asked the Secretary of State for India as to the progress that

Service.		Number of Indians in service in
		1924.	1925.	1926.	1927.	1928.	1929.
Indian Civil Service	…	253	267	286	311	333	367
Indian Police Service	…	79	93	95	105	117	128
Indian Forest Service	…	73	84	89	94	93	93
Indian Service of Engineers	…	308	301	301	304	306	314
Indian Medical Service*	…	150	151	161	163	165	167
*Remarks.—There were 127 Indians on 1st January, 1928, holding temporary commissions in the Indian Medical Service who are not included in these figures.

In the case of the Provincial Services, which have always been recruited locally, no special measures regarding Indianisation were required. On the recommendation of the Lee Commission, the Indian Educational Service, the Indian Agricultural Service, the Indian Veterinary Service and the Indian Forest Service in Burma and Bombay have been placed on a provincial footing.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make has been made in training Indian boys on the training ship "Dufferin"; and if he will give information as to what facilities exist for the employment in the marine of the Indian boys so trained after they leave the training ship?

The first course on the "Dufferin" began in December, 1927. In October, 1929, there were 63 cadets in training of whom 28 were due to complete their training in June, 1930. Eleven shipping companies have agreed to accept as apprentices youths who have completed the "Dufferin" course.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he will make a statement showing the progress that has been made in the Indianisation of the All-India and provincial services following the recommendations of the Lee Commission?

The following table shows the progress of Indianisation in the All-India services since 1924, the year in which the Report of the Lee Commission was published:a statement as to the present position in China?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to-day to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Woolwich West (Sir K. Wood), which covers the same ground.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the extent to which the policy expressed in the memorandum of 18th December, 1926, has now been carried into effect with regard to China?

The memorandum of 18th December, 1926, suggested certain principles as the basis of the policy of the Powers principally concerned in China. These principles were:

(1) The legitimate aspirations of the Chinese nation should be met as far as possible, and an attempt should be made to maintain harmonious relations with China without waiting for the prior establishment of a strong Central Government.

(2) The idea of forcing foreign control upon China should be abandoned.

(3) The right of China to tariff autonomy, as soon as she had herself promulgated a new national tariff, should be recognised.

(4) The justice of the Chinese claim to treaty revision should be recognised, and rigid insistence on the strict letter of existing treaty rights should be abandoned.

(5) Until formal treaty revision became possible developments should be so shaped as to effect it so far as possible in practice.

(6) Protests should be reserved for cases where vital intereste were at stake.

These principles have been consistently acted upon since that date by successive Governments of this country and the right of China to tariff autonomy was formally recognised in the Sino-British treaty of 20th December, 1928. This had the effect of automatically regularising, so far as His Majesty's Government were concerned, the levy of the Washington sur-taxes by the Chinese authorities assent to which was specifically proposed in the memorandum. The question of extra-territoriality is now the subject of negotiations between His Majesty's Minister in Peking and the Chinese Government. An offer of various concessions was made to China by His Majesty's Government in a memorandum dated the 27th–28th January, 1927. The following steps have been taken in pursuance of that offer. The British concessions at Hankow, Kiukiang and Chinkiang have been returned to Chinese administration. The British concession at Tientsin has been reformed so as to place British and Chinese upon an equal footing as regards franchise and representation on the council. Modern Chinese law courts have been recognised as the competent courts for cases brought by British plaintiffs or complainants without the attendance of a British official representative at the proceedings. The special treaty privileges possessed by British Missionaries have been, or are in the course of being, surrendered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the present position of the negotiations affecting the retrocession of Wei-Hai-Wei?

The question of the terms of the rendition of Wei-Hai-Wei is now under discussion between His Majesty's Minister in China and the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs at Nanking. Pending the outcome of these discussions, I am not in a position to give any further information.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies the general rates of wages paid to male, female, and child labourers in the rubber plantations in the Straits Settlements?

The following average rates of daily wages are taken from the Straits Settlements Blue Book, 1927:

	Male.	Female.
Singapore:	Cents.	Cents.
Indian Tappers	50–70	40–60
Weeders	50–60	40–50
Factory coolies	60–80	—

Chinese.—Paid on results 20½35 cents. per Kati. Javanese Tappers.—Paid on results 20–35 cents. per Kati.
	Male.	Female.
Penang:	Cents.	Cents.
Tappers	40–45	35–40
Weeders	—	25–35
Malacca:
Tappers	40–50	—
Weeders, etc.	40–45	30–40
Store coolies	55–60	—
Chinese	Contract rates
Javanese and Malays	50–60 cents.

