asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the fact that less than half the municipal authorities in the country are members of the Roll of Honour; and what steps he proposes taking to see that local authorities carry out their moral obligations towards disabled ex-service men?

I am fully aware of what I cannot but regard as the disappointing response made by municipal authorities under the Boll of Honour Scheme. As stated in my reply to the hon. Member for West Bromwich, on 27th November, it is proposed to appoint immediately a King's Roll National Council and a number of local King's Roll committees, and the position of municipal authorities will be among the first of the matters to be dealt with by these bodies.

Would the right hon. Gentleman consider writing in his official capacity to the municipal authorities with a view of getting them to join the Roll of Honour?

I believe that that has already been done, but I thought that we would have real assistance from the King's Roll Committees in this matter.

Does the right hon. Gentleman think that the Government is setting an example of moral rectitude to the municipalities by its own conduct towards ex-service men in other directions?

The standard of employment of ex-service men in Government offices is so high that if it was followed all over the country ex-service men would all be absorbed.

Will the right hon. Gentleman publish the names of the local authorities which have not joined the King's Roll of Honour?

The question of what, I am afraid, must inevitably become a black list has been considered on more than one occasion. I would very much rather make another effort to see whether, as a matter of good will, we cannot carry the local authorities with us.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a similar answer has been given for more than a year? Has not the time arrived for this list to be published?

asked the Minister of Labour if he has any intention of replacing the temporary ex-service men now being dismissed from his Department by young men and women who will be on the permanent staff?

The services of the temporary ex-service men referred to are being dispensed with owing to diminution of work or because previously-appointed permanent staff is now available to do their work, and it is not proposed to replace these officers. It should be added that temporary women officers are also being discharged for the same cause

asked the Minister of Labour what is the number of married and single ex-service men, respectively, in Nottingham who are out of employment; and for how many of the single ex-service men will employment be found upon the relief schemes either in operation or contemplated by the City Corporation?

At 23rd October there were 3,416 ex-service men at Nottingham registered as unemployed. I am afraid I cannot give separate figures for married and single men, nor can I give the number of single ex-service men now employed, or likely to be employed in the future, on relief works, but some information on this point would, I assume, be in the possession of the local authorities.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether he is aware of the decision of his predecessor in office to appoint, after the conclusion of the proceedings of the Royal Commission on London Government, a Royal Commission to consider the questions of the extension of boroughs and the creation of new county boroughs; whether the pledge given by his predecessor to the effect that, pending the issue of the Report of the last-mentioned Royal Commission and consideration of its recommendations by Parliament, no proposals for the extension of boroughs and the creation of new county boroughs would be entertained by the Ministry; and what steps, if any, he proposes to take to give effect to that decision and to ensure the efficacy of that pledge?

My right hon. Friend proposes to give effect to the decision announced by his predecessor in regard to this matter, and he hopes that the proposed Royal Commission will shortly be appointed.

Have any steps been taken with regard to the composition of the Royal Commission?

I am afraid that is a question to which I cannot give an adequate reply, but I will ask my right hon. Friend.

It will not be composed entirely of experts, I suppose?

I do not know quite what my hon. and gallant Friend means by "experts." My righs hon. Friend is considering the composition of the Commission.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether he is aware that, although the figures for last year's Census are in the hands of the local registrars, the Registrar-General has refused to allow them to be divulged; and whether, in view of the lapse of time since the Census was taken and of the fact that statistics become useless when out of date, he will give instructions for the removal of the restriction prohibiting local registrars from divulging to local authorities the required local Census information?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. No Census figures remain in the hands of local registrars with the exception of any notes or copies, which they may have privately retained, of certain brief abstracts compiled by them for the use of the Registrar-General; and the whole of the statistics, which could safely be based upon those abstracts, were published in August, 1921, in the Preliminary Census Report. With regard to the latter part of the question, all local authorities are aware, I believe, that they can usually obtain from the- Registrar-General any unpublished Census figures which are already available on payment of a small charge.

Can the hon. and gallant Gentleman give us the approximate date when the figures can be secured on the payment of the ten shillings fee suggested?

I rather suppose by return of post—as soon as the official finds them and returns them by post.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, what is the total number of absent voters on the existing register; and what was the number of absent voters who recorded their vote at the recent Election?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The total number of absent voters on the lists which came into force on the 15th October last was, for England and Wales, 162,927, or taking the constituencies which were contested. 154,446. The figure for Scotland is not available. The figures of those who recorded their votes are not yet available, but I expect to be in a position to give them in the course of a few weeks.

Can the right hon. Gentleman state how many Navy men missed voting entirely?

No, Sir. I am afraid I cannot.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of altering the system of the voting of absent voters, in view of the difficulties experienced and the fact that, on this occasion, so many of them were unable to vote?

That is why you are here.

If my hon. Friend will give me any substantial reason for making any alteration, I shall be very glad to consider doing so.

asked the Prime Minister whether it is the intention of the Government to reappoint the Committee on Estimates?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne.

