asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether he is aware that, in spite of promises made and assurances given, no improvement has been effected in the pensions of superannuated railway servants who retired before or during the period of Government control of the railways; and whether, in view of the Resolution passed by this House on 2nd March, 1920, in favour of these pensions being raised to meet the increased cost of living, he will make representations to the railway companies on the matter?

I have no precise information as to the steps taken by the various railway companies to improve the pensions of superannuated railway servants who retired before or during the period of Government control of the railways, but I understand that some of the railway companies are paying sums supplementary to the amounts which such pensioners are entitled to receive from the various superannuation funds. The position of the Government in relation to these funds was fully explained when the Resolution to which the hon. Member refers was under discussion. The Minister has no power to intervene in the matter, but I am forwarding a copy of the hon. Member's question and this reply to the Railway Companies' Association.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport when the Committee of the Cabinet appointed to discuss the question of motor taxation and road upkeep will be able to report; and whether it will be published?

It is not customary to publish the Reports of Cabinet Committees, but the decisions of the Cabinet were announced in the statement issued by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture on 12th April, 1923.

asked the Prime Minister if he can give the approximate date of the introduction of the Finance Bill; and whether he anticipates, this year as last year, the discussions in Committee will all be in June?

RATES OF DUTY ON TOBACCO SINCE 1914.
(1) Imported.
Description.	1914 to 21st Sept., 1915.		22nd Sept., 1915, to 2nd May, 1917.		3rd May, 1917, to 15th July, 1917.		16th July, 1917, to 22nd April, 1918.		23rd April, 1918, to 1922.*
Unmanufactured—	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
If Stripped or Stemmed—
Containing 10 lbs. or more of moisture in every 100 lbs. weight thereof.	3	8½	5	6½	7	4½	6	5½	8	2½
Containing less than 10 lbs. of moisture in every 100 lbs. weight thereof.	4	1½	6	2	8	2½	7	2	9	1
If Unstripped or Unstemmed—
Containing 10 lbs. or more of moisture in every 100 lbs. weight thereof.	3	8	5	6	7	4	6	5	8	2
Containing less than 10 lbs. of moisture in every 100 lbs. weight thereof.	4	1	6	1½	8	2	7	1½	9	0½
Manufactured—
Cigars	7	0	10	6	14	0	12	3	15	7†
Cigarettes	5	8	8	6	11	4	9	11	12	7
Cavendish or Negrohead	5	4	8	0	10	8	9	4	11	10½
Cavendish or Negrohead, manufactured in bond.	4	8	7	0	9	4	8	2	10	4½
Other manufactured Tobacco	4	8	7	0	9	4	8	2	10	4½
Snuff containing more than 13 lbs. of moisture in every 100 lbs. weight thereof.	4	5	6	7½	8	10	7	8½	9	9½
Snuff not containing more than 13 lbs. of moisture in every 100 lbs. weight thereof.	5	4	8	0	10	8	9	4	11	10½
* These duties were reduced by one-sixth on and from 1st September, 1919, in the case of tobacco of Empire origin and consignment.
† From 20th April, 1920, to 10th May, 1921, an additional duty of 50 per cent. ad valorem was imposed on Cigars; reduced to two-thirds of full rate in the case of Cigars of Empire origin and consignment.

The Finance Bill was introduced on 23rd April. It is hoped that it may be possible to take the Second Reading on 14th May, and to proceed with the Committee stages of the Bill during June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the various increases in the Tobacco Duty which have taken place since 1914; the amount of tobacco on which duties have been levied in each year since 1914; and the revenue obtained from the Tobacco Duty in each-year since 1914?

The information asked for is as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider granting facilities for brewing to an agricultural labourer for his own wants, even if he is a lodger or lives in a farm and not in an £8 cottage, in order to put those who drink beer and those who drink cider upon an equal footing?

I regret that I am unable to adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether con- sideration has been given to the matter of a reduction in the Stamp Duties from 2 per cent.; whether he is aware of the danger that if the present charges in this country are maintained the United States may become the principal issuing market; and what decision has been arrived at?

