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Written Answers

Volume 237: debated on Friday 11 April 1930

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Written Answers

Cash-On-Delivery Service

asked the Postmaster-General whether any immediate future

Imports from Foreign Countries.
Total.Articles wholly or mainly manufactured.
Million £.Million £.
Dominion of Canada (Year ended 31st March, 1925)123.659.8
Commonwealth of Australia (Year ended 30th June, 1925).60.945.5
Union of South Africa (Year 1925) 24.118.7
Dominion of New Zealand (Year 1925) 14.211.8
Irish Free State (Year 1925) 9.05.0
The articles wholly or mainly manufactured of which the values are given above correspond, as nearly as the available data permit, to the classification reduction of the present cash-on-delivery charges is being considered; and whether any recent reports have been received by his Department as to the working of similar systems in other countries?

According to present estimates, the charges are not more than sufficient to cover the costs of the service, and a reduction would not be justified. No occasion has arisen recently for obtaining information as to the methods adopted in other countries.

Trade And Commerce

Dominions (Imports)

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade whether he will give the best estimate obtainable of the total value of manufactured goods imported into the Dominions from foreign countries for the last year for which figures are obtainable, so far as this estimate can be made from the information at the disposal of the Department?

The latest year in respect of which there is available a classification of the imports into the self-governing Dominions of the British Empire from foreign countries that will furnish an approximate estimate of the proportion of such imports that consisted of goods wholly or partly manufactured is 1925, or a trade year ending in 1925. For that period, the particulars are as follows:adopted in the Trade Accounts of the United Kingdom. Similar particulars relating to Newfoundland are not at present available.

German Bounty-Fed Cereals

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Tariff Truce Convention recently adopted at Geneva will in any way hinder the adoption of means to prevent the importation into this country of German bounty-fed cereals; and, if so, in what way?

The situation as regards import prohibitions is not modified by the recent Commercial Convention, and therefore remains as indicated in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 11th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Mossley (Mr. H. M. Gibson). The situation as regards countervailing duties was indicated in my reply to the same hon. Member on 3rd March, and the only change in this respect made by the Commercial Convention is that it will preclude His Majesty's Government during its currency from imposing a general protective duty on imported cereals.

Small Holdings, Edinburgh

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what authority the Department of Agriculture are proposing to erect new holdings on land within the city boundary of Edinburgh; and on what authority they are proposing to let holdings under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1923?

The answer to both parts of the question is that the Department are acting under the powers conferred on them by Part 1 of the Land Settlement (Scotland) Act, 1919.

South-West Africa (Sovereignty)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government accept the decision of the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations on the question of the word "sovereignty" employed by the Government of the Union of South Africa in regard to South-West Africa?

The Permanent Mandates Commission have taken no decision on this question. They have, however, reported to the Council of the League of Nations that some ambiguity existed as to the interpretation of the word "sovereignty" in regard to the mandated territory of South-West Africa. The Council of the League unanimously adopted the view that sovereignty in the traditional sense of the world does not reside in the mandatory power.

School Children (Milk)

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will, in conjunction with the President of the Board of Education, take the necessary steps to enable a greater number of school children to receive each day a glass of fresh milk?

This is a matter primarily for the President of the Board of Education, who is taking as active interest in the subject. I need scarcely say that I shall be happy to give any assistance in my power, so far as it falls within my province.

Domestic Service

asked the Minister of Labour what inquiries have taken place since the War into the question of domestic service and to what extent the recommendations of the committees have been carried into effect?

The only inquiry, so far as I am aware, has been that carried out by the Committee of 1923, with whose report the hon. Member is familiar. Its recommendations were carefully considered at the time, and I understand such action as was thought to be practicable was taken.

Egypt (British Officials)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will give a list of British officials, together with the appointments held by them, who, since Nahas Pasha assumed office in Egypt, have been given notice determining their appointments with the Egyptian Government?

