asked the Minister of Labour how many Italians have been brought into this country to work in the mines; and what has been the total cost of recruitment and transport.

The total number of Italians brought to this country for underground coalmining is 2,400. The cost of transport from Italy, which was borne in the Vote of my Department, was about £23,000. Other expenses connected with their recruitment were borne by the Italian Government and the National Coal Board.

asked the Minister of Labour if, in view of the fact that for some months there has been increasing difficulty in placing Italians in the coal mines, owing to the unwillingness of miners lodges to accept them, he will now stop the waste of public money involved in bringing them to this country.

The recruitment of Italians for underground coalmining employment in this country has already ceased.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of foreign workers employed in agriculture in Scotland at the present time, giving figures of the different nationalities to which they belong.

I regret that the information is not available.