I have carefully considered the 2 per cent. Stamp Duty on bearer securities, but find myself unable to propose any reduction in this duty at the present time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can give the total amount received by the Treasury from the tax on tea, sugar, coffee and cocoa, respectively, for the years 1919–20, 1920–21, and 1921–22, and the rate of tax in each case?

Article.	Duty.	Net amount of duty received
		1919–20.	1920–21.	1921–22.
		£	£	£
Tea	1s. lb.	17,747,061	16,861,207	17,581,656
Sugar	25s. 8d. cwt.	38,174,815	27,808,579	34,573,397
Coffee	Not kiln dried, roasted or ground, 42s. cwt.	621,160	566,817	597,268
	Kiln dried, roasted or ground, 6d. lb.
Cocoa	42s. cwt.	2,474,311	1,792,829	1,865,091
	Husks and Shells, 6s. cwt.
	Cocoa Butter, 4½d. lb.

As from 2nd June, 1919, in the case of tea, and as from 1st September, 1919, as regards the remaining articles, the above rates of duty were reduced by one-sixth in respect of goods of Empire origin and consignment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total amount of premiums which will in due course have to be paid when all outstanding issues of National War Bonds have been redeemed?

The amount of the premiums which would have to be paid if all the National War Bonds outstanding on the 31st March last were held till maturity is approximately £35,750,000. Conversion operations meantime may, of course, effect a considerable variation in the amount of the bonds on which premium will actually be paid.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated total amount of accrued interest due on National Savings Certificates on 31st March last?

The amount is estimated at approximately £65,000,000.

The net amount of revenue received from the duties on the articles in question during each of the financial years 1919–20, 1920–21, and 1921–22 was as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what number of days the maximum annual leave on full pay, authorised for a civil servant of the first division or administrative grade aged 30 and with seven years' service, exceeds or falls short of that authorised for staff officers of the Navy, Army, or Air Force of the same standing serving in the United Kingdom; whether, in any or all of the fighting services, it is the custom that leave of less than 48 hours' duration is not counted against this maximum annual allowance of leave on full pay; whether civil servants enjoy a corresponding privilege; and, if not, whether he will bring this fact to the notice of the Committee now investigating the standards of remuneration and conditions of employment of State servants?

A civil servant of the administrative grade with seven years' service is eligible for a maximum of 36 working days' annual leave. A naval officer of the same standing at home is eligible for a maximum of 42 days' annual leave, and an Air Force officer or staff officer in the Army for a maximum of 61 days. These periods include Sundays, etc., falling within any long period of leave taken. I understand that short periods of leave of less than 48 hours (which are usually taken at week-ends) are not always counted against the maximum period of leave admissible. Both in the Civil Service and in the Fighting Services the grant of leave is subject to the exigencies of the public service, and the actual amount of leave taken is not necessarily the maximum amount authorised. Information as to the various leave regulations will be available for the Committee.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will instruct the National Whitley Council to expedite without delay the consideration of the case of the writing assistants, and will at least ensure a settlement as early as the expected decision by the new Lytton Committee on the starting pay of Lytton entrants?

I understand that the official side of the Council are awaiting a memorandum from the staff side on this matter.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many Government Departments are still using War-time economy envelopes; and how much money is actually saved by so doing?

The economy label for envelopes is still being used in Government Departments generally. It is estimated that the saving effected by its use during the year ended 31st March, 1923, amounted approximately to £1,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what remuneration would be paid to a collector of Income Tax, Schedules D and E, in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Newcastle, and Manchester, who collects £4,000,000 per annum and gives 40,000 receipts?

