asked the Minister of Pensions what is the number of missing soldiers to whose dependants any pension or allowance has been refused on the ground that the said soldiers are, rightly or wrongly, officially classed as deserters?

No claim to widow's or dependant's pension can arise under the Royal Pensions Warrant until the man's death has been established or officially presumed by the Service Department concerned.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that the note included by his Department to pensioners who have been awarded a final weekly allowance, to the effect that they can appeal through the local committee to a medical appeal board within two months of the date of their notification, contains the words, "You must clearly understand that it is open to a medical appeal board not only to raise your assessment if satisfied that you have substantiated your claim, but also to lower it if, in their opinion, it is already too high"; and whether he is aware that in many cases the pensioner refuses to appeal for fear that, as a consequence, the medical board may lower his pension?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I think my hon. Friend will agree that it is in the best interests of the pensioner that he should be fully acquainted with the powers of medical appeal boards.

asked the Minister of Pensions if his attention has been called to the case of J. Ashton, an ex-service man, of 54, Gaskell Street, St. Helens, who is having 5s. a week deducted from his pension for an alleged overpayment of £46 paid to him as treatment allowance; and if he will make the necessary inquiries into the case?

I am looking into the facts of this case and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Pensions if his attention has been called to the case of J. Cliffe, a disabled ex-service man, late No. 7,764 Machine Gun Corps, ring paper No. 3/MB/ll,460, of 67, Oldfield Street, St. Helens, who served with the Colours on active service from 1914 until September, 1918, was wounded twice, gassed once, is now unfit for work, and his pension stopped; and if he will make full inquiries into Case No. 182, ring paper No. 3/MA/2,773?

This man has been drawing regularly at the Post Office his 20 per cent, pension awarded for bronchitis. A recent medical board has, however, assessed disablement at less than 20 per cent., and, when the current award expires next month, payment of an appropriate final weekly allowance will commence. The man has made no claim to compensation for wounds. The case referred to in the last part of the question appears to be identical with that dealt with in the previous question.

asked the Minister of Pensions if his attention has been called to the case of John Hewitt, No. 32,566, Royal Army Medical Corps, a disabled ex-service man, on active service from 1914 to 1918, whose pension has been stopped since February of the present year, himself and family being in receipt of out-door parish relief; and if he will make the necessary inquiries into the case?

The last award was a final weekly allowance granted under Article 1 (3) of the Royal Warrant in final compensation for slight disablement, and has been paid in full. I regret that no further award can be authorised unless the man's condition has grown materially worst, in which event he may make renewed application through the local office.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware of the destitution and poverty existing among disabled ex-service men and their dependants in the Hems worth area owing to the cutting-down policy pursued by his Ministry: whether he is aware of the burden placed upon the lost rates by this policy, and that the Hems-worth Board of Guardians have made protests against the treatment meted out by pensions authorities to disabled ex-service men and their dependants within their area; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to remedy these alleged grievances and to honour the promise made to these men at the time of their enlistment?

War pensions are not reduced arbitrarily, as appears to be suggested by the hon. Member. The amount of disablement pension, which is granted as compensation for disablement sustained by war service, is, under the Royal Warrants, regulated solely by the extent of the disablement as assessed from time to time by a medical board, regard being had to medical considerations alone. I may remind the hon. Member that such factors as employment or unemployment were expressly excluded, with the approval of Parliament, from consideration for pension purposes under the Warrants and Regulations administered by me.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that Mr. James Just, who served as a private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was discharged in 1917 as being no longer physically fit for service, was wounded during service in the thigh and forehead, and is visibly suffering from shell shock, is receiving a pension of 7s. 6d. per week, with the result that Mr. Just and his wife are forced to depend upon the parish council for assistance; and will he take such steps as may be necessary to have cases of this kind remedied?

I am making inquiries into this case and will communicate with the hon. Member shortly.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether his Department will consider the case of ex-service men who, being inmates of mental hospitals, have consequently to render the major portion or all of their pensions to the hospital authorities to the privation of their parents, who are often wholly or in part dependent upon their son's earnings; and whether a portion of such pension could be transferred to such parents who, through age and physical disabilities, are unable to fully earn their livelihood?