The following statement shows the situation as regards the renewal of contracts of British officials by the Egyptian Government:

Department.Renewed or not yet due for Renewal.Retiring voluntarily.Not to be Renewed
Ministry of Finance—
Central Administration 32
Commerce and Industry1
Direct Taxes1
Survey of Egypt21
State Domains 2
Customs 2
Mines and Quarries22
Chemical 8
Coastguards and Fisheries11
Ministry of Education—
Central Administration1511
Egyptian Universities391
Higher Colleges27
Secondary Schools145
Antiquities4
Ministry of the Interior—
Central Administration1
European Department5
Public Security 1
Police412
Municipalities1
Public Health112
Ministry of Justice—
Central Parquet4
Ministry of Public Work—
Irrigation1516
State Buildings4
Mechanical and Electrical11
Tanzim2
Main Drainage311
Physical71
Ministry of Agriculture101
Ministry of Communications—
Aviation1
Railways61211
Telegranhs and Telephones1812
Postal Administration1
Ports and Lights83
Ministry of War and Marine—
Egyptian Army15
Frontiers Administration7

Vaccination

asked the Minister of Health whether there is any limit placed on medical men as to the number of vaccinations they can carry out daily?

Poor Law Relief (Plymouth)

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons in receipt of parish relief in the parishes of Devonport, Plymouth, and Stonehouse, respectively, specifying the various categories, for the month of March, 1930?

The following statement shows the number of persons in receipt of Poor Law relief in the parishes of Devonport, Plymouth and East Stonehouse on the last Saturday in March, 1930.

Parish.Number of persons in receipt of—Total.
Institutional Relief (including casuals but excluding lunatics in County and Borough asylums).Domiciliary Relief (excluding persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only).
Devonport2451,8852,130
Plymouth6302,9543,584
East Stonebouse67466533

Unemployment

Cambridge

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons on the live register in Cambridge; whether these include those in receipt of Poor Law relief; and what trades or industries supply the greater part of this total of unemployed?

At 31st March, 1930, there were 925 persons on the registers of the Cambridge Employment Exchange. The statistics do not enable me to say how many were in receipt of Poor Law Relief. The industries for which the greatest numbers of insured

Data.Men.Boys.Women.Girls.Total.
Plymouth.
3rd March, 19303,827111704944,736
10th March, 19303,641116681894,530
17th March, 19303,708116689874,600
24th March, 19303,866101653864,706
31st March, 19303,87199648864,704
Devonport
3rd March, 19301,61270263662,011
10th March, 19301,58366253531,955
17th March, 19301,55063243551,911
24th March, 19301,55159534541,898
31st March, 19301,64851239521,990

Breconshire And Radnorshire

asked the Lord Privy Seal what schemes for the relief of unemployment, together with the estimated cost, have been submitted by the Brecon County Council and the Radnor County Council since 1st June, 1929; which have been approved; and how much the Government grant has been in each case?

persons were recorded as unemployed were building, distributive trades and cement, lime and whiting works.

Devonport And Plymouth

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons, specifying men, women, boys, and girls, on the Employment Exchanges of Devon-port and Plymouth, respectively, for the month of March, 1930?

The following table shows the number of persons on the registers of the Employment Exchanges at Plymouth and Devonport, respectively, on each Monday in March, 1930:

Since 1st June, 1929, the Brecon County Council have submitted to the Ministry of Transport applications for grant in respect of 17 schemes on classified roads and bridges at an estimated total cost of £101.183. Nine of these schemes, estimated to cost £84,692, have been approved for grants ranging from 50 per cent. to 75 per cent. of the cost. The remaining eight schemes, estimated to cost £16,491, are under consideration. The Radnor County Council have submitted during the same period eight road and bridge schemes at an estimated total cost of £5,578, of which five, estimated to cost £4,083, have been approved for grants of 50 per cent. or 60 per cent., and three, estimated to cost £1,495, are under consideration. No schemes have been submitted to the Unemployment Grants Committee by these county councils since 1st June, 1929.