asked the President of the Board of Education the amount of the surcharge made by the auditors of the London County Council against the London County Council Education Autho- rity for free theatrical representations provided for the children of the council schools; what was the cost to the County Council of the subsequent legal proceedings taken to question the validity of the surcharge; whether the amount surcharged has been recovered; and, if so, from whom?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The auditor surcharged the sum of £2,745 which was charged in the accounts of the County Council for the year ended 31st March, 1920, as expenditure for the purpose referred to. I am informed that the costs of the proceedings in the High Court amounted to slightly over £200. As regards the last part of the question, as the expenditure was incurred by the Council under the impression that it was legal and the surcharge was made as a test case, it did not seem equitable that the individual member who was surcharged should pay the amount, and I, therefore, on the application of the Council, remitted the surcharge in the exercise of my equitable jurisdiction.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the fact that a judicial tribunal has decided that a charge made on the ratepayers to provide free theatrical representations for the pupils attending public elementary schools was improper, he will reconsider his action in laying amendments to Article 44 of the Code of Regulations for public elementary schools upon the Table of the House and proceed by presenting a Bill and obtaining Parliament's assent to a Measure involving such a precedent and creating such opportunities for abuse?

I think the hon. and gallant Member is under some misapprehension as to the decision of the Court. The Amendment I contemplate is not intended to legalise the provision of free theatrical performances for elementary school children at the cost of public funds. It is intended to make clear that a child who during school hours is attending a demonstration or performance under conditions which secure adequate educational benefit may be regarded as attending school, and that the local education authority shall not be penalised by loss of grant because the child is not on the school premises. It places attend- antes at suitable theatrical performances on the same footing as attendances at centres for practical instruction or at museums for study of the collections. In present circumstances I should certainly deprecate the expenditure of public funds on the provision of Shakespearian or other dramatic performances or on paying for the admission of children to them, and I am quite prepared to tell local education authorities that I cannot at present recognise any such expenditure for the calculation of grant. But if they are provided free of cost to public funds, I see no reason why the children should be debarred from attending them or the local education authority and ratepayers penalised because they are allowed to attend them. The Code, with this and other Amendments, will be published for 40 days and laid before Parliament. I shall, of course, be found to consider all objections, and if I find that the sense of this House is against an Amendment, I shall have no disposition to press it, but I venture to suggest that hon. Members should wait till the draft is before them, and consider it on its merits.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will grant a return of the number of local education authorities that have adopted the Burnham scheme, showing which of the several scales each authority has chosen?

A circular has already been issued asking for information on the subject, and when it has been received and summarised I will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many clerks are employed in checking the attendance registers of schools aided by the Board of Education; and what is the total amount of their salaries?

The work in question occupies the equivalent of the full time of between 11 and 12 clerks at a salary cost of nearly £3,000.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that, owing to the rule that boys have to complete the term at school in which their 14th birthday occurs, many parents and boys are gravely handicapped in their search for the boy's employment and that many opportunities are thereby sacrificed; and will he so reorganise the Regulations that a parent may take a boy from school as soon as he reaches 14 years of age?

The requirement, to which the hon. and gallant Member refers, is not a requirement of any Regulation made by the Board, but is contained in Section 9 of the Education Act, 1918, and could only be altered by legislation.

asked the Home Secretary whether he proposes to introduce legislation to protect snipe and woodcock from and after the 1st February, inasmuch as they are not now protected from that date, unless the county council concerned chooses, as many do not, to protect these game birds under the Wild Birds Protection Acts?

A Bill to give effect to the recommendations of the recent Departmental Committee on the Protection of Wild Birds is in preparation, and I hope it may be possible to introduce it this Session. One of the recommendations was that the close time for woodcock should run from the 1st February, and it is proposed to include this in the Bill. The Committee did not make a similar recommendation as to snipe, but I will consult the Wild Birds Advisory Committee on the point.

asked the Home Secretary whether the two men, Hogan and Cooley, sentenced for the theft of machine guns and rifles from Chelsea and Windsor Barracks, are to be released; and when the complete statements made by Sergeant Roche, referred to in the Press, are to be published?

The men mentioned are post-truce criminals and therefore not covered by the late decision. As regards the second part of the question, the trial was fully reported in the Press; and it would be contrary to practice, and unnecessary, to publish documentary evidence after the conclusion of the trial.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the fact that, although the London County Council and other local bodies have adopted effective bye-laws to secure the safety of the public in the cases of cinema theatres and other houses of entertainment by providing exits, etc., such Regulations are habitually disregarded when the aisles and passages leading to such exits are crowded with people; and what steps the police authorities take to see that measures to ensure the public safety are not persistently broken?

I have no confirmation of the statement in the first part of the question. The London County Council inform me that licences issued by them contain a condition to the effect that persons must not be allowed to stand in any of the intersecting gangways, and that, if they are allowed to stand at the sides or rear of the seating, sufficient room must be left for persons to pass easily to and fro. The premises licensed by the Council are inspected at frequent intervals by officers of the Council, and it is generally found that the condition referred to is well observed; but whenever any infringement is discovered suitable action is taken. I am also informed that in considering the number of exits the Council take into account not only the seating capacity but the number of persons who may be permitted to stand. In reply to the second part of the question, the enforcement of these Regulations rests with the licensing authority and not with the police.

asked the Home Secretary whether a constable who recently retired from the Metropolitan Police on the new scale of pension is being employed as a cleaner at Acton Police Station; and, if so, whether this work had been previously offered to a pensioner in receipt of a pre-War pension?

I am informed by the Commissioner that an ex-constable on the higher scale of pension is now employed as cleaner at this station. Before he was appointed all the pre-War pensioners in the neighbourhood were canvassed, but only one was willing to take the work, and he was considered to be unfit to perform the duties satisfactorily, on account of age and infirmity.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the arrangement made last year by His Majesty's Government with the French Government in respect to a summer time period, he will delay further consideration by the House of the Summer Time Bill until the final fate of the Summer Time Bill recently passed through the French Senate is known?

The Government propose to proceed with the Summer Time Bill as soon as possible, but a final decision will not be taken as regards the actual period of summer time until we know whether the period proposed in the Bill will also be adopted in France. I am informed that the French Government intend to give effect to the agreement, and that the discussion of the matter will be resumed shortly in the French Parliament.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of any cases of police officers being deprived, under Regulation 2 of the Police Regulations, 20th August, 1920, of their rank, or of the allowances attached thereto, on grounds other than disciplinary, although such rank or allowance was approved by a watch committee prior to the promulgation of the regulations in question; and, if so, whether the regulation was designed to cover such cases?