Will an announcement be made before the House rises; and is it proposed to set up a Committee with really effective powers?

I will consider that.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government has framed any instructions for the Chancellor of the Exchequer in connection with his forthcoming mission to the United States of America; and whether these; instructions will be laid upon the Table when they are framed and an opportunity be given to the House to discuss them before the Prorogation?

I think that it would be inadvisable in negotiations of this kind that the hands of the responsible Minister should be tied by written instructions.

asked the Prime Minister whether it is intended to hold an International Conference at Brussels?

No definite arrangement has yet been made.

asked the Prime Minister when an opportunity will occur for a discussion of the situation in the Near East?

I do not think that a discussion would be desirable while the negotiations at Lausanne are still going on.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will allow an opportunity to discuss the Indian States (Protection against Disaffection) Act which was passed over the heads of the Indian Assembly, and is now accordingly lying upon the Table of the House?

I fear that owing to the pressure of other business and the shortness of the present Session it would not be possible to find time during it to discuss this Act. Although, in view of the urgent necessity in India for implementing the Act, it will be regrettable if action on it has to be postponed, I am nevertheless prepared, if hon. Members wish to press for a discussion, to give an undertaking that my Noble Friend the Secretary of State will not submit the Act for His Majesty's approval until the House has had an opportunity of considering it during the next Session.

Will there be any technical bar against taking up this Act a little later on? In view of the fact that I have received a telegram from Bombay, stating that the people of India are presenting a petition to this Parliament, and have already posted it, would the Prime Minister be good enough to say if, early in the next Session, it will be possible to discuss this matter?

The hon. Member evidently did not hear my answer. I promised that, if it is desired—as I presume it will be—that there should be a discussion, the Act will not be implemented until that discussion has taken place.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether he can make any statement as to the present epidemic of small-pox; whether it has been confined to London; how many cases have been discovered; how many deaths have occurred; how many of the cases have been vaccinated or not; and can he state what special action his Department has taken in the matter?

The present outbreak of small-pox is not confined to London. Cases of this disease have occurred during the present year in 56 districts outside London and in seven Metropolitan boroughs. 893 cases have been discovered, and 26 deaths have occurred. 278 of the cases had been vaccinated. 608 were either unvaccinated or showed no evidence of vaccination, and in seven cases there is no information as to vaccination. Special instructions have recently been issued to all sanitary authorities and boards of guardians as to the steps to be taken on the occurrence of small-pox, and medical officers of the Ministry have visited the districts in which cases have occurred in order to advise and assist the medical officers of health.

Is it not the case that where outbreaks of small-pox do occur, the cases are usually in congested areas or badly-housed areas?

That does not arise out of the question on the Paper.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that there has been a vacancy on the side of the workers' representatives of the Jute Trade Board (Great Britain) since April, 1922; if so, what steps, if any, have been taken to fill the vacancy; and what are his intentions regarding the filling of the vacancy?

I am aware of the existence of the vacancy to which the hon. Member refers. The whole Board, however, comes up for reconstitution at the end of this year, and the filling of this vacancy along with all the others will then be considered.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total amount of money out of national funds he estimates will be spent on the construction of new roads and widening and improving existing roads during the year ending 31st March, 1923; and how much of this sum will be expended on purchase of land, compensation to persons disturbed in their businesses, legal expenses, materials, and wages, the total number of men expected to be employed, the average weekly wage they will be paid, and the number of hours worked per week?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount at present in the Road Fund available for the making of new roads and the improvement of existing roads; how much is at present being spent monthly and how many men are employed; what plans have been made for further expenditure; and how many men will be thereby employed?

It is estimated that about £15,600,000 will be paid out of the Road Fund, during the current financial year, towards the cost of road works of various kinds, including the cost of ordinary maintenance works. The bulk of this money is paid to local authorities, who are responsible as highway authorities for the execution of the work. For this reason I regret that it is quite impossible for me to furnish the detailed information asked for in the latter part of the hon. Member's question. I would also refer him to my written reply of today to a question from the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Colonel Wedgwood) which deals with the road programme.

Can the hon. and gallant Gentleman say whether any steps are being taken by his Department to secure for the community the increased value of the land at each side of the roads that are laid?

Yes, the policy of betterment is in active operation.

Will the hon. and gallant Gentleman consider the policy which is being adopted by the Liverpool Corporation in this connection, and will he inquire into it?

If the hon. and gallant Gentleman will send me particulars, I will certainly do so.

Can the hon. and gallant Gentleman say whether this money is entirely derived from motorists?

Fines!

I believe so.

Will the hon. and gallant Gentleman's Department exercise some supervision in the construction of these roads, so as to make them adaptable for the new needs arising from motor traffic?

All these new arterial roads are under the direct supervision of, and carried through by, the Ministry of Transport.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether any instruction or advice has been issued by the Ministry of Health in favour of pressure being brought to bear upon persons to submit to vaccination; and, if so, whether, in view of the law on this question, he will state the authority for this action?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, and the second part, therefore, does not arise.