Provision already exists in these cases for the grant of an allowance, not exceeding 14s. a week, to dependent parents who are infirm and in need.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether a pension granted to a stepmother, a mother, or a guardian in respect of a stepson, or son, or support is merely granted on the ground of dependency; and whether such pension is withdrawn when the recipient becomes self-supporting?

Pensions to parents, and those who acted as parents to deceased soldiers, are granted on the grounds of infirmity and pecuniary need, and are, consequently, subject to modification if there has been any material change in the circumstances of the pensioner.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether Mr. Thomas Sheddon, of 16, Centre Street, Glasgow, has been ordered by the Scottish regional director to enter the Southern General Hospital, under the control of the Govan Parish Council, for observation when he had already been at Hawkhead, Dykebar, and Woodilee Asylums, and discharged from the same; and is he prepared to accede to his request to be treated in Bellahouston Hospital, or any similar institution, as he holds a medical certificate to the effect that he is suffering from pyorrhœa?

The institution to which it is proposed to admit this case for observation is one with which the Ministry has an arrangement by which special cases are received at the cost of the Ministry, and is the most suitable in the area, having special treatment facilities for the particular disability. The case is not suitable for admission to an institution such as Bellahouston Hospital. The claim in respect of defective teeth will receive consideration as soon as the further information which the man has been asked to supply has been received at the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Pensions why Colour-sergeant J. A. Woolley, No. E5250, who was discharged from the Royal Fleet Reserve on 17th June, 1922, because he had reached the age limit, and who was entitled to an increase of 5d. per day in his pension, has not received such increase although he has twice applied for it?

I have been asked to reply. There is no trace of the receipt of the applications referred to. Woolley's claim to the Royal Fleet Reserve pension will be dealt with immediately after the receipt of his certificate of service, which he has now been asked to forward for inspection.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, seeing that the administration of pensions for ex-service men and their dependants cannot be as sympathetically carried out by a Department of the Treasury as by an ad hoc Ministry, he will make representations in support of the continuation of his Ministry?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given yesterday on this subject by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the abnormal cost of the office of the Public Trustee and of the fact that its activities might be move economically and expeditiously carried out by solicitors, he will consider the advisability of abolishing that Department at an early date?

I have been asked to reply. The Office of Public Trustee was established in response to a public demand for services which cannot be rendered by solicitors. The cost of administration was increased largely by the rise in the cost of living. It has been greatly reduced during the current year by drastic economies and now involves no cost to the taxpayer. The abolition of the office would involve very great inconvenience and heavy expenditure both to the country and to the beneficiaries of the trusts administered by the Public Trustee.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the annual cost of his public information department; how many officials, including supervisory, part-time, and clerical staff, are connected with it; and whether this post-War Department will be abolished?

The Publicity Branch of the Ministry was abolished in March of this year; no special officers are now engaged on the work formerly carried out by that branch.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in 1914 the emoluments of a higher division civil servant of the rank of assistant-principal and with eight years' service in that rank were identical with those of a general staff officer, first grade, at the War Office and a junior naval captain holding an appointment such as that of assistant-director of naval equipment at the Admiralty; and by how much, respectively, the present remuneration of a general staff officer, first grade, at the War Office and a junior naval captain at the Admiralty exceeds that of a civil servant of the rank of principal, being the nearest equivalent to the old style assistant-principal, at the top of his scale, inclusive of cost of living bonus at current rates?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second, the emoluments of a civil servant of the rank of principal at the maximum of his scale are £133 per annum less than, those of the unmarried general staff officer, first grade, employed at the War Office, £197 per annum less than those of the same officer, if married, and £267 per annum less than those of the junior naval captain employed at the Admiralty.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the provision of full professional rights of training, entry, and promotion for women in the Civil Service?

The Government intend, in accordance with the Resolutions passed by the House of Commons on the 5th August, 1921, to give the fullest possible opportunities to women in the Civil Service, subject always to the interests of efficiency and economy and the just claims of ex-service men.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been repaid to Great Britain in respect of principal and interest of War and reconstruction loans made to the Allies and Dominions, signifying the respective amounts paid by each Ally and Dominion?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the figures given on pages 24 and 34 of the Finance Accounts, 1921–22, and similar accounts for previous years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the German Republic in the last 12 months has transferred any gold to the Bank of England; and, if so, what is the amount?