As a general rule, any changes necessitated by Regulation 2 are effected, where possible, on a vacancy occurring, and I am not aware of any eases where hardship has been caused.

asked the Home Secretary if he will have inquiries made into the bullet and missing-word competitions which appear in certain papers and grant the public the protection it is entitled to from his Department?

Whether a missing-word competition contravenes the law is a question for the court to decide on the facts in each case, and I am advised that the competitions are generally so conducted as to comply with the law as laid down in the decided cases.

asked the Home Secretary whether steps are being taken to protect the public from being robbed by turf and betting syndicates; if his Department will at once double its activities in the detection of persons so engaged; and will he consider the prosecution of sporting papers and others which assist and advertise these schemes?

This matter is receiving the close attention of the police. At the present moment three persons are being prosecuted in London by the Director of Public Prosecutions in respect of a scheme of this kind in which very large sums are involved. Another prosecution is taking place in South Wales. It would not be possible to prosecute a newspaper unless it could be shown that those responsible for the publication were aware that the scheme was fraudulent, and proof of this is generally lacking.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will take steps by legislation or otherwise to give power to the Chief Commissioner to act if information is given to the police of abnormal noise or such heavy weights being borne by motor vehicles in the streets of London so as to disturb householders by noise and shaking?

The powers in regard to noise of traffic at present possessed by the police relate only to (a) engine running and (b) improperly-silenced motor vehicles. Vibration is largely a question of road surface, and would more properly fall to be dealt with by the road authority. I do not think that I can hold out any hope of legislation at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to numerous authenticated cures of foot-and-mouth disease effected in France and Holland by Van den Berg's remedy; and whether he will have experiments carried out in England?

The attention of the Ministry has been drawn to many alleged cures for foot-and-mouth disease in France and Holland, including the one in question, but in view of the fact that foot-and-mouth disease is widespread and epidemic in those countries, the fact that none of them have been generally adopted is evidence that their efficacy has not been as yet substantiated. With regard to the latter part of the question, as I have already stated, I am proposing to invite international co-operation in an inquiry on the subject. The Ministry cannot undertake the examination of alleged cures for foot-and-mouth disease, as this would entail the seconding of a large number of the Ministry's veterinary staff, who would otherwise be engaged on control measures elsewhere, and the maintenance far long periods of centres of infection for the purpose of the tests.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what extra precautions, if any, his Department took to avoid the risk of cattle infected with foot-and-mouth disease coming to this country from those lawless parts of Ireland where the King's authority was not properly upheld and where proper inspection of animals was an impossibility?

The Ministry has no evidence to show that foot-and-mouth disease exists or has recently existed in Ireland. Before the present outbreak of disease in Great Britain, cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats shipped from Ireland to Great Britain could only be landed at certain defined landing places, where they were subjected to detention for a short period (a minimum of 10 hours) and to a close examination by veterinary inspect- tors of the Ministry. In no case has foot-and-mouth disease been discovered amongst animals in the landing places since April last year. If the disease existed in Ireland it is unlikely that no cases would have appeared in any of the landing places whilst the animals were detained there. At the present time, owing to the restrictions in connection with the present outbreak no animals can be landed from Ireland except for slaughter at the port of landing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that there was a very serious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States of America in 1915; and what steps the United States Government took to stamp it out and with what result?

Yes, Sir. The outbreak in question occurred in October, 1914, and the.disease was not finally eradicated until May, 1916. The Federal Government of the United States in co-operation with the States Authorities at once adopted the policy of slaughter of all affected cattle and all contacts with payment of compensation at their appraised value, followed by the thorough disinfection of all infected premises. In all 77,240 cattle, 9,676 sheep, 85,092 pigs and 123 goats were slaughtered. The total cost involved in eradicating the disease was estimated at approximately £1,875,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that in several cases very considerable periods have elapsed between the date of actual slaughter of animals infected with the foot-and-mouth disease and the date on which the slaughter was ordered; and whether, if this delay is due to the lack of qualified officials from the Ministry of Agriculture to supervise the slaughter of the animals and destruction of the car-cases, he will authorise qualified veterinary surgeons locally to act in such matters?

Yes, Sir. Some delay has occurred in the slaughter of cattle in certain outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in districts in which outbreaks have been numerous, and it has been due in most cases to difficulty in obtaining the services of slaughtermen. In other cases rains and floods have occasioned the delay. The Animals Branch of the Ministry has been temporarily reinforced by 119 inspectors, 72 of whom are veterinary surgeons. It is not advisable to employ the part-time assistance of local veterinary surgeons engaged in private practice, since owing to the highly infectious nature of the disease they might carry the contagion to healthy stock in the course of their practice.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has received a request from the Norfolk Smallholdings Committee for permission to at once make a reduction in the rents of the smallholders to save them from absolute ruin; and, if so, what action does he propose to take?

Yes, Sir. I have received a copy of the resolution adopted by the smallholdings and allotments sub-committee asking for authority to make an immediate reduction of the smallholders' rents in the county. The copy resolution was not accompanied by any information or details as to the reasons why the sub-committee bad adopted the resolution, and it will be necessary for me to make inquiries into the whole of the circumstances before I can decide what action, if any, I shall take in the particular case, but on the information before me I see no reason to depart from the general policy which I have recently explained in this House.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has received a petition from the Bournemouth and District Smallholdings and Allotment Society protesting against the high rents charged for holdings; whether he is aware that, prior to the purchase of the land by the county council, the society rented the land at 35s. per acre, and now the average rent is £4 per acre; that this rent is vastly above the value of the land and that the rent paid by farmers for adjoining farms is still only 30s. per acre; and whether he proposes to take any action to secure a readjustment of the rents of these smallholdings?

Yes, Sir. I have received a copy of the petition which has been sent to the Hampshire County Council by the society in question, which consists of civilian smallholders. The rents referred to were revised a year ago to accord with the values then existing, and to correspond with the rents payable by the new ex-service tenants who were being settled on land adjoining, and it is not to be expected that the rents for small holdings should be at the same figure paid by farmers for their land, as small holdings invariably command a high rent per acre. I will, however, bring the hon. Member's question to the notice of the Hampshire County Council, but, as I explained to my hon. Friend the Member for South West Norfolk on the 13th instant, the Ministry is not prepared to agree to permanent reductions of rent until agricultural conditions are more stabilised. In the meantime, local authorities have been empowered to grant temporary abatements of rents to smallholders, subject to the approval of the Ministry's local District Commissioner.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that when Mr. Runciman was President of the Board he allowed 60 Holstein cattle to come into this country from Holland and that, although one animal died while in quarantine, the remaining 59 left a net profit of over £14,000 to the importers; and, under these circumstances, can he say what guarantee he can give that the Irish Free State shall not be used as a corridor for the importation of Continental cattle, with the attendant risk of disease?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part, I will carefully consider, in connection with the legislation to give effect to the Constitution of the Irish Free State, what safeguards can be made against any risk of disease being introduced by cattle coming from Ireland.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that German trawlers are landing fish at Aberdeen and other British ports for our markets to the great detriment of our own fishermen, of whom thousands have been unemployed for many months; and what steps, if any, the Fisheries Board of his Department propose to take to prevent this competition?

