asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has now sanctioned any work for the relief of unemployment this winter in the borough of Southwark; and will he give particulars?

I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend on the 10th December.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the sum total of Government expenditure that he has sanctioned by way of grants of all kinds to assist schemes to provide work for the unemployed since 3rd June, 1929; and what is the total increase in the number of unemployed persons during the same period?

As regards the first part of the question, I propose to issue a further statement amplifying the White Paper recently issued, at a convenient date after the re-assembly of the House. As regards the second part of the question, the increase in the number of unemployed persons registered at Employment Exchanges within the period named was 203,575.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman how long he thinks that it is going to take him to solve the unemployment problem at that rate of progress?

Do the Government intend to fix any time limit for grants, and is there any likelihood of an increased percentage of grants in the near future?

That does not arise out of the reply.

Is the right hon. Gentleman receiving co-operation from the local authorities or otherwise in connection with the men who have been transferred from other areas?

May I ask you, Mr. Speaker, if you will kindly allow my question to be answered for the guidance of local authorities?

Would it not be possible for the right hon. Gentleman to issue the Paper before the re-assembly of the House, so as to give us an opportunity of examining it?

Certainly we will consider that, but the difficulty is that the White Paper issued was limited to schemes under the Development Act. I propose to issue a statement setting out the other particulars.

In that same White Paper, will the right hon. Gentleman kindly revise the statements which were made concerning my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition and his pledges with regard to unemployment?

I am quite willing, if the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition puts a question to me, to answer it.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say in his White Paper how he justifies the statement which he made in his speech last week that there is a loss from £2,000,000 to £8,000,000 in overseas trade by the disuse of 22 trade Commissioners?

Certainly I will.

May I have my question answered?

The question was: Is there a time limit? No. We do all that we can to encourage local authorities to send in their schemes. With regard to the latter part of the question, I cannot conceive of any circumstances that will warrant an alteration in the terms. It is true that certain municipalities are hanging back with a view to that, and it is fair that they should know that I do not contemplate altering the terms.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he has any additional statement to make since the publication of Command Paper 3449?

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to-day to the hon. Member for Colchester (Mr. O. Lewis).

Cannot the Lord Privy Seal really tell the country in round figures what is the sum total in- volved in all his schemes, for it is very important; further, is it not a fact that it is the duty of this House to keep a careful watch on public expenditure?

I know that it is the duty of the House to keep a watch on public expenditure, and I have indicated that repeatedly. With regard to the other part of the question, I would welcome being able to do it, but the House must know that no Government Department could possibly have at its disposal the precise day or the number of men employed by all the authorities in the country. It is impossible to get that figure.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what steps he has taken to provide work for unemployed women, and with what result?

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the right hon. Member for West Woolwich (Sir K. Wood) on the 26th November, of which I will send the hon. and gallant Member a copy.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has received an application for assistance from the Southern Heights Railway Company; if so, what is the amount of money or credit required; and how many man years are involved?

No formal application for assistance under Part I of the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929, has been received from the Southern Heights Railway.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the scheme under consideration by the port authority at Ardrossan for improvements to present facilities and their extension; and whether, seeing that the estimated cost of the total is about £90,000, the Government proposes, in view of the measures for relief of unemployment, to give any assistance towards carrying out the work?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. No application in regard to the particular scheme to which the hon. Member appears to refer has yet been made so far as I am aware. It would be open to the Ardrossan Harbour Company to apply for assistance under Part I of the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929, and any such application would receive the careful consideration of the Committee, though I cannot anticipate their, decision.

Is the Minister not aware that the terms offered to port authorities to carry out such schemes are not sufficiently attractive to encourage them to proceed with these schemes; and, in view of the fact that there are many such schemes waiting, will he consider whether rather better terms could be offered, in order to get men to work on such schemes?

For the purpose of this Act the Government have appointed an Advisory Committee, and the principal responsibility as to the terms offered must rest upon that Committee. There are limits to the extent to which Ministers can go in interfering with the discretion of such a Committee.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the cases of those unemployed persons who have been disqualified from receipt of benefit as not genuinely seeking work will be at once reviewed if the Insurance Bill passes into law in its present form?

Yes, Sir, so far as the persons concerned have kept their names on the registers, or make fresh claims.

(by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Labour whether she is aware that a number of wool textile operatives, until recently employed by Messrs. G. Lund and Sons, worsted spinners of Bolton Woods, Bradford, who left their employment because they refused to accept a reduction of wages, were given their Unemployment Insurance Books and National Health Insurance cards marked in the spaces for 2nd and 9th December, with the word "strike" in red ink, thereby rendering it practically impossible for them to get work elsewhere; whether this is not a serious breach of the Collection of Contributions Regulations, 1920 (S.R.O. 1920 No. 2014 as amended by S.R.O. 1925 No. 975) and if on being satisfied as to the facts she will take such steps as may be necessary to rectify this breach of the law?

I will make inquiry at once into the cases mentioned. If the facts are as stated, there would be a clear infringement of the Regulations.

What does the right hon. Lady intend doing with the person who made such a blunder?

The necessary processes of the law will be undertaken.