asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that prices of illuminated glassware, especially of a fancy type, imported from CzechoSlovakia, have been recently reduced, and in some cases at 20 per cent. below the prices charged for similar goods of German manufacture; if so, whether, if the German goods have to bear the duty of 33 per cent., it will mean the transference of the bulk of this business from Germany to Czecho-Slovakia; and, if this be the case, in what way it will assist the production of these goods in Great Britain?

have no information as to the recent course of prices of Czecho-Slovakian glassware which would lead me to suppose that the imposition of a duty under Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Act on German glassware would have the effect suggested in the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the statement made at the wire nails inquiry under the Safeguarding of Industries Act to the effect that, while a ton of nails can be brought from Antwerp to London for 20s., the cost of bringing a similar consignment of British nails from Birmingham to London is 40s.; and whether he will bring these facts to the notice of the Ministry of Transport and the railway companies in view of the handicap which they impose upon the sale of British goods in the Home market?

I am aware that evidence relating to comparative transport costs has been given before the Committee to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers. I propose to await the Committee's Report before deciding what action, if any, would be advisable in the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received the Report of the Committee appointed by him to deal with the application for a further duty of 33⅓ per cent. upon optical and scientific instruments; whether the terms of reference to this Committee include the consideration of employment in the making of dental, surgical and medical instruments; if so, if evidence on this point was submitted to the Committee: and what was the value of imports of dental, surgical and medical instruments during the six months ending June, 1922, and similar figures for the same period in 1921?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The complaint referred to the Committee does not relate to dental, surgical and medical instruments other than a very limited number which are included in the lists of optical elements and of optical and scientific instruments issued by the Board of Trade under Section 1 (5) of the Act. These particular goods are products of industries covering a much wirier range, as to employment in which the Committee were specifically directed to report, and their report when presented, will no doubt deal with this aspect of the matter. The declared value of dental surgical, medical and veterinary instruments (except optical) registered as imported into the United Kingdom during the six months ended 30th June. 1922, was £12,42. The corresponding, value for the six months ended 30th June, 1921, was £20,592.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent vulcanised fibre manufactured in Lancashire is used in Great Britain for electrical pur- poses; whether he has received representations from electrical apparatus manufacturers as to their dependence on special qualities of this fibre imported from America; and, if so, whether he proposes to take any action upon such representations?

As regards the first part of the question, I have no quantitative information. No representations of the kind referred to in the second part have been made to me, but it is of course open to any manufacturers interested to make representations to the Committee.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the statement of the complainant at the Safeguarding of Industries Act vulcanised fibre inquiry, to the effect that import restrictions prevented an increase of American imports during the War period and up to 1920; the amount of American fibre which was admitted under licence during the import restrictions régime; and whether in fact these quantities were very much greater in volume than the pre-War quantities?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part, I can only refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Whitechapol (Mr. Kiley) on the 19th June.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet received any Report from the Committee appointed by him to consider the allegation that glass bottles of Dutch manufacture are being dumped into this country below the cost, of production, as defined by the Safeguarding of Industries Act; and, if not, whether he can yet say if this Report will be available in time for him to announce any Departmental decision arising therefrom before the House adjourns for the Recess?

I have not yet received this Report, and I am therefore unable to say when it will be possible to announce any decision that may have to be taken thereon.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why glass jugs of all sizes from ¼-pint upwards and small size tumblers, which are being imported for the purpose of being graduated and engraved, are admitted free of duty, but other glass articles imported for the same purpose, such as measures, are being taxed to the extent of 33⅓ per cent.?

Glass jugs and glass tumblers are neither scientific glassware nor lamp-blown ware, and accordingly are not dutiable. Consequent on the decision of the Referee on 12th June, blanks for measure glasses have not been held to be liable to duty, although other glass articles, such as pipettes and burettes, even when ungraduated, are still liable to duty as scientific glassware or lamp-blown ware.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to obtain from all persons licensed to import cocaine into the country a record of the areas to which it is distributed?