Separate information regarding the rates of wages paid to children is not available but it is being obtained by despatch, and will be communicated to my hon. and gallant Friend when received.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action the League of Nations has taken up to the present with regard to the production and sale of radium; and what future action is contemplated?

Up to now the League of Nations has taken no action with regard to the production and sale of radium, and I am not aware that any action by the League in this matter is at present under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government are in favour of Article 19 of the Covenant of League of Nations being made effective use of in appropriate cases?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the case presented by the Travel Association of Great Britain and Ireland, in connection with the abolition of visa charges between Great Britain and the United States of America, has yet been reported upon by the Interdepartmental Committee; if so, what was the nature of their Report; and what action the Government propose to take in the matter?

This matter is still being investigated, but I am not yet in a position to give a definite answer.

asked the Home Secretary whether it is proposed to erect in the near future any further automatic signals in the Metropolitan area; and can he give particulars?

I have been asked to reply. I have approved of a proposal to try an experiment with automatic light signals in Oxford Street and the necessary negotiations with the various authorities are now being entered upon.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of acres of land purchased for allotments by borough or district councils during the IS months ended to the last convenient dace and the price paid?

The following statement gives particulars of land purchased by borough and urban district councils for allotments during the 12 months ended 31st December, 1928.

—	Area.	Price.
	Acres.	£
27 Boroughs (including County Boroughs).	504	77,597
18 Urban District Councils	129	25,879
Total	633	103,476

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any figures for a particular British industry and/or an industry in a particular locality, such as Glasgow or Sheffield, showing the burden of local rates in adding to the cost of the product; and, if so, whether he will circulate them?

I assume that this question relates to the position subsequent to the coming into operation of the de-rating provisions of the Local Government Act, 1929, on 1st October last. I regret, however, that no figures of the kind are available.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses completed during 1929, each month, in agricultural parishes in England and Wales under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924?

The following statement shows the number of houses completed each month during the year

Month.						Number of houses completed during the month.
						By Local Authorities.	By Private Enterprise.	Total.
1929.
January	…	…	…	…	…	237	14	251
February	…	…	…	…	…	79	—	79
March	…	…	…	…	…	263	8	271
April	…	…	…	…	…	234	25	259
May	…	…	…	…	…	311	15	326
June	…	…	…	…	…	245	7	252
July	…	…	…	…	…	219	3	222
August	…	…	…	…	…	151	2	153
September	…	…	…	…	…	874	22	896
October	…	…	…	…	…	631	13	644
November	…	…	…	…	…	388	11	399
December	…	…	…	…	…	64	—	64

asked the Minister of Health what programmes of slum clearance in the respective Tyneside local authority areas have been adopted; and how many people in each case it is estimated will be rehoused?

Apart from schemes already approved, in regard to which I have given some information in reply to another question by the hon. Member, one scheme is now before me. It was submitted by the Town Council of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and involves the rehousing of 945 persons.

RETUEN showing progress in connection with slum clearance schemes in the Tyneside area from 1st April, 1925, to 1st January, 1930.
Local Authority.		Number of buildings which have been		Number of new dwellings erected.	Number of persons required to be rehoused under each Scheme.
		Acquired for demolition.	Demolished.
Wallsend T.C.	…	165	159	156	723
Gateshead T C.	…	103	103	104	375
Tynemouth T.C.	…	42	42	66	347
Newcastle-upon-Tyne T.C.:
Pilgrim Street	…	44	44	149	790
Prudhoe Street	…	58	58	124	656
Liverpool Street	…	79	70	136	702
Sunderland:
Flag Lane Area	…	4	2	100	878
Lawson's Court Area	…	—	—	—	246
Total	…	495	478	835	4,717

asked the Minister of Health how many buildings have been acquired for demolition, how many buildings have been demolished, and new buildings erected in connection with slum clearance schemes since April, 1925, in the Tyneside area; and how many persona formerly living under slum conditions have been rehoused under these schemes?

The information for which the hon. Member asks is given, so far as it is available, in the table appended.