No comparison can be drawn on the basis suggested. The remuneration is dependent upon the amounts both of work and office expenses which are necessarily involved by the collection. The office expenses vary considerably, and the burden of work is measured in practice by a num- ber of considerations, of which the number of receipts is but one. Equal collections of duty do not necessarily give rise to equal amounts of work, and the amount of the collection, therefore, only takes rank for consideration as a secondary factor.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount paid to associated officers in Manchester in 1921 for each receipt given in collecting arrears of Income Tax; if in addition they received any poundage on the amount collected; if so, at what rate; what rent is paid in Manchester for offices occupied by His Majesty's inspector of taxes, apart from the Inland Revenue office; and whether the amount, £17,676, given by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, is paid for the collection of Income Tax, Schedules A, B, D, and E, in Manchester for the city only, or whether it covers the Manchester area, which extends as far as and includes Warrington?

Officers associated with collectors of Customs and Excise in England and Wales for the collection of arrears of Income Tax, Schedules D and E, for the year 1921 were paid at a fixed rate of 10d. for each arrear collected within one month of the delivery of the arrear list to the officer, and 6d. for each arrear collected subsequently. These rates were subject only to an addition of a cost-of-living bonus and no poundage was paid on the amount collected. The rental value of the offices in Manchester occupied by His Majesty's Inspectors of Taxes (28 in number, with their appropriate staffs) is approximately £7,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officers temporarily or permanently employed in his Department are in receipt of pensions or other allowances from the State exceeding the sum of £250 per year, and the salary such persons are receiving in the positions they at present occupy, either as temporary or permanent officers?

Of the personnel for whom provision is made on the Vote for the Treasury and subordinate Departments, there are four officers who are in receipt of pensions or similar allowances from the State exceeding the sum of £250 a year. Two receive a salary of £800 a year and two a salary of £450. All four officers are engaged in the historical section of the Committee of Imperial Defence.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can

—	1910–11.	1911–12.	1912–13.	1913–14.	1914–15.	1915–16.	1916–17.
Main Office	815	819	906	913	934	937	935
Inspectorate and Medical Officers.	363	362	374	389	391	395	396
Victoria and Albert Museum	131	130	131	131	139	135	135
Bethnal Green Museum	7	7	7	7	7	7	7
Science Museum	38	40	39	41	42	47	48
Royal College of Art	15	15	14	14	14	14	13
Geological Museum	9	9	9	9	10	10	10
Geological Survey	38	38	39	39	38	38	38
Total	1,416	1,420	1,519	1,543	1,575	1,583	1,582
Increase (+) or Decrease (-) on previous year.	—	+4	+99	+24	+32	+8	-1

—	1917–18.	1918–19.	1919–20.	1920–21.	1921–22.	1922–23.	1923–24.
Main Office	935	933	940	994	997	1,088	1,074
Inspectorate and Medical Officers.	396	396	395	421	420	410	383
Victoria and Albert Museum	134	134	134	134	135	133	130
Bethnal Green Museum	7	7	7	7	7	5	5
Science Museum	48	48	48	48	55	60	60
Royal College of Art	13	13	11	11	11	9	7
Geological Museum	10	10	10	—	—	—	—
Geological Survey	38	38	38	—	—	—	—
Total	1,581	1,579	1,583	1,615	1,625	1,705	1,659
Increase (+) or Decrease (-) on previous year.	-1	-2	+4	+32	+10	+80	-46

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War how many officers temporarily or permanently employed in his Department are in receipt of pensions or other allowances from the State exceeding the sum of £250 per year, and the salary such persons are receiving in the positions they at present occupy either as temporary or permanent officers?