I have been asked to reply. Licensed importers are required to keep records of their sales, and these records are inspected from time to time. The records would not show, however, the areas to which the drug is eventually distributed, as it may pass through several hands, wholesale chemist, manufacturing chemist and others, before it reaches the medical practitioner, dentist or other person by whom it is used.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether certain funds and investments in the custody of the British Government which belonged to Austrian nationals, and were sequestrated during the War are now being or are about to be paid and transferred to those of our late enemies who, in order to regain their property, merely have to assume the nationality of one of the new States, such as Czecho-Slovakia; whether he is aware that the present position is causing anxiety to British creditors, who are concerned at the disposal of property which was ostensibly accumulated for the protection of their interests and whose claims, although admitted by the debtors and accepted by the Austrian clearing office, cannot apparently be dealt with until those of our late enemies have been satisfied; whether claims for the return of their property made by our late enemies not only take precedence over these of British subjects, but, in view of the insufficiency of the available funds and payments made to the former, will be at the expense of the latter; if so, whether he will take steps to remedy this, either by directing that the claims of British subjects be satisfied in full before any payments be made to our late enemies, or by undertaking to make good any deficit which is likely to result from the existing procedure; whether he is aware that certain of these British creditors who, ever since its establishment, have been pressing their claims against the Austrian clearing office, are now practically destitute and, although suffering hardship, can obtain neither payment nor a definite promise of payment from the clearing office; if so, whether he will direct that prompt and special consideration be given to those necessitous and urgent cases; whether, in the early years of the War Austrian debtors, who were then in a position to discharge their liabilities, offered to pay their British creditors in full provided that the British Government would extend the same treatment to Austrian creditors and that the British Government withheld their consent to this procedure; and what steps he proposes to take in order to discharge the moral obligation which, by their action, the Government have assumed towards the British creditors in the event, of their being thereby prevented from obtaining payment in full of their claims?

The property of nationals of the former Austrian Empire who show that they have acquired a new nationality ipso facto under the Treaty of Peace is specifically excepted by the Treaty from the charge upon enemy property, and has to be released. Every effort is being made to expedite the declaration of a dividend upon British claims from the proceeds of property subject to the charge, but I regret that it is not possible to make any immediate payment. His Majesty's Government cannot admit that the trading with the enemy legislation passed during the War involves an obligation of any sort to meet the claims of British creditors from national funds, and I am sure my right hon. Friend will appreciate that it would not be practicable in the present financial conditions to suggest placing an additional burden of this sort upon the Exchequer.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the quantities of potatoes imported from Holland during each of the last eight weeks and the declared value thereof in each case?

The trade returns of the United Kingdom are not compiled for periods shorter than a month, and consequently particulars for the periods specified in the question are not available. According to the published monthly, "Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom," the imports of potatoes into the United Kingdom, registered as consigned from the Netherlands during May and June, were as follow:—

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the judgment by Lord Blackburn in the case of the Edinburgh Corporation v. Messrs. Kersans, Limited; and whether he proposes to introduce amending legislation to the local Act of 1850, on which this judgment, which is likely to be prejudicial to a considerable local industry, is based?

I have, seen a report of the case referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend. Proposals for the amendment of a private Act relating to the Corporation of Edinburgh ought, in the first instance, to be considered by the Corporation, and I suggest to my hon. and gallant Friend that he should address his representations to that body.

asked the Secretary for Scotland at what price he estimates that the ordinary speculative builder can now erect workmen's houses of the standard required under the Government's assisted housing schemes; and what would be the weekly rent payable, exclusive of rates, to give the speculative builder an adequate return on each house built?