I am aware that several German trawlers have recently landed fish at Aberdeen and that one such trawler did so at North Shields on Tuesday last. There is, unfortunately, no doubt that, under present economic conditions, the competition of these and other foreign landings of fish is seriously felt by the British fishing industry, and tends to cause unemployment among British fishermen. In the existing state of the law, however, I am powerless to intervene.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the representations made by the Federation of Master Printers and the Newspaper Society, with a view to obtaining a reduction in the present postal rates; and whether he is aware that the imposition of the present postal rates penalises the printing trade by the restriction in the use of postcards, reduces the use of catalogues and printed advertisement matter, and has resulted in a considerable amount of unemployment amongst the operatives of the industry?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to questions by the hon. Members for Central Hull (Lieut. - Commander Kenworthy) and Central Bristol (Mr. Inskip) on Tuesday last, 14th February.

asked the Postmaster-General whether women in the Cable Room, Central Telegraph Office, are being replaced by youths and boys who have not served in the Army; and, if so, on what grounds this infringement of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act is justified?

I am inquiring into this matter and will communicate with my Noble Friend in due course.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his predecessor pur- chased a house at Northallerton, which is known by the name of Bellozanne House, in 1914, with the intention of erecting a modern post office on the. site; whether the use of this ground has been suspended for eight years, despite the very inadequate accommodation offered by the existing office; whether he is aware that the present office is very unhealthy, and is very wasteful of staff owing to its antiquated structure; and whether, seeing that the purchase money for the new site is lying idle, and that fresh expense is constantly incurred for repairs to the old building and for renovation and adaptation to new conditions, he is prepared, in the interests of economy, to press forward with the 1914 scheme, thereby giving the town of Northallerton a head post office suitable for the purpose?

The need for a new Yost Office at Northallerton was recognised before the War; and property was acquired as a site for a new office in 1915. During the War building schemes necessarily fell into arrear, and since then, owing to financial stringency, it has only been practicable to make provision for the most urgent building works. The needs of Northallerton will, however, be kept in view.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the manner in which printing-trade periodicals have recently been surcharged; whether it has been the custom for paper-makers to advertise in these periodicals by inserting sample sheets of their papers, a custom convenient to buyers and sellers; whether the Post Office authorities have now ruled that such samples make the periodicals in which they are inserted ineligible for book-post rates, necessitating their being sent by letter or parcel post; and whether, since this narrow interpretation of the Regulations is hindering the recovery of an industry which is at present in grave distress, he will reconsider the policy of his Department in this respect?

As I explained on 8th November, in answer to a question by the hon. Member for the Central Division of Aberdeenshire (Major M. Wood), samples are not admissible at the reduced rate of postage applicable to printed papers, and this holds good whether the samples are sent separately or in the same packet with other articles. I cannot see my way to vary the rule in favour of any particular industry.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Esher Committee, in paragraph 14 (3), Part V, Section 1, of their Report, recommended that the Government should provide an Indian groom for each authorised charger, such grooms to be enlisted soldiers paid, rationed, and clothed by Government; that so far nothing has been done by Government to enlist these grooms, and that only an allowance of 15 rupees a month has been granted for the pay of civilian grooms, while in places like Quetta 20 rupees a month is the minimum rate of pay for a groom, and warm clothing and blankets have to be supplied in addition, and not being enlisted men these private grooms would probably refuse to go on service; and what steps it is proposed to take in the matter?

A syce allowance of Rs. 15 per mensem was granted in lieu of the Esher Committee's proposal that an enlisted groom should be provided for each horse, which was considered to be neither necessary nor desirable. I presume that the allowance was fixed as a fair average equivalent for wages. The rules provide for the repurchase of the horses by Government when mobilisation takes place, and it follows that Government will arrange for the care of their own property.

asked the Secretary of State for India what steps have been taken in the case of the grant of a marriage allowance to the married officers of the British and Indian Armies serving in India similar to the grant given to married officers serving at home?

No decision on the matter has been arrived at. Even if the suggested concession were approved in principle it could not be carried into effect in the present state of the Government of India's finances.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the fact that in paragraph 15 (3) of the Esher Committee's Report it is recommended that officers of the Indian Army should be allowed an Indian soldier servant from the ranks, special enlistments being made for the purpose if necessary; and what steps are to be taken to give effect to this recommendation?

In substitution for the Esher Committee's recommendation on this point, the Government of India recommended, and the Secretary of State in Council agreed, to form for each unit a pool of servants which will supplement the existing practice of using soldiers from the ranks for certain duties of a personal kind. The introduction of this measure depends on financial conditions.

asked the Minister of Health, if he is aware of the deplorable state of the Cornish mining industry and the necessity for immediate action to save some of the mines and the industry from total extinction and 16,000 dependants from practical starvation; that this could be done if the dole now paid by the State for no labour return was advanced by the State by way of loan to the larger mines employing the greatest number of men until their development and the cheaper price of coal enabled them to pay their way, a guarantee being given by the mines to employ every man possible and that any sum advanced should be a first charge upon any subsequent profit; and is he prepared to take action to that effect?

I am aware of the unfortunate state of the Cornish mining industry. While the Government are unable to approve proposals for giving direct financial assistance to the mines, a number of schemes for works of public utility in the locality are being assisted by Government grants, and endeavours are being made to find further means of alleviating the distress.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Letchworth local authority state that they have not yet been authorised to pay the full district rate of wages to skilled men employed in their own trades on relief schemes; and whether he will circularise all local authorities, instructing them that the full rate may be paid to skilled men employed in their own trades, and that this includes qualified navvies, a period of six months' work on similar schemes in the past being sufficient to qualify a man for the full rate?

I am not aware that the Letchworth local authority have made the statement referred to. The only limitation as to the rate of wages on schemes assisted by the Unemployed Grants Committee is in the case of unskilled men employed directly by local authorities during a probationary period. It has already been pointed out to local authorities in a circular issued by the Unemployed Grant Committee on 23rd November last that the reduced rate of wages does not apply to skilled men, including "tradesmen" employed in their trade, and properly qualified navvies.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the statement in the Report of the Committee on National Economy that contributions in respect of unemployed workers' dependants will have ceased before the 1st July next, it is the intention of the Government definitely to discontinue the payment of allowances to unemployed workers' dependants; and if he is aware that it is the view of the Government actuary, or of the Minister, that there will be no deficiency in the fund from which such allowances are paid to render necessary the prolongation of the contribution therefor beyond the 10th May, 1922, or at any rate beyond the 1st July, 1922?

