asked the Secretary for Mines whether safety appliances were provided for shot firers in the mines when the 14 fatal and 167 serious non-fatal accidents occurred in 1921; and, if so, the names of the mines where those appliances are in use?

If, as I think, the hon. Member refers to appliances which enable the detonator to be withdrawn after a shot has been charged or has misfired, the answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, so far as I have been able to ascertain. I am, however, advised that it is very doubtful whether the use of an appliance of this type could have prevented the vast majority of these accidents, and that the few which it might have prevented were due to breaches of the existing law and Regulations and would not have happened if these had been complied with.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether an order for insulators for the India store department has been given to German manufacturers; and, if so, for what amount and at what price?

An order for 255,000 insulators of German manufacture was placed by the High Commissioner for India in July, 1921. It is not in accordance with the usual practice, nor is it advisable in the interests of the Government of India, to disclose contract prices.

asked the Home Secretary whether the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium has reported to the Council of the League of Nations that, in spite of the activity of the police and the heavy penalties imposed, the traffic in drugs in Western Europe is extremely difficult to cheek, while it has so far proved impossible to discover the means by which the drugs are obtained or the persons by whom the traffic is organised; and whether, under these circumstances, he will consider increasing the penalties on all convicted traffickers and, if necessary, introduce legislation for the purpose of inflicting the punishment of flogging?

As stated in my reply to the question of the hon. and gallant Member for Torquay (Colonel Burn) on the 9th instant, the question of strengthening the present Act is under consideration.

asked the Home Secretary the names of those drugs in respect of whose illicit traffic convictions have been secured within the last six months; and the country of origin of any of them and the number of convictions, and the proportion of aliens, coloured folk, and English engaged in this traffic?

Convictions have been obtained in respect of raw opium, prepared opium, morphine, heroin, and cocaine. I am afraid I cannot give the hon. Member the other particulars asked for, but I am sending him a summary of the returns which were obtained recently from the police authorities of the convictions obtained under the Dangerous Drugs Act in 1921, which may give him some of the information he desires.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether correspondence between His Majesty's Government and the Washington Government has taken place in regard to the status of nationals of the United States in Iraq; whether a Treaty similar to that effected between the two countries as regards Palestine has been discussed; and with what result?

There has been no material correspondence on this subject for some time, and I have no information at present which I can usefully communicate to the House.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can give, for the period 1st October to 31st March,

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the total importation of tea into the United Kingdom in 1913 and 1920, respectively, from foreign countries and the British Empire, upon which duty was paid; what was the total amount of duty paid in each year, and what was the rate for duty in 1913 and 1920, respectively; and

The following statement gives the information desired by the hon. Member:whether for all practical purposes the total amount of tea upon which duty is paid in any one year is equivalent to the rate of consumption in that year?

The quantities of tea of foreign and Empire origin respectively, duty-paid for home consumption in the United Kingdom in each of the years 1913 and 1920, together with the amount of duty paid thereon, and the rate of duty, were:year may be regarded as representing approximately the consumption in that year.

asked the Minister of Health the number of deaths in Lancashire, upon inquest, which have been occasioned by starvation or accelerated by privation during the years 1919, 1920, and 1921; and the ages and sex of such deceased persons and the unions in which they died?

The numbers for which the right hon. Member asks are, as regards the year 1919, 2. Both cases were women, aged about 81 and 55 respectively, and they died in the West Derby and the Blackburn Unions. The figures for 1920 are 5. All were males, aged 66, 68, 62, 76 and 28, and they died in the Ashton-under-Lyne, West Derby, Ormskirk, Chorley and Burnley Unions respectively. I regret that the figures for 1921 are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Health whether the official arbiter has now given awards in connection with the public purchase of land for housing in Irlam for sites in Fir Street, Land Street, and fronting Liverpool Road; if so, the acreage of each of those sites and the price awarded in compensation in each case; and what was the net rateable value of each of these pieces of land prior to purchase or, if any of these sites formed part of a larger subject, by how much the net rateable value of that subject has been reduced owing to severance?

The Official Arbitrator's awards in connection with the land referred to in the hon. Member's question were as follow:

asked the Minister of Agriculture when a Bill will be introduced to re-enact the provisions of Section 10 of the Corn Production Act, 1917, so as to give occupiers of agricultural land powers to keep down rabbits coming from land adjoining their holdings?

I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to state whether it will be possible during the present Session to introduce a Bill of the nature referred to?

asked the Secretary of State for Air what information he has concerning the German Berlin-Moscow air service; and whether any proposals are under consideration for a Berlin-London air service either by Britain or Germany?

With reference to the first question, it is understood that as a result of negotiations carried out between the Soviet Government and a German company known as the "Aero-Union Aktien-Gesellschaft" the operation of an air mail service between KÖnigsberg and Moscow was begun on 1st May last by a subsidiary company founded by the Germany company mentioned above and entitled the "Deutsch-Russische Luftverkehrs-Gesellschaft." According to a German air route time-table, there are two flights a week in each direction, and the aeroplanes connect at K Önigsberg with express trains to and from Berlin. The saving of time by the use of the air mail on a letter sent from Berlin to Moscow, orvice versa, is stated to be four days. It is believed that the aircraft employed are of Fokker type (with Rolls-Royce engines) which have been obtained from Holland and are owned by the Soviet Government. With reference to the second question, so far as is known there are no serious proposals under consideration in Great Britain or Germany for a direct London-Berlin air service.

asked the Attorney-General whether, as a woman has now been called to the Bar and others will be called in the near future, judicial positions, including judgeships of the High Court and County Court judgeships, will be open for the appointment of women members of the Bar?

Any woman who possesses the statutory qualifications required for appointment to a judicial office is, equally with any man, eligible for appointment to that office.