Information is not available to show at what price speculative builders can erect houses of the type referred to, but tenders in open competition are now being received by the Scottish Board of Health, which indicate that houses of three and four apartments can be contracted for by local authorities at less than £500 and £550 each respectively. My right hon. Friend is not prepared to say what weekly rent would be required to give the speculative builder an adequate return, as that must depend upon what the latter considers adequate, having regard to the conditions under which he operates in each case.

asked the Secretary for Scotland the number of men employed in building houses for local authorities in Scotland under the provisions of the Housing Act, 1919, in each of the six months from January to June of this year?

The number of men employed in building houses in assisted schemes of local authorities and public utility societies in Scotland in each of the months referred to was as follows:—

asked the Minister of Health how many of the 434,000 unoccupied houses referred to in the Census of 1911 were unfit for habitation; bow many empty houses there were at the Census of 1021 and how many of them were unfit for habitation?

I would refer the hon. Member to the paragraph on uninhabited dwellings contained on page vi of Volume VI of the Census, 1911, from which he will see that buildings in ruins and others condemned as unfit for habitation were not intended to be counted as dwellings in the figure referred to. The figures for 1921 are not yet available.

asked the Postmaster-General under what statutory authority he issues licences for broadcasting; and whether he will lay upon the Table the conditions governing the grant of these licences?

Statutory authority for the issue of licences to establish wireless stations is conferred by the Wireless Telegraph Act, 1904. The conditions on which licences for the proposed broadcasting stations will be issued are at present under consideration, but as soon as they are definitely settled a statement will he made on the subject.

asked the Postmaster-General if it is intended to fill the vacancies for sorting clerks in the North-Midland area, and particularly at Derby; and, if so, will preference be given to those men qualified by examination who served in His Majesty's forces instead of, as at present, these men by reason of their war service being superseded by juniors?

Inquiry is being made whether the volume of work justifies the filling of such vacancies, and if it be decided to fill any of them, candidates will be called up from the limited competitions, in accordance with the places which they took in the examination.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the selection board, mentioned on page 2052 of the Army List, deals with cases of departmental corps for promotion to lieutenant-colonel; and, if not, who discharges these functions, and what members sit on the selection board for the Royal Army Veterinary Corps to consider qualifications for promotion to lieutenant-colonel in that corps?

As far as the Royal Army Veterinary Corps is concerned, the answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The last part, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, until the end of last year, no examination is, or has been since the War, necessary for promotion to lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, and as veterinary histories of campaigns form the basis of examination for administrative appointments, whether any veterinary history of the treat War has been compiled to enable candidates to answer questions put to them; and, if no such history has been compiled, when may such be anticipated?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Examinations for promotion were, however, re-introduced this year. In regard to the last part of the question, the questions in the recent examination were based on the veterinary particulars given in a published work entitled, "A Brief Record of the Advance of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, July, 1917, to October, 1918," which has been compiled from official sources. The compilation of a general veterinary history of the Great War is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Pensions (1) if his attention has been called to the hardship imposed on widows who lost their bread-winning sons in the War by the gradual reduction of their allowances; whether, seeing that it is against the wishes of the community as a whole that saving should be effected in this manner, he will advise strict care in carrying out a policy of this nature;(2) in how many cases there have been reductions in the allowances to widows who have lost in the War sons who were their only support; and whether the Ministry of Pensions is using pressure to persuade surviving married sons with their own responsibilities, and often in unemployment, to assist their mothers to live, in order to enable it to economise in the allowances the State pays to mothers?

I am not quite clear what class of parent's pension my hon. Friend has in mind. Where a son who, before the War, provided support for a widowed mother was killed in the War a pension based on the amount of support which he actually gave has been granted and, subject to the necessary correction of erroneous awards, will continue to be paid in full. There is another class of pension of which the basis is the present need of the parent, and this pension may be granted regardless of whether the deceased son did or did not contribute to the parent's support. The scheme under which this class of pension is awarded has within the past six months been revised in accordance generally with the recommendations of a Select Committee of this House on the principle that the State should meet the need to the extent of the support which the deceased son might reasonably have been expected to give had he survived This principle necessarily presumes that other surviving sons must bear some share in the parent's support. In point of fact the pension is awarded more generously than strict adherence to this principle would involve, since the State undertakes liability for pension up to the amount of 20s. a week in cases where the permanent domestic circumstances justify the maximum award. Under this scheme while some pensions have been reduced others have been increased in amount.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will inform the House what are the objects of the British Buddhist mission which has recently left London for Tibet; and whether the said mission is going with the sanction and approval of the Tibetan Government?