There are 20 retired civil servants temporarily re-

The Estimates for the years mentioned show the number of the permanent staff to be as follows. The net increase or decrease is shown at the foot of the Table:employed in the War Office who are in receipt of civil pensions in excess of £250 a year (one commuted). The salary of one is £200 a year, and of the remaining 19, £175 a year. There are three retired officer clerks permanently employed, and two temporarily employed, who are in receipt of military pensions, in excess of £250 a year. Of the three permanent retired officer clerks, one receives a salary of £370 12s., and two of £351 9s. The two temporary retired officer clerks are in receipt of salaries of £313 3s.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on what basis have the new assessments on house property been made, were the houses inspected before assessments were fixed, and were the inspectors instructed to conduct the new valuations on a fixed basis regardless of the condition of the property?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer read to the House on the 3rd May to a question standing in the name of the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Galbraith). I am sending the hon. Member a copy of that reply. In the great majority of cases the assessment is governed by the rent actually paid. Only in cases of special difficulty does the ascertainment of the rental value necessitate an expert valuation, and in those cases such a valuation has been placed at the disposal of the Local Commissioners by whom the assessments are made. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative, as my right hon. Friend explained in a reply to the hon. Member for Guildford (Sir H. Buckingham) on the 3rd May. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of that reply also.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can give the House any information as to the extent to which the new assessment of real property for Income Tax under Schedule A has been carried out throughout the country outside the Metropolitan area; whether it will be completed in two years; what is the approximate percentage increase of such assessments; and whether the whole matter, in view of the exceptional circumstances under which any increase is justified, was approved by the present Cabinet?

The revaluation of property for Income Tax purposes is being made in accordance with the decision reached by Parliament last year and embodied in Section 32 of the Finance Act, 1922. It is now practically complete. The information for which the hon. Member asks in the second part of his question will not be available for a considerable time, but it has been provisionally forecasted that the average increase over the amount of the existing out-of-date valuations, which were made in 1910, will not exceed 25 per cent.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he can give the aggregate amount received from the sale of standardised ships built to the order of the Government during the War; and how many vessels this sum represents?

I have been asked to reply. The total sale prices of the vessels built to the order of the Government during the War was approximately £66½ millions sterling. The number of vessels sold was 378.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total amount advanced by the Public Works Loan Commissioners to public utility societies under the provisions of Section 20 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act., 1919, in respect of houses which received the benefit of the subsidy under Section 19 of that Act?

The amount advanced up to date is £2,673,042.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider, as one method of relief work for the unemployed, the supply of water to rural districts in which at present water has to be brought from a distance, thus ensuring an ample supply of pure water which is necessary for the preservation of health?

Schemes of this kind submitted by local authorities will be considered if the degree of local unemployment be sufficient to warrant this course, and if the proposals be practicable from an engineering and financial point of view.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the quantity and value of potable spirits imported into India during the year 1921–22; the amount of revenue derived therefrom; and the countries from which the spirits were exported?

The following statement gives the information desired:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the net Excise revenue of India for the years 1919–20, 1920–21, and 1921–22, respectively; what was the recorded consumption of country spirits in each of those years in Bengal, Madras, Bombay, Sind, Bihar and Orissa, the United Provinces, the Punjab, the Central Provinces and Berar, Assam, and Burma, respectively; and what was the percentage of Excise revenue accruing to the Provincial Government in each case for the year 1921–22?

The following are the figures asked for:

—			1919–20.	1920–21.	1921–22.
			Rs.	Rs.
Net Excise Revenue of India	…	…	18,99,53,568	20,14,28,862	Figures not yet available.

Recorded consumption of Country spirits.*
—			1919–20.	1920–21.	1921–22.
			Proof gals.	Proof gals.	Proof gals.
Bengal	…	…	755,285	766,572	599,415
Madras	…	…	1,988,688	1,723,868	1,644,417
Bombay	…	…	2,665,227	2,592,174	2,085,774
Sind	…	…	215,948	222,375	139,706
Bihar and Orissa	…	…	1,367,842	1,304,671	1,079,281
United Provinces	…	…	1,115,934	1,138,030	576,881
Punjab	…	…	545,271	514,350	300,767
Central Provinces and Berar	…	…	1,469,877	1,011,849	560,125
Assam	…	…	286,599	304,572	152,349
Burma	…	…	124,409	132,883	not available.
* Excluding outstill areas for which statistics of consumption are not available.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department what is the salary, and what are the terms of agreement of Mr. Wintour, the general manager of the British Empire Exhibition; and what previous experience of organising exhibitions, or of other business, he has had?

