled to call up all other London stations simultaneously by telephone?

Any application for telephone service from the Metropolitan Police would in the ordinary course receive the immediate attention of the Post. Office, but it is not within my province to arrange for the provision of particular services unasked.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Irish civil servants who are desirous of being superannuated and receiving compensation under Article 10 of the Treaty and Article 7 of the Order in Council, Transferring Powers, of April, 1922, are now at liberty to make application for that purpose; whether the six months' notice will run from the date of such application; and whether it will be possible for them, in cases where it is proper and desirable in their interests to do so, to be superannuated before the expiration of the six months' notice?