The Bank of England is a private institution and transactions between the Bank and its customers are not within the province of the Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether under Clause 21 of the Finance Act, 1922, the amount of Super-tax payable if a company unreasonably refrains from distributing its profits by way of dividend may be less than the sum of the Corporation Profits Tax and Super-tax that would be payable if the company distributed substantially the whole of its profits by way of dividend; and whether he proposes to repair this flaw in the working of Clause 21 of the Act in question, seeing that the Clause may operate to encourage in some cases the practice that the Clause itself declares textually it is enacted to prevent?

I would remind my hon. Friend that this Section does not-become operative until the year 1923–24. I see no reason to anticipate in any normal case the result foreshadowed in the question, and I do not propose to take any action at the present moment, but the matter will be borne in mind in the actual working of the new provision.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount has been paid into the British Exchequer since 1st April, 1922, up to the latest date for which the figures are available on account of Reparations and on account of the Army of Occupation?

The answer is, nothing for Reparations, and about £5 million in respect of the cost in the past and current years of the Army of Occupation?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total of Reparations paid by Germany since the Armistice up to the latest date for which figures are available, specifying separately the amount paid in German currency, in other currencies, and in kind, and the value of State and other properties transferred in ceded territories?

The figures are as follow:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Sir John Bradbury has received any instructions to support French claims in regard to reparations due from Germany under the Treaty of Versailles; and, if so, what is the nature of these instructions?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, and the second part therefore does not arise. I would remind my hon. Friend that the functions of the Reparation Commission are defined by the Treaty of Versailles, and the delegates of particular Powers are not appointed for the purpose of supporting or opposing the viewpoints of this or that nation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, for the financial year 1920–21, the printing works under Stationery Office management in Dugdale Street and at Harrow works lost over £33,000; and what steps does he propose to take to save the taxpayers from a continuance of this loss?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given yesterday to the hon. and gallant Member for the Tonbridge Division (Lieut.-Colonel Spender Clay).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Harrow printing works have now been closed; if so, what is the financial result of their trading, and if, when arriving at this figure, an adequate and proper sum has been charged for supervision and establishment expenses; how such sums bears comparison with the normal ascertained figure in the printing trade for a similar period during which the trading has been carried out; under what authority were printing works set up; and whether the House of Commons were informed of the facts and were invited to give its consent?

The Harrow works are being run for an experimental period of three years, expiring next June, when the question of their further retention will be fully considered. The accounts for the period 9i months to 31st March, 1921, showed a loss of £32,839, and for the year 1921–22, a loss of £21,318, but provisional figures for the last six months show that the works are now being run at a profit. I am informed that these accounts include an adequate and proper charge for supervision and establishment expenses, which, so far as the audited accounts for 1920–21 are concerned, has been passed by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. The charge for establishment expenses covers the actual outlay for all establishment purpose. In the case of supervision, the amount covers a due proportion of the cost of the higher officials of the Stationery Office and the entire cost of the officials wholly employed in connection with the printing works. I am unable to say how these charges compare with similar charges in the printing trade. The Harrow works were purchased out of the Vote of Credit in 1918 in the circumstances set out in Appendix I. to the Report of the Select Committee on Publications for 1918 (House of Commons Paper 131). Provision for the mainten- ance of the works on a peace footing has been voted by Parliament in each succeeding year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of revenue derived from the Entertainments Duty for the first six months of the current financial year and for the corresponding period of the previous year; and, approximately, what proportion of the total is derived from cinematograph theatres?

The revenue derived from the Entertainments Duty in Great Britain in the first six months of the current and last financial years was £4,596,000 and £4,895,000 respectively. Owing to the fact that a considerable part of the duty is collected by means of the sale of Government tickets and stamps, it is not possible to state the yield in respect of any particular class of entertainment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost, in addition to the present charge, of granting an Old Age Pension to every applicant whose income is below the Income Tax exemption limit?

The Departmental Committee on Old Age Pensions set up in 1919 estimated the additional cost for the United Kingdom of the adoption of the Income Tax exemption limit at £14,500,000. The Committee came to the conclusion that the adoption of this limit was impracticable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can give an estimate of the loss to the Exchequer if the amount of sickness or other benefit conferred by societies or trade unions is no longer computed against a claim for Old Age Pensions?