Under the Unemployed Workers' Dependants (Temporary Provision) Act, 1921, the payment of grants in respect of dependants ceases on 9th May next. The is power to continue the contributions under the Act after that date if there is a deficiency, but, so far as can be foreseen at present, a deficiency is not likely to arise.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the many cases of hardship affecting the casually employed dock labourer under the provisions of the Unemployed Insurance Act which have been brought to his notice, he is now prepared to set up the small Committee he promised during the debate on the Bill to examine the question?

In July last I wrote to the Joint Chairmen of the National Joint Council for Port Labour suggesting that they should nominate a few members to consider whether some improved arrangements, within the limas of existing legislation, could be made to meet the case of casual dock workers in regard to unemployment benefit. On receipt of this letter the Council took steps, I understand, to have the question considered by their local joint committees. I have now received certain nominations for the proposed Committee, but as these nominations do not appear to he complete, I am writing again to the National Joint Council in regard to the matter.

asked the Minister of Health whether the approval of the medical advisers of the Ministry has been obtained for the order which has been sent to local health authorities prohibiting the grant of free milk to infants over one year of age, and of the order that mothers, instead of receiving milk, have to go to some centre and receive dinners which must not exceed 6d. per dinner in cost, including cost of administration and in consideration of the great amount of poverty arising out of the present large amount of unemployment; and is he aware that these orders are likely to have a very serious effect upon the health of the young children and mothers of the poorest classes, and will in the end result in a great loss to the nation?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to a question on this subject yesterday.

asked the Minister of Health when the Ministry will issue the food leaflets whose publication has been urged by many medical and scientific authorities as well as by Members of Parliament representing all parties in the House?

The Ministry have already issued two pamphlets dealing respectively with milk and with general dietetic questions. The issue of further pamphlets is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has been able, in consultation with the Board of Control and the Treasury, to reconsider the position created by the Circular of the Board of Control of August last in relation to the financial limitation upon local authorities in regard to dealing with urgent cases of mental deficiency; and, seeing that such limitation, if adhered to, will prevent large numbers of urgent cases from being dealt with under the Act, that it is objectionable in the interest of the defectives themselves, of their families, and of the public that such cases should be uncared for, and that the expense to the State in rates and taxes for police, justice, Poor Law, and other public services, is many times greater if such defectives are at large than their whole cost of maintenance if cared for under the Act, whether he will cause the Circular in question to be withdrawn?

In view of the economy which it should be possible to secure on the Mental Deficiency Service generally, I hope that local authorities can now make such provision as is essential to enable new urgent cases to be dealt with, and I am causing the Board of Control to issue a Circular accordingly.

asked the Minister of Labour if the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act of 1907 is still operating in Canada; what its effects have been; has the Act been beneficial to labour and the public interests; has the 1907 Act been amended or altered in any form; and will he consider the desirability of introducing a Bill upon similar lines in this country?

The Act referred to in the first part of the question is still operating in Canada. As regards the remainder of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply, of which I am sending him a copy, given on this subject on 9th June last to the hon. and gallant Member for Stirling and Crackmannan (Major Glyn).

asked the Minister of Labour how many employment exchanges or branch exchanges he has closed; how much he has saved by this; and how many exchanges or branch exchanges have been closed in Yorkshire?

187 employment offices (12 in Yorkshire) have been closed since the beginning of the financial year. The normal cost of these offices is £18,000 per annum; but it is not yet possible to state the net amount of the saving effected in expenditure. My hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate that the work which was done at these offices has to be spread over adjoining offices, and the effect of this on staff is difficult to measure. Notice to close has been issued in the cases of a further 21 branch offices (one in Yorkshire), costing £2,700 per annum. Arrangements are also being made to replace three employment exchanges (one of which is at Northallerton in Yorkshire), by branch offices which will meet the requirements of the localities concerned at less cost.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he intends to issue a Memorandum on the subject of the economies in educational administration suggested by the Geddes Report?

I do not at present see any necessity for the issue of a Memorandum.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware of the many resolutions from various conferences against the cut for educational work affecting the children and the teaching staff; and, if so, will he take all possible steps to prevent such cuts?

Yes, Sir. I receive many such resolutions, but as the suggestions made in the Report of the Committee on National Expenditure with regard to the expenditure of the Board of Education are receiving the Government's consideration, I am not yet in a position to make any statement on the subject.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the experience gained by the Desborough Committee, it is proposed to refer to that Committee, for immediate report, the investigation into the strength of all police forces now recommended by the Geddes Committee?

The recommendations of the Geddes Committee are under consideration and I cannot make any statement at present.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many non-service men and how many women are employed in the Board of Education Department in a temporary capacity; and what steps is he taking to secure that the posts held by such personnel shall be filled by ex-service men who have been discharged from Government Departments and are now awaiting re-allocation?

There are at present one non-service man and 45 women employed in a temporary capacity in administrative and clerical posts. There are, in addition, 54 temporary women typists. The scheme of re-organisation of the staff of the Department recently approved by the Treasury, which is not yet in operation, provides for the employment of 162 temporary men clerks and 40 temporary women clerks. All the posts of temporary men clerks will be filled by ex-service men.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether Grade III men are being drafted from other sections into the Audit of Awards Department and substituted for highly-efficient women; and whether, in the interests of ex-service men and their dependants, he will inquire into the respective efficiency of the men and women employed in the Department before removing the latter?

As a result of the acceptance of the recommendations of Lord Lytton's Committee as regards substitution of ex-service men for non-service personnel, carefully selected ex-service men are being appointed to replace the women at present employed on the Audit of Awards in the Ministry. The women are not being replaced until men have been properly trained in the work, and I have no reason to fear that the efficiency of these sections will be impaired by the change.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many non-service men, and how many women, are employed in the Imperial War Graves Commission Department in a temporary capacity; and what steps he is taking to secure that the posts held by such personnel shall be filled by ex-service men who have been discharged from Government Departments, and are now awaiting re-allocation?

I am informed that in the United Kingdom the Commission employsnon-ex-service men, of whom one is under notice (out of a total of 398 men) and145 women, of whom seven are under notice.The non-ex-service men are retained as pivotal owing to special knowledge. Of the women, 95 are engaged on work specially appropriate to women, and are ordinarily non-substitutable by ex-service men; 19 are retained by virtue of special knowledge; 28 are cases of hardship—war widows, etc.; three are ex-service. A Departmental Substitution Committee, constituted in accordance with the recommendations of the Lytton Committee, has examined every case of retention; such cases, moreover, pass periodically under review. Abroad the Commission employs:

asked the Secretary of State for Air what, if any, are the special qualifications of Mr. B. Davies, a non-service man, who was recommended for substitution by the Departmental Substitution Committee; whether this gentleman is still retained as indispensable; why no efforts have been made to secure an ex-service man for the post; and what is the reason for not applying the recommendations of the Lytton Report in this case?