The agreement between the British Empire Exhibition and Mr. Wintour provides for his appointment as general manager, at a salary of £3,000 per annum. Mr. Wintour also receives, under the agreement, an allowance for entertainment and for the upkeep of a motor car, at the rate of £2,000 per annum. As regards the latter part of the question, Mr. Wintour was, before the War, director of the Exhibitions Branch of the Board of Trade, and in that capacity was responsible for the organisation and management of the British section at a number of international exhibitions.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will give the number of education authorities which are still compelled to undertake the feeding of necessitous school, children; and what percentage of the whole number this total represents?

One hundred and sixteen local education authorities, out of 318, are now providing meals for necessitous school children, in the exercise of the discretionary powers conferred on them by Statute.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of Roman Catholic elementary schools in the County of Cumberland; the total number of scholars educated in them; and the average cost per scholar?

The latest complete figures which I possess are those for the year 1921–22. They are as follow:

Roman Catholic Public Elementary Schools.
	Number of Schools.	Average Number on the Registers.
Area under County Council	10	2,151
Whitehaven Borough	1	871
Workington Borough	2	765
Carlisle County Borough	3	867
Total	16	4,654

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the exports of plantation rubber in tons from the Dutch East Indies for the quarter ending 31st March last, and for the corresponding period of 1922?

Complete particulars of the exports of plantation rubber from the Netherlands East Indies for the three months ended March last are not available. The exports from Java during the three months ended 31st March last are reported as amounting to approximately 8,500 tons, and those from the East Coast of Sumatra for the three months ended 28th February to approximately 11,000 tons. The corresponding figures for a year earlier were 7,000 tons and 10,000 tons respectively.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what tariffs are imposed by the Dominions of Australia and New Zealand on British exports to those Dominions; what is the amount per cent. preference given to British goods over those exported by foreign countries to those Dominions; and will these questions be discussed at the forthcoming conference with the representatives of the Dominions referred to?

Full particulars of the Customs Tariffs of Australia and New Zealand were published as Supplements to the issues of the "Board of Trade Journal" for the 22nd April, 1920, and the 9th February, 1922, respectively. Since then several of the duties in these tariffs have been amended, and particulars of these charges have also been published in the journal. As regards the second part of the question, I am sending the hon. Member a statement. As to the third part, I would remind him of the announcement already made that the question of preference will be included among the subjects to be discussed at the forthcoming Imperial Economic Conference.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas. Trade Department if he is aware that the British import and export trade with Smyrna was, up to the time of the recent fire, greater than that of any other country; that this trade has now entirely stopped; if he is aware of the hardships, caused by the non-payment of fire claims by fire insurance companies concerned; and if, in view of the fact that the nonpayment of these claims is an obstacle to the revival of trade with Smyrna, he can cause inquiries to be made into the; matter?

As regards the first part of the question, I regret that no statistics are available which would show the relative volume of the trade of this and other countries with Smyrna during the period between the Armistice and its recapture by the Turkish forces. The answers to the second and third parts of the question are in the affirmative. As regards the last part of the question I do not think that this is a matter in which I can properly intervene.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give the number of confirmed outbreaks of swine fever and the amount of compensation paid for slaughtered swine for each year since 1917?

The following statement shows the number of outbreaks of swine fever confirmed, and the compensa- tion paid by the Ministry in respect of swine slaughtered for diagnosis during the years 1917–1922:

Year.		Outbreaks confirmed.	Compensation paid.
			£
1917	…	2,111	3,340
1918	…	1,414	2,968
1919	…	2,316	4,558
1920	…	1,820	4,149
1921	…	1,256	2,660
1922	…	1,390	1,976

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that in July last year 14 days' notice to quit was served by the Liverpool Corporation upon allotment holders in respect of allotments held by the Wavertree Nook Allotments Association; that in consequence of this hasty dispossession at that period of the year the allotment holders suffered considerable loss; and that the compensation offered by the Corporation is considered inadequate by the allotment holders; and whether he will take steps with a view to settlement of the claims on a fair and reasonable basis?