I regret that there are no particulars available from which the estimate asked for could be given. My hon. and gallant Friend will no doubt be aware that Section (4) (1, b) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1919, allows the exclusion, in the calculation of means, of any amounts received during a period of three months in any year under a medical certificate as sickness benefit from a friendly society or trade union or under the National Insurance Act, 1911.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in reference to the Excess Profits Duty whether he can state for the current financial year how much has been received, and how much has been repaid?

The gross receipts of Excess Profits Duty (including munitions levy) in the period from 1st April to 18th November, 1922, were: £36,040,000, and the repayments, £36,265,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there has been any sale of chemicals by the Disposals Board other than the one of September, 1920; and, if there has, will he give the dates of such sales, the names of the buyers, and the prices realised?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The preparation of the return required by the hon. Member would necessitate considerable clerical labour involving expense which, with the depleted staffs now available, could not be justified.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the resident members of Cambridge University were overwhelmingly in favour of the full admission of women on equal terms with men, but that the non-resident vote was the cause of delaying the reform; that the late President, on 15th June last, viewed the matter very favourably and encouragingly; that women have been admitted to full university rights in Oxford; and whether he will consider making any Government grant to Cambridge conditional upon equality of treatment as between men and women?

I am aware of the previous history of the very difficult and controversial question of the position of women in the University of Cambridge. In accordance with a decision of the late Government, the university now receives an annual grant of £30,000 from the Treasury. Whether it will be possible for the Government to make any addition to this grant, and, if so, whether any special conditions should be attached to it, are questions on which I am not at present in a position to make any statement.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the Manchester Education Committee is dismissing a number of married women teachers, and if this course be persisted in the teaching profession will cease to attract women into it, however well suited they may be; and whether he will communicate with the Manchester Committee pointing out the danger and ill-advisability of adopting this course, and advising the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed teachers?

I understand that the Manchester Local Education Authority are dismissing a relatively small number of married women teachers, but I have no reason to believe that their action will deter women from entering the teaching profession. I am not disposed to interfere with the authority's discretion in this matter.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) whether, seeing that the Lytton Committee in their Third Interim Report, dated June, 1921, recommended that 50 per cent, of the vacancies in the administrative class of the Civil Service during the years 1921 to 1924 should be filled from ex-service candidates, at present temporarily employed in Government Departments, who wore born between January, 1881, and August, 1891, and possess the necessary qualifications to be selected at a competition, and that this recommendation was accepted by His Majesty's Government and officially adopted, he will say whether the competition proposed in this recommendation has in fact been held; how many new appointments have been made to the administrative class from any source since the date of the adoption of the Report; whether an equal number of vacancies has been reserved for the temporary administrative officers in question, in accordance with the terms of the Report as adopted by His Majesty's Treasury; and on what date it is intended to hold an examination to fill these vacancies;(2) whether an examination was held in October, 1922, for women officers at present temporarily employed in an administrative capacity, with a view to the selection of some of them to fill established posts; whether some ex-service temporary administrative officers (men), between 30 and 40 years of age, are at present under notice of dismissal; whether some of these men have dependants, and are totally without private means or prospects of employment outside the public service; and whether, having regard to the pledge given by His Majesty's Treasury in adopting the recommendations of the Lytton Report (1921), he will now cause to be extended to tins class the opportunities of becoming established by means of an examination, which have already been afforded to every other class of temporary civil servants, namely, to clerical officers, departmental officers, male administrative officers, under 30 years of age, and women administrative officers?