Mr. Davies is retained on work in connection with claims from inventors for awards in respect of the use by the Air Ministry of patented or other inventions. These claims are being investigated or awaiting hearing by the Royal Commission on Patents, Rewards, and Royalties, and the discharge of this official at the present stage would involve delay in dealing with the cases by the Royal Commission. The question of his discharge will be reconsidered as soon as the situation permits, but he could not be released nor replaced by a substitute at the present time without prejudice to the work of the Royal Commission. His temporary retention, which, for the reason I have stated, is in the interests of economy, is in accordance with Clause 9 of the Third Interim Report of the Lytton Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what, if any, are the special qualifications of Mr. A. Slatter, a non-service man, who was recommended for substitution by the Departmental Substitution Committee; whether this gentleman is still retained as indispensable; why no efforts have been made to secure an ex-service man for the post; and what is the reason for not applying the recommendations of the Lytton Report in this case?

Mr. Slatter is already under notice of discharge. He will not be replaced.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the total number of ex-service men dismissed from his Department during the last six months; how many of these were disabled; and how many more are at present under notice?

The answer to the first part of the question is 101. Sixteen of these were disabled but 12 of them have served at home only. Of the 4 disabled men who had served overseas, I was retired on reaching the age of 60, I was discharged on account of unsatisfactory conduct, I was offered further employment which he refused, and the fourth, whose special work here had come to an end, has been transferred (through the Joint Substitution Board) to the Admiralty. The answer to the third part of the question is that 61 ex-service men are under notice.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the places of some ex-service men dismissed from his Department have been filled by girls from the Ministry of Health and elsewhere; and what is the reason for this procedure?

Altogether seven permanent women clerks have been appointed to the Air Ministry from other Departments. Three of these were assigned by the Civil Service Commissioners to take the place of temporary women clerks who had left the Air Ministry. Four women clerks were transferred from the Ministry of Health in order to complete the small quota of women clerks which the Air Council had decided to employ. They were all permanent civil servants of some 7 to 11 years' standing, and entered by means of competitive examination. The four men whom they replaced entered for the special competitive examination held in 1920, but failed to qualify.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether one of the reasons advanced for the retention of a non-service man at Kidbrooke was that he helped with the canteen; and why a disabled ex-service man, who could perform this duty equally well, was not appointed?

The main ground on which the man in question was recommended for retention by the Substitution Committee, on which ex-service men are represented, was personal hardship; the canteen question was an altogether secondary consideration. In any case, he, has since been given notice of discharge.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the officer commanding at Ascot recently suggested that his redundant ex-service staff should cast lots for priority of retention; and why the recommendations of the Lytton Report were disregarded in this manner?

A tentative suggestion of the kind was made, but was not acted upon; the procedure laid down in the Lytton Report has been followed.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether non-service personnel is being retained at out-stations on the ground of hardship whilst numerous married and disabled ex-service men have been discharged; and why the recommendations of the Lytton Report are being disregarded in this manner?

Fifteen non-service employés have been temporarily retained at out-stations on the ground of hardship. In each case retention was recommended by a Substitution Committee on which the ex-service men were represented, and does not involve any disregard for the Lytton Report. The cases of these ion-service employés are reviewed from time to time, and 5 of them are actually under notice of discharge at the present time.

asked the Minister of Pensions what are the rules or regulations which govern the possibility of pensioners commuting all or part of their pensions for the payment of a lump sum?

Commutation of disablement pensions will be governed by Regulations shortly to be issued under Section 7 of the War Pensions Act, 1921, and will continue to be restricted, as at present, to exceptional cases of permanent pension in which it is clear that benefit would undoubtedly accrue to the pensioner and that a refusal to commute would occasion hardship.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether James Barnes, No. 708,090, Labour Corps, has been in receipt of a pension since discharged from the Army; whether the cause of his discharge was defective vision; whether he joined the Army as an A1 man in the South Lancashire Regiment; and whether, in fixing the amount of 8s. 6d. per week for 32 weeks as final weekly allowance, the medical examiner reported on the extent of his defective vision?

The awards made in this case have been in respect of defective vision and shell shock. The present award covers both disabilities, the total extent of disablement having been assessed by the last medical board at less than 20 per cent. The defective vision has been reported upon at all the examinations which have been made, including the last one. If the man is dissatisfied with his present assessment he has a right to appeal before the 5th March, on the usual conditions, to a medical appeal board.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that Private Charles M'Bride, No. 26,854, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was put on treatment in November, 1919, and was continued on treatment up to February, 1921; that, during his service in the Army, his mother received an allowance of 12s. 6d. per week; that an allowance of 10s. per week was paid to her while he was on treatment in respect of his mother being a dependant; that, in January, 1921, M'Bride was informed that a mistake had been made and his mother was only entitled to 7s. 6d. per week, and he would be required to repay the extra money she had received; that 7s. 6d. was paid for two weeks and M'Bride was then informed that his mother was not entitled to anything; and that M'Bride is in receipt of a pension of 16s. per week, from which 4s. is being deducted every week to repay the money his mother received; and whether he is prepared to review the circumstances of this case and give Mrs. M'Bride the allowance to which she seems entitled?

I am having local inquiries made into the facts of this case, and will communicate with the hon. Member at an early date.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the increased charge to the State for retired pay which results from the practice of allowing a senior naval officer to take the rank of admiral and fly his flag for one day on retiring?

I would be grateful if the hon. and gallant Member would repeat this question on Monday next.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when the promotions of lieutenant-commanders to commanders, deferred since the end of last year, will be effected?

I regret I am not in a position at present to add anything to my reply to the hon. and gallant Member on the 9th February.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what would be the amount required in the ensuing financial year, 1922–23, to extend the provisions of the recommendations of the Jerram Committee to all naval pensioners; and what would be the probable cost in each of the next succeeding 10 years, by which time, presumably, practically the whole of these old pensioners will have died out?

On the assumption that the extension took effect as from 1st April, 1922, the gross cost during 1922–23 is estimated as £350,000. The average reduction during the next few years would be about £20,000 a year, but the entire charge would not be extinguished until a considerable number of years had elapsed. The suggested extension, if carried into effect, would, however, result in the cancellation of percentage additions to pensions amounting in the aggregate at present to £170,000 a year, which are in course of issue to the majority of the pensioners in question under the provisions of the "Pensions (Increase) Act, 1920." The net additional expenditure during 1922–23, therefore, would be reduced to about £180,000.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether the balance sheets of the Navy and Army and Air Force institutes for the years 1919, 1920 and 1921 have yet been published; if not, whether he can state the reason for this delay;(2) what was the amount of the loss in trading, as shown by the profit and loss account of the Navy, Army and Air Force institutes for the years ending 31st December, 1919, and 31st December, 1920?