One of the Ministry's inspectors has visited Liverpool, and as a result I understand that the question of compensation to the allotment holders referred to has now been amicably settled.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many county councils have agreed to reduce the rents of smallholders to meet the agricultural depression which has so seriously affected them?

Of the 62 county councils in England and Wales 31 have made permanent reductions of rent in addition to granting allowances in the form of temporary abatements of rent. Two have made permanent reductions only, while 22 other councils have so far granted temporary abatements only. I should, however, explain that councils are treating each small holding on its merits, having regard to all the circumstances, and it would not therefore be correct to assume that permanent reductions or abatements of rent have been granted to every smallholder who holds land under the councils referred to in the first part of this answer. On the other hand the question of making permanent reductions as distinct from temporary abatements is under consideration in other counties besides the 33 who have already made such reductions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount to date of the relief in rates to occupiers of agricultural land in England and Wales under the Agricultural Rates Act of 1896; the total amount paid towards this relief by the Treasury; and the total amount contributed by occupiers of other than agricultural land?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on the 3rd instant to the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Sir A. Marshall).

asked the Postmaster-General how many ex-service men are at present employed as temporary sorters in the Belfast post office and how many have been dismissed or notified of the termination of their services during the past three months; whether he is aware that these men are ineligible to sit as candidates at the limited examinations for the positions of sorting clerks and telegraphists by reason of a Regulation which precludes ex-service men who were not continuously employed in the Post Office for at least one year prior to the Armistice; and whether, in view of the circumstances, he will waive the condition so far as that area is concerned or, failing that, consider the advisability of offering these men alternative appointments as postmen, provided that they are prepared to accept nomination for such positions?

Twenty-nine ex-service men are at present employed as temporary sorters in the Belfast Post Office. During the past three months the services of three have been dispensed with, and a fourth is under notice to leave on the 9th instant. Temporary officers are ineligible to compete in the ordinary limited competitions for appointment as sorter, which in normal circumstances are held once a year among postmen and similar grades. On the recommendation of a Whitley Sub-committee a special competition was, however, held in September, 1921, among members of the temporary manipulative staff who had been engaged before the Armistice and had served for not less than a year. The temporary service of the men concerned gives them no special claim to appointment as postman, and, in view of the large number of candidates with claims, I regret that it is not possible to nominate them exceptionally to postman-ships. If they wish to become postmen they should register at the Employment Exchange, if they have not already done so.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the great lack of connecting telephone lines between Birmingham, Dudley, Stourbridge and Wolverhampton, and to the great inconvenience and delay thereby caused to the trade and business of the district; and whether he will have further provision of such lines made without delay?

An underground cable has recently been brought into use between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, and there should be no delay on calls between these towns. I will, however, have inquiry made. Underground cables between Birmingham, Dudley and Stourbridge are nearing completion, and additional circuits between these towns will be available for service very shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total number of ships received by this country from Germany under the terms of the treaty of Versailles; the total tonnage of such ships; the number of ships and tonnage disposed of; the amount for which these ships have been sold; the amount of cash received for the same, together with the amount outstanding, if any; and the number and tonnage of the ships still unsold, if any?

427 vessels of 1,890,896 gross tons have been received by this country from Germany under Annex III Part VIII of the Treaty. Of these, four vessels of a total of 21,873 gross tons were lost before sale. The remaining vessels were sold for £20,248,531 10s. 4d., of which £17,782,926 0s. 10d. was received in cash by the 1st of this month, leaving deferred payments amounting to £2,465,605 9s. 6d. still to be made.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the fact that, while the Allies, other than France, have placed practically the whole of the orders for deliveries in kind by Germany to which they were entitled during 1922, the French Government has only placed orders for approximately £13,695,000 out of the £47,500,000 to which it was entitled; and whether he will ascertain from the French Government the reasons why the claims made by them were substantially less than the amount due?

I am aware of the position referred to by the hon. Member in the first part of his question. The answer to the second part is in the negative.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will inquire of the Rumanian Commission, appointed to investigate the claims of British holders of Rumanian Government bonds, whether that Government proposes to honour its obligations, under the terms of its 1908 loan, by restoring the sinking fund and paying interest to British holders in gold lei, as printed an the coupons of these bonds?