This mission is a purely private enterprise. Its primary object, as stated by the promoters to the India Office, is to confer with fellow-Buddhists in Tibet on questions connected with the Buddhist religion. So far as I am aware, the Tibetan Government have not as yet expressed any opinion on the subject. The Government of India have at present only agreed to allow the party to cross the frontier for the purpose of proceeding to the trade-mart at Gyantse. Any further progress on the part of the mission will, of course, be dependent on its obtaining the approval of the. Tibetan Government.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the British Buddhist expedition to Tibet is in receipt of any funds from Government sources; whether the approval of the Tibetan Government to its entry into the country has been arranged in advance and, if so, by whom; whether any direct or indirect assistance is being given to it by the British or Indian authorities; and whether either of the latter accept responsibility for the well-being or success of the enterprise?

The answer to the first and last parts of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to-day to a question on the same subject asked by the hon. Member for South Kensington (Sir W. Davison). As regards the third part, the Government of India have agreed to grant permission to cross the frontier. So far as I am aware, no other assistance is at present proposed, or has been asked for.

asked the President of the Board of Education if uncertificated teachers are to be employed to teach children under six years of age; what are to be the qualifications for those positions; and what, if any, examination is to be enforced in order to secure persons of suitable capacity?

I may refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for South-East Essex (Lieut.-Colonel Hilder) on the 13th March. I have no reason to suppose that local education authorities will not be careful to select women of suitable capacity and personality, and I do not propose to impose for teachers employed for the care and training of children under six in urban areas an examination test which is not now required in the case of supplementary teachers in rural areas. The general arrangements of the authority in this respect will, of course, be subject to the approval of His Majesty's Inspector.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many purely agricultural districts have not yet adopted the Burnham scale for teachers; and whether, in advocating or recommending such rates of payment, any distinction is drawn between the cost of living in the towns and in the country?

There are 15 county areas which are mainly agricultural in character and in which the local education authority have not yet adopted a standard scale, namely:England: Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Devonshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Isle of Wight, Lincolnshire (Lindsey), Oxfordshire, Suffolk (West), Westmorland, Worcestershire.Wales: Cardiganshire.But these authorities are all paying upon the provisional minimum scale of the Burnham Committee. The Report of the Burnham Committee, in which the allocation of standard scales among the local education authorities was recommended, does not give the reasons which influenced the Committee in assigning a particular scale to each area; but the list taken as a whole shows that the lower scales have been assigned to the more purely agricultural districts.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the police have prohibited the holding of meetings in Regent's Place (or Flat Iron Square), Westminster, when Parliament is sitting; and whether, having regard to the fact that for a number of years past meetings have been permitted at this place when Parliament was sitting, he will take steps to withdraw such prohibition, provided the meetings are orderly?

I have already explained that the action of the police is taken in pursuance of a Sessional Order of this House, and I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that, apart from an occasion like the bye-election in the Abbey Division last August, the police have consistently prohibited meetings when Parliament is actually sitting.

asked the Home Secretary whether eight officers of the special branch are engaged full-time on watching ex-Inspector John Syme and his wife; what is the amount paid to these eight men in salaries and expenses; and what purpose is served by the expenditure of this money in this manner?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to him on the 25th May last. Special police observation on Syme is necessary to prevent him committing a breach of the peace or some more serious offence.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has come to a decision as to the applications for naturalisation, respectively, submitted some years ago by Mr. David Revkin, of Grosvenor Street Works, Manchester, and Mr. A. Kalinsky, of 217, Oxford Road, Manchester; and, if not, when these decisions will be arrived at?