I can only refer my Noble Friend to the reply which I gave on the lath February to the hon. Members for Carmarthen (Mr. Hinds) and the Drake Division of Plymouth (Sir A. S. Benn).

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that there are cases of non-commissioned officers who, having served for 19 years in the Regular Army, were taken on in the Royal Air Force as disciplinarian non-commissioned officers; and whether, in the event of a non-commissioned officer having served for 21 years under the War Office and Air Ministry, the Meritorious Service Medal is granted?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The Air Council have under consideration the question of granting the Meritorious Service Medal to non-commissioned officers who had re-engaged to complete time for pension in the Army and were transferred to the Royal Air Force under conditions similar to those which would have rendered them eligible for this decoration if they had continued to serve in the Army.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether it is proposed to establish a system of short-time working at His Majesty's Factory, Gretna; if so, whether it is the intention by this means to share the work among all the old employés; whether it is proposed to confine employment to ex-service men; and whether men who served in the mercantile marine or the Royal Naval Reserve are not to be regarded as ex-service men?

I have been asked to answer this question, in view of the fact that His Majesty's Factory, Gretna, is now in the hands of the Disposal and Liquidation Commission for sale. In view of necessary economies, it is, I fear, impossible to find employment for all the old employés of His Majesty's Factory, Gretna. In order to provide some employment for as many of them as possible, a system of short time employment on an hourly basis has been adopted. Priority of employment is given to ex-service men, but in an establishment such as Gretna it is necessary to employ certain technical labour. With reference to the last part of the question, this ought, I think, to depend upon the individual record of service in the War area. I shall be glad to have inquiries made if the hon. Member has in mind any special cases of individual hardship.

asked the Prime Minister whether men who were absentees or deserters from the Royal Flying Corps prior to the establishment of the Air Ministry are now liable to punishment; and, seeing that there is a conflict of opinion between the War Office and the Air Ministry as to the authority having jurisdiction and the action to be taken in such cases, if he is prepared to authorise a general amnesty?

Deserters from the Royal Flying Corps prior to the establishment of the Air Ministry are still liable to punishment under the Army Act for their offence, and under the Air Force Act for their desertion from the Royal Air Force after the establishment of the Air Ministry. There is no conflict of opinion between the War Office and the Air Ministry as to the authority having jurisdiction and action in such cases. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department what results have accrued from the establishment of the British Mission under Mr. Hodgson at Moscow?

The Mission to Moscow has furnished from time to time a series of reports on the developments of the economic policy of the Soviet Government and on economic conditions in Russia, which have been of considerable value to His Majesty's Government, and which have enabled them to supply useful information on such subjects to British firms having interests in Russia. The Mission has also rendered valuable assistance to various representatives of British trade who have had occasion to visit Moscow. The Mission has further been instrumental in getting into contact with and securing the repatriation of a number of British subjects left in Russia.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether no officer of the Levant Consular Service in Egypt has yet received any payment on account of the War bonus sanctioned with effect from the 1st October, 1919; and whether, in view of the hardship involved on a service up to 1919 admittedly underpaid, he will direct the payment of a provisional allowance pending a final settlement of the precise amounts due?

No payments have been made to officers of the Levant Consular Service in Egypt on account of War bonus, as sufficient data for determining the rise in the cost of living in that country have not yet been received from the Consular officers there, and it has, therefore, not been possible to fix the rate of the bonus. Until that is done, no payments on account can be made, because until the particulars asked for have been furnished, it is not possible to estimate, even roughly, the amount that may be payable.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in addition to handing over existing tonnage under the reparation clauses of the Versailles Treaty, Germany is required to build new merchantmen for this country; if so, to what, extent; and what effect will this have on the recovery of our shipbuilding industry?

Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany undertakes to cause merchant ships to be built in German yards for the account of the Allied and associated Governments up to an amount of 200,000 gross tons a year for 5 years. Great Britain has formally waived all claim to any share of this tonnage. The last part of the question, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the actual amount as yet received by the Treasury, under the Treaty of Versailles, as reparations from the German Government; and what is the total amount overdue from the German Government, under the heading of reparations to this country, on this date?

The actual amount received by the Treasury up to the 31st ultimo under the Treaty of Versailles is £46,647,615 11s. 9d. Further amounts will be received by the Treasury in respect of ships and dyestuffs already delivered, when these have been sold and paid for. (Payment for some of the ships is being made in instalments.) The total value of the payments and deliveries received by the British Empire is, however, insufficient to cover the cost of the British Army of Occupation, which forms a prior charge outside of the payment of reparation, and accordingly nothing has as yet been received on account of reparation.

The obligation of Germany on account of reparation has been determined by the Reparation Commission at about 132 milliard gold marks, and under the Spa Agreement the share of the British Empire is 22 per cent., or 29,040,000,000 gold marks (£1,452,000,000 gold). Under the Treaty the time and manner in which Germany is to discharge this obligation is to be decided by the Reparation Commission, and as Germany has up to the present complied with the decisions of the Reparation Commission (notably those of 6th May, 1921, and 13th January, 1922) as to the payments to be made by her, there is no question of overdue payments, and the last part of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether shortly before Zaghloul Pasha was arrested, instructions were issued by the Ministry of the Interior at Cairo to Mr. Milton, the headmaster of the school at Assiut, to dismiss the students and convert the school into barracks for the soldiers stationed there and for the reception of other drafts which might replace them during the winter months; and who was responsible for issuing such an order since at the time that the order was issued no Egyptian Ministry existed?

As I informed the hon. Member on 9th February, I am unable to give any information as to the measures taken to provide accommodation for troops at Assiut, but inquiries are being made in Egypt, the result of which I shall communicate in due course.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what journals, daily and weekly, have been suppressed or suspended since martial law was proclaimed in Egypt in 1914; why were they suppressed or suspended, and what are the dates and periods of their suppression or suspension; and how do these compare with the two similar periods preceding the proclamation of marital law?

As I informed the hon. Member on 9th February, I have no material on which to furnish a statement of the nature requested without reference to Egypt. I will supply a full answer as soon as particulars have been obtained.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether, in the forthcoming legislation affecting allotments, it is proposed to introduce a separate Bill for Scotland or to deal with the United Kingdom in one Measure?

The question of separate legislation for Scotland is now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether further batches of indentured Chinese labourers are being sent to the mandated territory of Samoa; whether the Government of China has agreed to wives accompanying their husbands; and whether any wives have yet been taken?

