asked the Secretary of State for Air the approximate mileage flown on recognised commercial routes ilk 1919, 1920, and 1921; what steps are being taken by the Controller of Civil Aviation to increase the routes, and which routes; and when can it be expected that reasonably reliable services will be found in operation on such routes as, say, to Egypt and to India?

The mileage flown in 1919, 1920, and 1921 was 105,000, 642,000, and 224,000 respectively. As regards the second part of the question, the policy of the Government was announced in another place by my right hon. Friend (Lord Gorell) on 27th October last. As regards the last part of the question, it is not possible at present to give any forecast of the date when regular commercial services will be in operation to Egypt and India.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of commercial routes now operating under the British flag; and what assistance, financial or otherwise, are they now receiving?

In Europe the only route in operation under the British flag is that between London and Paris. The terms of the financial assistance given to the two firms operating this route are given in Command Paper 1521 presented to Parliament in October last. The agreements set forth in that Paper have been extended to the 28th instant. Additional assistance is given by the provision of aerodromes, emergency landing grounds, and the ground organisation, wireless and meteorological facilities provided at these aerodromes. The development of various routes in the Dominions is in contemplation by the Governments concerned. It is believed, however, that none of these routes is in regular operation at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what is now the policy of the Air Ministry as regards the development of airships?

In accordance with the agreement made with the Dominion Prime Ministers during the conference last summer, the Government agreed to suspend disposal of airships and airship material until the Prime Ministers had had an opportunity of consulting their Parliaments in regard to the establishment of an Imperial airship route. Replies from the Dominions and India are not yet complete, but the Governments of South Africa and New Zealand have stated that, owing to financial reasons, they are unable, at present, to participate in such a scheme.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether various institutions in Egypt, representing all classes, protested against Zaghloul Pasha's deportation and against the military measures taken in that country, including mixed institutions, i.e., institutions with Egyptian and European members; and whether the Minia local council, which is a mixed institution, in its meeting on 14th January, 1922, communicated an unanimous protest to the Prime Minister?

Protests of the nature indicated have been received, but none, with the exception of that mentioned in the question, from mixed institutions. That particular protest was sent by the ex-officio president of the Commission, but there is nothing to indicate whether all the members were present when it was framed.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that in January, 1922, a raid was made on Shebin-el-Kom Secondary School, and one of the students who was fast asleep was arrested in his dormitory; that the only crime of the students was that during the day they had shouted. "Long live Zaghloul Pasha"; that one of the school officials was beaten and insulted by the authorities, and that this led to a strike of the school as a mark of protest; and who is responsible for this, seeing there is no Egyptian Ministry?

I have no information with regard to the alleged incident.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any of the regiments associated territorially with Ulster, such as the historic Inniskilling Fusiliers, are to be disbanded?

The King has been pleased to approve the disbandment of the following Irish regiments:

• The Royal Irish Regiment.
• The Royal Irish Fusiliers.
• The Connaught Rangers.
• The Prince of Wales' Leinster Regiment.
• The Royal Munster Fusiliers.
• The Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
• The South Irish Horse.

The question of the future of the other Irish regiments is still under consideration.I need not add that it was only with the most profound regret that I felt constrained to advise His Majesty to approve the disbandment of regiments with so long and so distinguished a military record.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will inquire into the case of Mr. E. G. Fathers, late Private, No. 7715, Bedfordshire Regiment; if he is aware that, in spite of repeated applications both from this man and from the British Legion, every effort has failed to get the regimental paymaster to pay the arrears of pay, amounting to about £25, which are due to him; and if he will expedite the settlement of this account and the payment of all arrears clue as soon as possible?