I regret that I cannot make any statement as to when these particular cases out of the large numbers still pending can be brought to an issue.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why No. XLVII, Index of Chancery Proceedings (Series I), preserved in the Public Record Office, James I, Vol. I, A-K, London, published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1922, containing 490 pages, costs £5 net, and why No. XLVIII, List of Early Chancery Proceedings, preserved in the Public Record Office, Vol. VI, London, published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1922, containing 364 pages, costs 10s, net, seeing that Vols. I, II, III, IV, and V of the Early Chancery Proceedings, containing, respectively, 392, 566, 519, 459, and 612 pages (total 2,548 pages) were published in 1901, 1903, 1906, 1908, and 1912 at 12s., 17s., 15s., 15s., and 20s., respectively (total 2,548 pages for 79s.); whether the authorities at the Record Office were consulted before these increased charges were fixed; whether a number of public libraries in America and elsewhere were given sets of lists and indices in exchange for their undertaking to subscribe for future volumes in the series; and, if so, what steps are being taken so that they may not give notice to discontinue this arrangement on account of this increase in price without notice?

I am sending a full explanation to my right hon. Friend in regard to these two publications

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has yet earmarked, and, if so, for what purpose, any of the £25,000,000 set aside in the Budget for contingent expenses needing Supplementary Estimates?

I would refer the hon and gallant Member to the particulars given on page 2 of the Supplementary Estimate just issued (House of Commons Paper 140). I cannot yet foresee at all accurately what the requirements for the rest of the year may be.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Treasury still retain, by way of loan on deposit, any securities on which a half per cent., or other consideration, is paid over and above the rate of interest borne by each security; if so, what is the nominal amount of these securities; the number of the staff, temporary or otherwise, employed; the estimated cost of the Department for the year to 31st March, 1923; and how much of that goes in salaries?

The last of the securities loaned to the Treasury was listed for return on 31st March, 1922, from which date the payment of the additional allowance of half per cent. ceased. The staff at 31st March, 1922, consisted of 78 temporary officials, of whom 38 are employed at the present time in winding up the business of the Departments. The estimate for the salaries of the staff for the current financial year is £3,520. The estimate for the Treasury Securities Deposit Scheme for the current year amounts to £38,600, and includes £12,500 revoted for additional allowance which had accrued up to 31st March, 1922, but could not be paid before the close of the year, and also £22,500 revoted for commission to agents for a similar reason.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will state for each of the Allies the amount included in the claim against Germany for pensions and allowances?

The Reparation Commission fixed Germany's total liability in respect of reparation at about 132 milliard gold marks, but did not allocate any specific part of this liability to any particular category of damage.

asked the Prime Minister how many ex-service men are now employed in the Civil Service in temporary positions; and how many have been added, by examination or otherwise, to the permanent staff during the last 12 months?

44,595 ex-service men, of whom 17,615 were disabled, were employed in a temporary capacity in Government Departments on the 1st instant. During the 12 months ended 30th June, 1922, certificates of qualification, including special war certificates and special recommendations issued under the Order in Council of the 22nd March, 1918, for appointment to permanent situations in the Civil Service, were issued in favour of 10,981 ex-service men. A small proportion of this number, which cannot be precisely stated, is in respect of men already in the permanent Civil Service who obtained better appointments.

asked the Prime Minister whether he can make any further statement on the, course of events at The Hague Conference; and when and where the next Conference is to take place?

A full statement with regard to The Hague Conference will be made in the House on Wednesday next.

asked the Under-Secretary of Stale for Foreign Affairs which are the articles and commodities claimed by the Greek Government to be absolute contraband in the present war between Greece and Turkey; whether Italian merchant ships trading to Turkey are escorted by Italian men-of-war; and what protection is given to British merchant ships in the same trade?