I have no information on the subject, the responsibility for the administration of Samoa being with the Government of New Zealand.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in what, if any, respects the conditions of the indentures of the Chinese coolies now being taken to Samoa differ from those of the South African system; and what assistance in recruiting these coolies is being rendered by British officials in China?

I am not aware that Chinese coolies are at present being taken to or recruited for Samoa. I would, however, observe that the responsibility for contracts with labour for Samoa is with the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that an influential society, composed of Chinese and British merchants, has been formed in Hong Kong with the object of securing the abolition of the mui tsai system; and whether His Majesty's Government would raise any objection to the issue by this society of a manifesto informing the mui tsai of Hong Kong that they are perfectly free agents, and are at all times free to leave those masters and mistresses who give them no pay, and Offer their services for wages to bonâ fide employers?

I am aware of the existence of this society, and I can see no objection to them issuing a statement as to the actual status of these girls, but I will consult the Governor on the point.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the treaty with the Government of King Feisal is completed; and on what date prospectively it will be laid upon the Table of this House?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. It is hoped that the negotiations which are now in progress will be concluded shortly, but it is not possible at present to give a date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is proposed to withdraw all British troops from Iraq excepting one battalion to be stationed at Basra; when this arrangement will be effected; what measure of success has attended the efforts of King Feisal to establish responsible government; and whether, by the recent policy of the Colonial Department, tangible savings to the Treasury will accrue?

As I stated yesterday, in reply to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for Central Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy), I propose to make a full statement when I present the Middle East Estimates. I shall then deal with the points raised by the hon. Member. There will undoubtedly be tangible savings to the Treasury.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give a list of the Council of Ministers comprising the present Government of Iraq, and state which of these are natives of Mesopotamia and which are Syrians or other foreigners; and will he state what steps are being taken to eliminate the Syrian and foreign element and give Iraq a Government of its own people?

A list of the Iraq Ministers is appended. I understand that all of them are natives of Iraq. The third part of the question does not arise. Iraq has already a Government of its own people.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether an Arab was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for carrying a revolver the day following the riots in last November?

The High Commissioner has reported that, among the punishments inflicted in connection with the Jerusalem riots of November last, one Arab was sentenced to 15 years' penal servitude for carrying a loaded revolver and dagger with evil intent, contrary to Article 58, First Addendum, of the Ottoman Penal Code, and one to 15 years' penal servitude for being found in possession of a loaded bomb and threatening to kill, contrary to the same Article. A Report has since been received from the High Commissioner to the effect that these sentences have been reduced to sentences of imprisonment for one year in the one case and six months in the other.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the arms recently confiscated in Palestine have been destroyed; and, if not, what is being done with them?

As I stated yesterday in reply to a question by the hon. Member for East Islington (Mr. Raper), I am awaiting a full Report from the High Commissioner for Palestine on the incident referred to. When the Report is received I shall be glad to furnish the hon. Member with further particulars, if he so desires.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, and if so, how, the Arabs in Palestine have been consulted as to their country being made a national home for Jews?

I would refer the Noble and gallant Lord to the reply given yesterday by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Sir W. Joynson-Hicks). I propose to deal fully with the question of policy in Palestine when I present the Middle Eastern Estimates.

asked the hon. Member for the Pollok Division of Glasgow, as representing the first Commissioner of Works, whether any provision is being made for Members and their friends to view the procession on the occasion of the wedding of Her Royal Highness Princess Mary on 28th February?

No special provision is being made by my Department, but I understand from the Commissioner of Police that the pavement in front of New Palace Yard will be reserved for Members and their friends, as on the occasion of a State opening of Parliament.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the hours of supervision of vessels loading coal and coke at Blyth by Board of Trade surveyors or assistants are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; will he consider the advisability of having supervision for the ordinary hours of loading at Blyth; will he inquire if the present system militates against the movements of vessels; and what effect has the present method of preventing empty coal wagons getting to the coal pits?

The ordinary hours of duty at the surveyors' office at Blyth are 9.30 to 4.30. If the hon. Gentleman will be so good as to inform me fully of his reasons for thinking that the system of supervision at Blyth needs alteration, I will inquire into the matter and see whether anything can be done.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the terms of reference of the Royal Commission on Compensation for Suffering and Damage by Enemy Action which appeared in the "London Gazette" of 16th August last were submitted to and approved by the Reparation Claims Department; whether the Royal Commission were denied powers to deal with seamen's claims for wages during illegal detention in Germany, together with cost of pareels of food and clothing, which were held by the Reparation Claims Department to have been omitted from the Treaty of Peace; and whether, in accordance with the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 4th May, 1920, steps will be taken to have the case for compensation of the claimants referred to fully considered with a view to making payments to such claimants out of the reparation fund as an act of grace?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part of the question in the negative. The Royal Commission's terms of reference follow the terms of the statement made in the House of Commons on the subject on 4th May, 1920, and the Royal Commission have full power to consider whether such claims come within their terms of reference, and, if so, what grants, if any, to recommend.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can state approximately the wage reductions of the workers for 1921; and what are the weekly falls since January this year?

I have been asked to reply. The changes in rates of wages reported to have taken effect in 1921, in the industries and services covered by the figures prepared by the Ministry of Labour, resulted in an aggregate net decrease of about £6,000,000 in the weekly full-time rates of wages of over 7,000,000 workpeople. An analysis of these figures, with details of the reductions in the principal industries, was given on pages 4 to 6 of the "Labour Gazette" for January, a copy of which I am forwarding to my hon. Friend. The changes reported as taking effect in January this year affected approximately 4,060,000 workpeople, of whom 3,680,000 sustained decreases amounting to £575,000 for a full week and 380,000 received increases amounting to £6,000 per week. These figures are exclusive of changes in the wages of agricultural labourers, police, Government employés, domestic servants, shop assistants and clerks, and take no account of reductions in actual earnings due to unemployment and short time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many million pounds of War Loan stock is held by the various banks in this country; and whether he can state the amount upon which 6 per cent. interest is paid?

I have no information as to the exact holdings of banks, as distinct from other holders, in War Loans. No internal loans carrying 6 per cent. interest are now outstanding.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, seeing that the bank rate at present is 5 per cent., and that he can borrow money from the banks at this rate, he will take steps to borrow the amount necessary to pay off all War Loan on which more than 5 per cent. is being paid; and will he state how much he will save by this step?