The Regimental Paymaster, Warley, has just been instructed to pay the balance of pay, namely, £2 10s. 5d., which appears to be the balance due to Mr. E. G. Fathers, late No. 7715 Bedfordshire Regiment, forthwith. Before this ease could be settled considerable correspondence had to be undertaken with the authorities in India.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the balance sheet and statement of accounts of the Navy and Army Canteen Board, now Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes, for 1920 could be published?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the Noble Lord, the Member for Aldershot (Viscount Wolmer) on the 16th December last.

asked the Minister of Health if he has received protests against the practice of property owners in keeping dwelling-houses empty for long periods for sale with vacant possession in spite of the shortage of housing accommodation, with a consequent loss of rates thereon to local authorities; and whether he will consider taking immediate steps to put a stop to this practice?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave yesterday to a question of the hon. Member for the Heywood and Radcliffe Division (Mr. Halls) upon this matter.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the great poverty of the working class arising from low wages and unemployment, he will take steps to obtain a reduction in the cost of foodstuffs so as to enable people to exist on the wages that are at present being paid?

I have been asked to reply. I do not know what action the hon. Member would advocate to secure a reduction in the cost of foodstuffs, but the Government are not prepared to introduce food subsidies or a system of control of prices, and it may be doubted whether the latter would have caused a greater fall in prices than has actually taken place in recent months.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made an arrangement with the Belgian Government in regard to the Belgian debt to the British Government?

The war debt of the Belgian Government to His Majesty's Government, amounting to about £120,000,000, has been taken over by Germany under paragraph 3 of Article 232 of the Treaty of Versailles. In addition to the war debt, as defined by the Treaty, the Belgian Government owes to His Majesty's Government a sum of £9,000,000 in respect of the reconstruction credit granted to Belgium after the Armistice, which was made repayable out of the first receipts of Belgium from Germany on account of reparation, and considerable sums not yet exactly ascertained but amounting to approximately £8,000,000 due to the Ministry of Munitions, Ministry of Shipping and other Departments for supplies made and services rendered after the Armistice. A payment of £6,000,000 has been made, or is in course of being made, by Belgium on account of the debts due to Government Departments, and it has been agreed in principle that the reconstruction debt and the balance of the debts due to Government Departments shall be funded on terms hereafter to be arranged.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has any figures showing how many persons were employed before the War, how many before the great dispute in the coal trade in 1921, and how many are employed now?

I regret that figures are not available to enable this comparison to be made.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the unemployed coal miners at the Aberdare collieries are sent by the officials of the Employment Exchange to work at other mines as colliers' helpers; that this means a reduction of upwards of 2s. per day in their wages; if these men refuse to work at this reduced wage they are sent before the board of referees, which contains a colliery official and several tradesmen, but no representatives of the workmen; will he see that these miners are protected against this attempt to reduce their wages; and will he take steps to ensure that the workmen shall have due representation on the board of referees?

The decisions in the cases referred to by my hon. Friend were given by the local employment committee and not by the court of referees. This committee declined to recommend the payment of benefit to about 40 miners of between 18 and 22 years of age who refused to accept employment as colliers' helpers. The committee regarded this refusal as evidence that the men were nor genuinely seeking whole-time employment—which is one of the conditions for the receipt of benefit in these cases. The case for the men was stated by the miners' agent for the district, and on at least one occasion when these claims were being considered a representative of the miners was present as a member of the committee and concurred in the recommendation. In regard to the last part of the question I understand that the workmen employed in the mining industry are fully represented both on the local employment committee and on the court of referees.

asked the Minister of Labour when his Department will commence the republication of the annual abstract of labour statistics of the United Kingdom, the annual volume of changes in rates of wages and hours of labour, and the annual report on trade unions?

The question of resuming publication of these and other volumes of labour statistics, the issue of which was suspended during the War, is under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received representations from work-people in the Bolton area against a proposed duty of 33⅓ per cent. on cotton fibre gloves under the Safeguarding of Industries Act; and whether he can now say if such a proposal is being pursued or abandoned?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. No decision has been taken with regard to the application to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any and, if any, what quantity of food remains under the control of his Department pursuant to the Ministry of Food (Continuance) Act, 1920, and the Ministry of Food (Cessation) Order, 1921; and what is the nature of, and the approximate value of, such food?

Except for some few small adjustments involving an estimated value of about £25,000, the stocks which were in the hands of the Ministry of Food, including the Wheat and Sugar Commissions, on the 31st March last; have all been disposed of at a total of approximately £58,000,000;