The answer to the first part of the former is in the negative, and to the second part, that, since the adoption in August, 1921, of the Third Report of Lord Lytton's Committee, three fresh appointments only have been made to the Cadet Grade of the Administrative Class. One of the officers so appointed was an ex-service man, successful under the Reconstruction scheme, whose appointment had been delayed, and the remaining two, of whom one was an ex-service man, were appointed out of 61 candidates from the Open Competition of August, 1921, arrangements for the holding of which had been publicly announced a long time prior to the issue of the Report of Lord Lytton's Committee. A competition among women for posts in the Administrative Class, under regulations approved by this House, is at present being held to fill not more than three vacancies, which are appropriate to be filled by women, and the position as regards vacancies appropriate to be filled by men is not thereby affected. I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that, when recruitment to the Administrative Class again becomes necessary, due regard will be had to the recommendations of Lord Lytton s Committee and to the number of fresh appointments made since the date of the adoption of the Committee's Report. I fear, however, that owing to the reductions in Government staffs, it is most unlikely that any vacancies in the class as a whole will arise during 1923, and I cannot therefore forecast for how long it may be necessary to postpone the holding of the further special competition for ex-service men. I might add that, out of 204 appointments made since Midsummer, 1910, to the Administrative Class, no less than 199 were filled by ex-service men.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the Report of the Select Committee dealing with the employment of ex-service men; and whether, in view of there being over 100,000 disabled ex-service men unemployed, he will consider increasing the Income Tax of those employers not on the King's Roll of Honour, thus following the precedent set during the War of increasing the Income Tax on those foreign securities not deposited with the Government under the Treasury Deposit Sale Bank?

My hon. Friend's suggestion for differential taxation presents many difficulties which, in my view, would be conclusive against it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the effect, so far as recorded, on the Lancashire cotton trade of the order affecting the importation of fabric gloves?

I can find no evidence that the British cotton spinning industry has suffered in any degree through the imposition of the duty on fabric gloves.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been directed to the duty imposed on British motor cars by the Government of India to the detriment of that industry; and whether representations have been or will be made to the Indian authorities with a view to some relief from such duty?

I have received representations on this subject, and His Majesty's Senior Trade Commissioner in India has been in communication with the India Department of Commerce. The Government of India have not seen their way to modify the duty, but they are watching its effect very carefully.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to statements that there is some intention not to confine sales at the British Empire Exhibition to the products and manufactures of the Empire, but to extend them to those of other countries; and whether, having regard to the guarantee given by His Majesty's Government, he will insist that only goods produced and manufactured within the Empire, shall be sold at the exhibition?

In conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies and my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, I am giving the whole question of the British Empire Exhibition my earnest attention, and I should be obliged if my hon. and gallant Friend could see his way to postpone his question until next week.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can give the value of the exports taken from this country per head of population in each self-governing Dominion, and in France, Italy, Spain, the United States, the Argentine and Japan?

The following statement shows for the 12 months ended 30th September, 1922, the value of exports from the United Kingdom consigned to the undermentioned countries, per head of the estimated population of those countries.

	Value per head of estimated Population.
Country.	Total Exports from United Kingdom.			Exports of United Kingdom Produce and Manufactures included in the preceding column.
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Canada	2	17	10	2	11	11
Newfoundland	2	0	11	1	15	6
Union of South Africa.	3	16	8	3	13	1
Australia	11	3	9	10	6	1
New Zealand	12	1	4	11	9	2
British India	0	6	0	0	5	11
France	1	15	4	1	5	11
Italy	0	11	1	0	10	l
Spain	0	11	7	0	10	9
United States of America.	0	13	3	0	9	6
Argentina	2	12	1	2	11	0
Japan	0	8	6	0	8	4

The values given represent the value of the merchandise f.o.b. at a port in the United Kingdom, and the calculations are based on the latest available official statistics of population for the various countries.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether information on tuberculosis not supported by the Ministry's medical experts was recently given to a London newspaper by the Publicity Branch of his Departments?

My hon. and gallant Friend presumably refers to the report prepared in the Ministry of Health and published in the "Times" of 10th October as to the conclusions of a committee of French experts appointed under the presidency of M. Calmette to consider certain aspects of bovine tuberculosis. It will be seen that the report is a mere summary of the findings of M. Calmette's Committee, and no question accordingly arises as to the views of any particular department of the Ministry on the issue.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he is aware that there are districts in Sheffield, such as the Tyler Street estate, the Petre Street estate, and Tinsley, where temporary huts, erected during the War and still the property of the Office of Works are being used as dwelling houses for several thousand people: whether, seeing that these wooden huts, erected on sites where there are no proper roads and no adequate street lighting, are, owing to their light structure, very unsuitable for permanent dwellings, His Majesty's Government will undertake to demolish these temporary shelters and erect suitable houses on the sites in question, by this means meeting to some extent the great deficiency of houses in the district and at the same time giving work to the unemployed in the building trade and other allied trades?