His Majesty's Government have drawn the serious attention of the Rumanian Government to the terms of the 1908 loan. It is for British bondholders themselves, taking into full account the present value of the lei and the causes of its depreciation, to decide whether the terms which may be offered by the Rumanian Commission are reasonable and just.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been called to the private efforts now being made to discover a safe and efficient type of electrical-storage battery locomotive for use in coal mines; and whether the Ministry is taking any official action in the same desirable direction?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the latter part of the answer which I gave on the 1st May to a question by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for York (Sir J. Butcher).

asked the Secretary for Mines whether his Department is co-operating in any way with the Miners' Federation of Great Britain in its investigation into the most humane way of working pit ponies; and whether his Department has considered at any time the issue of any general regulations governing the use of these animals?

As regards the first part of the question, inspectors of mines always welcome the co-operation of the Miners' Federation in the performance of their duty of ensuring the humane treatment of pit ponies.As regards the second part, general rules for this purpose are already laid down by the Third Schedule to the Coal Mines Act. If experience proves these rules to be inadequate in any particular, I have power to add to them by regulation. This power has been used in the past, and I shall not hesitate to use it again if occasion arises.

asked the Prime Minister, in view of the fact that both America and Japan have voted large sums of money for increased elevations to be given to turret guns of capital ships, and that there is reason to believe that this is contrary to the spirit of the Washington Treaty, whether the Government will make friendly representations to both Powers with a view to preventing wasteful rivalry which the Washington Treaty was designed to check?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to his supplementary question by the Financial Secretary to the Admiralty on 2nd May. No action of the nature suggested is at present comtemplated.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of floggings that have taken place in the Navy during the years 1921 and 1922?

I assume that the hon. Member's question refers to birching, flogging (with the cat o' nine tails) having long been abolished in the Royal Navy. There were three cases of birching in 1921, and none in 1922. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing (Sir H. Nield) on the 26th June, 1922, which deals with both punishments.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the very serious state of affairs existing in the parish of Sherfield owing to the burning of large quantities of T.N.T. at the extreme end of the Bramley camp, thus causing a huge volume of black smoke to be blown across the parish, and to the heavy explosions in the camp which are causing considerable damage to houses and cottages; and whether any steps can be taken to remedy matters?

Two complaints have been received regarding the inconvenience caused by the burning of T.N.T. at Bramley. The T.N.T. in question is extracted from shells, of which an enormous quantity were surplus after the War. The alternative to burning the T.N.T. is to dump the shells at sea, which would involve a very heavy expenditure for transport, as well as the loss of the value of the steel in the shells. This burning down of T.N.T. at Bramley represents only a small portion of the burning down which has had to be carried out in various places in England and throughout Northern France. The burning is carried out under expert supervision, and I will again have the matter looked into by the Technical Gas Committee of the Disposal and Liquidation Commission which supervises all these operations.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether it is proposed to amalgamate the Consett area with the Chester-le-Street and Gateshead areas; whether he is aware that such proposal would, if adopted, create considerable discontent among ex-service men; what whole-time or part-time offices in the Consett area have been closed during the two years ending 31st March, 1923; and whether full consideration will be given to the needs of pensioners in the scattered districts in the Consett area before any step is taken to reduce existing facilities?

Following the decrease in the volume of the work in the Consett area during the past two years, one whole-time sub-office has been placed on a part-time basis, and 11 part-time offices, of which seven were merely pay stations, have been closed. The war pensions committees concerned have been invited to express their opinion on a proposal to amalgamate the staffs of the two areas mentioned, and when their views have been received the whole position will be carefully reviewed by my right hon. Friend before any change is made. I would like to make it clear that the position of the war pensions committees would not be affected in any way that a whole-time office would be maintained at Consett, and that the fullest consideration will be given to the needs of pensioners in the district before any change is made in the existing organisation.