The Greek list of contraband is, I understand, the same which has been in force since its issue in 1917. It is identical with that issued at the time by the Allies, which was published in the "London Gazette" of 3rd July, 1917. Although since that date the Greek Government have not issued a fresh complete list, they have, in fact, adopted all subsequent additions made to the Allied list. His Majesty's Government have no information as to whether Italian merchant ships trading to Turkey are escorted by Italian men-of-war. No such measure has been adopted, or is contemplated, in respect of British vessels in the same trade.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether there is now a substantial loss on the Sierra Leone Railway; and what is the proportion of the loss to revenue of 1921?

Yes, Sir, there was a loss in 1921 of £61,000 on a revenue of £162,000, or about 37 per cent. I am sending out an expert to report on the working and management of the railway.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport what jurisdiction, if any, has his Department over the railways of Ireland; whether he has any information as to the present condition of those railways; and what is the estimated value of those systems to-day compared with that of 1918?

By virtue of the Provisional Government (Transfer of Functions) Order, 1922, made under the Irish Free State (Agreement) Act, 1922, the functions of the Minister of Transport in connection with the administration of railways in Southern Ireland were transferred to, and became exercisable by, the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Provisional Government as from 1st April last. The Minister of Transport therefore no longer exercises such functions in Southern Ireland, but no transfer of his functions in relation to railways in Northern Ireland has yet been made in view of the provisions of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, and the Provisional Government (Council of Ireland) Order, 1922, and the fact that the appointed day with respect to the powers of the Council of Ireland has not yet been fixed. In reply to the second part of the question, I am not quite sure what kind of information the hon. and gallant Member has in mind, but I am not in possession of any detailed survey of the present condition of railways in Ireland. In reply to the third part of the question, it is not possible, nor should I think it right, for me to express an opinion as to the value of Irish railway systems.

asked the Minister of Agriculture in regard to the case of Messrs. Lye, smallholders, of Wilcot, Devizes, Wilts, which case has already been brought to his notice, if he is aware that the small holding in question, consisting of 47 acres, is rented at £142 per annum, whereas the farm out of which it and other small holdings was formed, and which consisted of 115 acres, was, previous to its purchase by the Wilts County Council, let for £130 per annum; and whether, in view of this and of the fact that this high rent affects the holders adversely, not only as regards rent, but also as regards rates and the great difficulty that smallholders are placed in owing to the prevailing agricultural depression, he will press the county council to materially reduce the assessment of this holding?

I understand that. the farm of 115 acres, to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers, was at the date of its purchase by the county council in September, 1919, let with other land, and I have no definite information as to the amount of rent which was being paid for this area. The Ministry was, however, advised at the rime of purchase that the rental value of the land was approximately £2 an acre. Before the property could be let in small holdings, it was necessary to provide for an expenditure of £1,591 on the erection of new buildings, repairs to existing cottages and buildings and on fencing; and at the t me of letting to the smallholders, a rent of£3 an acre was considered fair and reasonable. As I explained to my hon. and gallant Friend on the 17th instant, cases of special hardship amongst statutory smallholders have been met by abatements of rent, and in exceptional cases I shall be prepared to consider proposals submitted by smallholding committees for permanent reductions of rent as from Michaelmas next.

asked the hon. Member for the Poll ok Division of Glasgow, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, the number of leased premises utilised for Government offices during or immediately after the War which have been given up since January, 1922; whether any others have been leased or bought; if so, for what pur- poses; and whether the Government is planning any and, if so, what new erections for the purpose of housing Government staffs?

Over 100 premises utilised for Government offices during or immediately after the War have been, given up since January last. Certain fresh premises have been taken, chiefly for concentrating local administrative staffs of the Ministry of Pensions, but these will be counterbalanced by the surrender of a large number of unsuitable offices during the next six months. It is not the present policy of His Majesty's Government either to purchase or to erect premises for the accommodation of Government staffs, but in one or two cases it has been necessary to purchase small property in order to secure tenure on the expiration of a lease.