The answer to the first part is in the affirmative. The question of providing houses to meet local needs is one for the local authorities, and my Department has no power to erect houses for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether, in view of his request to certain urban district councils entitled to receive the Exchequer subsidy to estimate, under the housing Regulations, the annual average loss arising out of their housing schemes from March, 1922, to March, 1927, and in view of the impossibility of estimating such future losses with any degree of accuracy while the councils are in the dark as to what the outgoings for future local rates will be several years in advance, and without knowing what will be the effect on rents of unemployment, the fall in wages, and other unascertainable contingencies, he will say what is the objection, if any, to the Ministry using the annual audited accounts of local authorities by which to settle their annual loss on housing schemes?

I am advised that the suggestion made by my hon. Friend is not one which complies with the terms of the Housing Act and it is not, therefore, open to me to adopt it. In any case I regard it as essential that the annual payments made by the Exchequer should be determined in such a way as to throw the responsibility for administration of the schemes upon the local authorities.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, what is the annual charge to National Revenue and local rates of the late Government's Housing Scheme?

It is estimated that the commitments under the assisted housing schemes, including slum clearances, will amount to £9,900,000 per annum, of which £9,100,000 per annum will be borne by the Exchequer.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government intend in this Session to introduce legislation dealing with the recent decision of the Courts in the matter of the Rent Restrictions Act?

I regret that it is impossible for me to make any statement on this subject to-day, but I hope to be in a position to do so to-morrow or Thursday.

asked the First Commissioner of Works, as representing the Secretary for Scotland, whether, in view of the unsatisfactory conditions under which small landholders at Thirdpart, Fife, and in many other districts in Scotland, have been settled, and of the inflated figures at I which their buildings have been valued, he is prepared to take steps to secure reconsideration of these valuations, and to refer the matter to the Scottish Land Courts to fix fair rents and valuations?

The high cost of buildings in this and other cases is due to the prices ruling at the date of erection. The situation arising from the fall in values is now under consideration.

asked the First Commissioner of Works, as representing the Secretary for Scotland, the amounts of the grants made towards the repair and equipment of Scottish harbours during the past year out of the harbour funds administered by the Scottish Fishery Board: and whether, having regard to the urgent need for the proper repair and dredging of the harbours along the coast of Fife and in other fishing communities in Scotland, he is prepared to support applications for further grants for that purpose from the Development Commission in supplement of the fund administered by the Scottish Fishery Board?

Since 1st January last grants amounting to £6,370 have actually been paid from the harbour funds of the Fishery Board for Scotland and other grants amounting to £2,645 have been sanctioned. By means of a grant from the Development Fund the Board maintain a dredger for work at fishery harbours and the services of this dredger may be obtained on very favourable terms. In addition, advances amounting to £37.945 have been authorised from the Development Fund during the year. Applications for further advances from the Development Fund will be considered on their merits.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can make any statement in reference to the charges for parcel post; and whether any reduction is anticipated in the present charges?

I regret that I am not at present in a position to make any statement on this matter.

asked the Postmaster General whether, in view of the precarious position of many smallholders in agricultural counties like Somerset and in view of Government pledges to agriculturists, he will take steps to restore cheaper postal rates upon eggs, poultry, bacon, cheese, butter and other produce, and thus benefit both rural producer and urban consumer?

I am afraid that, though I sympathise with the object in view, I could not entertain any suggestion of granting a special rate for parcels of agricultural produce. A preferential rate of this kind would immediately elicit demands for similar treatment from other industries to which cheap transport is of no less importance, and I know of no ground on which equality of treatment could be refused.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the impossibility if reaching a permanent settlement of the Near Eastern problem without the cooperation of the Russian Government, His Majesty's Government will reconsider the advisability of extending a formal invitation to that Government to attend the forthcoming Conference at Lausanne?

It was in consideration of Russia's interest in the matter that His Majesty's Government, in conjunction with the Governments of France and Italy, issued on the 27th October a formal invitation to the Russian Government to participate in the discussion at Lausanne regarding the Straits.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements have been made for the residence of the Sultan of Turkey at Malta: and what will be the cost to the Treasury per week of such arrangement?

The Sultan has been accommodated in the Royal Artillery officers' me6s and quarters, which are temporarily vacant. As regards expense, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Rotherham yesterday.