The rate for short term money is no indication of the rate at which long term borrowing can be effected, so the comparison which the hon. Gentleman seeks to make is ill-founded. Moreover, holders of the various Government loans are entitled to the interest terms on which they subscribed to those loans until the agreed date of maturity. Nothing could be more harmful to the general interests of the country than an attempt to break these contracts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a loan of £2,000,000 is to be advanced to the Austrian Government by the British Government; whether it is proposed that any portion of this loan shall be represented by goods in kind supplied by British manufacturers; and, if not, to what specific purpose is this £2,000,000 to be applied by the Austrian Government and under what control so far as the British Government is concerned?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; by agreement with the Austrian Government the expenditure from the loan is to be controlled in Vienna by Mr. G. M. Young on behalf of the British Treasury. Its object is to enable Austria to continue its programme of financial reconstruction with an assurance of reasonable stability for the exchange value of the Kroner pending release of the liens on Austrian assets in respect of reparation and relief credits for use as security for private credits in accordance with the plan worked out by the Austrian Government in co-operation with the Financial Committee of the League of Nations. The terms do not include any stipulation that the loan should be used for the purchase of particular goods. Any such stipulation would defeat the purpose of the loan.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the extra cost to the nation which would be entailed by the abandonment of the means restrictions in the case of old age pensions?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to a similar question by the hon. Member for Barrow-in-Furness (Sir B. Chadwick) on 11th May last of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount of Supplementary Estimates voted and to be voted during the present financial year; what are the estimated savings, and what will be the estimated excess ordinary expenditure over and above the Budget Estimate of £974,000,000; and whether he anticipates that the estimated extraordinary expenditure of £65,000,000 will be approximately adhered to?

I should have preferred to deal with this matter after the close of the financial year when actual results are available. The right hon. Gentleman will understand that any figures given at the present stage can only be approximate Estimates.The original Budget Estimates provided for £668,456,000 for Supply Services, in addition to which it was indicated that out of the total estimated surplus of £176,922,000 the excess over about £80,000,000, namely, £97,000,000, would be required for Supplementary Estimates in connection with liabilities then known to be impending, on which at the time of the Budget no precise figure could be put. The total original Budget anticipations for Supply Services expenditure were therefore, £765,456,000; against this approximate figure of £97,000,000 referred to above, the Supplementary Estimates required will probably amount to £118,120,000, made up of £106,396,000 voted by the House down to the end of December, 1921, £6,724,000, the amount of the Civil Supplementary Estimates just presented, and approximately £5,000,000 still to be presented for Army services. The increase shown was due partly to the prolongation of the coal stoppage and partly to the payment made to the agricultural industry under the Corn Production Acts (Repeal Act), 1921.On the basis of these figures the total Supply voted will be £786,576,000, an excess over the Budget provision of £21,120,000.On the other hand the actual issues in respect of these Estimates are likely to be some £40,000,000 less than the Estimates.The net result, so far as can at present be foreseen, will therefore be an actual issue in respect of Supply Services of about £745,000,000, or some £20,000,000 less than the original Budget anticipations.It is not possible to give figures allocating this saving between ordinary and special expenditure any more than it was possible at the time of the Budget to allocate the extra provision of £97,000,000 between those two accounts. Generally speaking there will be a considerable excess on special (non-recurrent) items, and a large saving on ordinary (permanent) items.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the printing of the recent annual Blue Book of the Scottish Education Department; whether out of 630 pages 482 were printed in London, 74 at Harrow, 30 have no imprint, and only 44 were printed in Scotland; whether most of the forms used by the Scottish Education Department are printed in England; and whether, in view of the serious unemployment in printing centres like Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland, he will now direct that a fairer proportion of this work should be done in Scotland?

The existing contracts for printing the annual Blue Book of the Scottish Education Department were placed in accordance with the recognised procedure by which the "copy" was sent to the Stationery Office by the London Office of the Scottish Education Department and the printing treated accordingly as London work. On the termination of the existing contracts, which will not be for some years, the question of inviting tenders from printers in Scotland will be considered. As regards the second part of the question, the only forms printed for the Department in England are those required for delivery at their London Office.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, when the holder of war savings certificates dies, the next-of-kin, before obtaining the value of the certificates, are required to answer questions as to the amount of the funeral expenses, whether they have been paid, whether the holder left any other property, whether he was a member of any burial club or insurance society, and whether there are any debts against the estate in respect of medical expenses, nursing, etc.; and, if so, will he state under what authority the next-of-kin are required to answer questions of this private character?

Where a certificate holder dies intestate it would usually be necessary for his legal representatives to go to the expense of obtaining Letters of Administration. In order to avoid this the Savings Certificates Regulations, 1919 (following the Post Office Savings Bank Regulations) allow payments, where the amount involved does not exceed £100, to certain classes of persons, including, for instance, persons who have paid the funeral expenses of the deceased. The questions to which the hon. Member refers are put with a view to enabling a claimant to establish his title without expense. There is frequently more than one next-of-kin, so that a single claimant would not on that ground alone be entitled to the whole estate.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether a contract was entered into with the proprietors of a Sunday newspaper for an advertisement to be enclosed with the census forms sent out last year; what was the amount of such contract; and whether the sum agreed upon has yet been paid to the Treasury?

As regards the first and second parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the Minister of Health and myself to the Member for the Rother Valley Division (Mr. Grundy) and the Member for Silvertown (Mr. J. Jones), respectively, on 16th June last. The answer to the third part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state how many non-service men and how many women are employed in the National Savings Department in a temporary capacity; and what steps he is taking to secure that the posts held by such personnel shall be filled by ex-service men who have been discharged from Government Departments and are now awaiting re-allocation?

Two non-service men and 98 women are at present employed in a temporary capacity in the National Savings Committee. Arrangements have already been made to substitute by ex-service men the two non-service men at an early date; the women, with the exception of 28, who will shortly be discharged owing to reductions in staff, are employed upon work specially appropriate to women.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether he has further considered the advisability of encouraging the construction of a bridge over, or a tunnel under, the River Humber between Hull and the Lincolnshire coast, with a view to improving the means of communication between that port and the south; and whether he has considered the advisability of this work being done in a period of unemployment rather than during a period of good trade, when labour is not so plentiful?

No definite scheme for the construction of such a bridge or tunnel has been brought to the notice of the Ministry of Transport.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport what is now the staff of his Department; and what further reduction of strength will be made at the end of the financial year?

The staff employed by the Ministry in Great Britain has been reduced during the past 12 months from a total of 702 to 487, which is the total at the present time. It is anticipated that the total will be reduced to 463 by the end of the current financial year. These figures do not include the staff (mainly industrial) of local undertakings owned by the Ministry, the temporary staff specially recruited for road schemes for the relief of unemployment, and charwomen.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what arrangements have been made to secure the payment of the sums awarded in the Irish courts for the loss or destruction of life or property in Ireland?

I would refer the hon. Member to the numerous previous replies which I have given on this subject to the effect that I hope to make a full statement in connection with the Bill of Indemnity.