asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that a flat rate pension of 5s. per week had been awarded to the father of the late Private Thomas Jones, No. 29606, Royal Welsh Fusiliers; that, on the death of the father, the transfer of the said pension to the mother has been refused; and whether, in view of the mother's pecuniary need, he will cause the flat rate pension to be transferred or a need pension granted to her?

The applicant is not eligible to receive the pension granted to her deceased husband. I understand that she does not claim to be incapable of self-support and she is not, therefore, eligible for a need pension at present. If, however, her circumstances should change for the worse at a future date an application made by her, through the local office of the Ministry for a need pension would receive consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, at the Government experimental station at Porton, near Salisbury, any animals have been exposed in trenches or otherwise to gas shell fire or any similar proceeding; and whether there is an interval between the shelling and the recovery of the bodies during which full consciousness may exist on the part of the animals used?

The animals are not exposed to gas shell fire or to any similar proceeding. They are observed during the experiment, and at its conclusion are destroyed at once, unless it is clear that they have not been harmed.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Paddington Borough Council, at their meeting on the 5th June, appointed their borough engineer as a delegate to attend the conference of the Institute of Municipal and County Engineers to be held at Leeds, and resolved to pay his reasonable expenses, and at the same meeting appointed one of their sanitary inspectors as a delegate to attend the conference of the Sanitary Inspectors' Association to be held at Rhyl, but resolved that he should pay his own expenses; whether this distinction is due to his action in refusing his sanction to the payment of expenses by local authorities or delegates attending the Sanitary Inspectors' Conference; and what steps he proposed to take to allay the dissatisfaction caused in the local government service by such differentiation between two classes of officials discharging duties of equal importance to the community at large?

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given on the 30th May and 6th June to questions by the hon. and gallant Member for the Finchley Division (Colonel Newman) and the hon. Member for the Smethwick Division (Mr. J. Davison) with respect to the conferences mentioned. The replies indicate that my right hon. Friend has not made any distinction between the two conferences as regards the sanctioning of expenses. The Minister has intimated to the borough council that he is not prepared to sanction the payment out of the rates of the expenses of a delegate attending the conference referred to in the first part of the question. The last part of the question, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will direct medical officers of health to record in their future annual reports the number of cases of smallpox and other infectious diseases notified from families living in houses or tenements containing one room, two rooms, three rooms, four rooms, and five or more rooms, respectively?

I will consider this suggestion in connection with the preparation of the next circular on the subject of the annual reports of medical officers of health.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that it was ascertained by inquest that in 1921 two women, aged 50 and 60 years, respectively, died of starvation in the unions of Bucklow and Wirral, in the county of Chester; whether his Department has taken any and, if so, what steps to prevent similar deaths; how many persons died of starvation or exposure in that county in 1922; if any, can he supply particulars as to age, sex, date of inquest, and union concerned; whether any of the persons so dying in either year were tramps or homeless; if any and, if so, which of the casual wards in that county have been closed; and, if so, will he give instructions that they be reopened?

I am aware of the two cases referred to in the first part of this question. The cause of death was given in the first case as syncope due to weakness brought on by starvation and loss of blood from piles, and in the second case as starvation the result of her own neglect. As stated in reply to previous similar questions put by the hon. Member, it is the duty of boards of guardians and of their officers to afford immediate relief in any case of sudden or urgent necessity if application is made to them, and I do not see what further steps are open to me. There was one case of death from exposure in the year 1922, that of a male aged 69. The man died in the infirmary of the Bucklow Union and the inquest was held on the 3rd July, 1922. In both of the 1921 cases the women appear to have died in their own homes; in the 1922 case the man was found lying out in a lane. The Birkenhead and Tarvin casual wards have been closed, but cases of urgency are admitted to the Birkenhead Institution and, as at present advised, I see no reason for action on my part.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he has received representations from the Ordnance Factories' Clerks' Association on the subject of improving the position of ordnance factory clerks; whether any of these clerks hold gazetted appointments; and, if not, whether he will consider if those drawing 400 rupees a month, and above, should be granted the status of gazetted officers?

No representations have been received from a clerks' association, and no clerks in the Indian ordnance factories draw salaries approximating to Rs.400 a month. A memorial has, however, been received from the Foremen's Association of India asking for increased rates of pay for the civilian subordinate personnel of the Indian Ordnance Department. The Secretary of State in Council was not able to grant this. These men are not of a class for which gazetted status would be appropriate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the meat combination known as the American Beef Trust has, since the Committee of Inquiry of 1908, considerably increased its stall-holding in Smithfield Meat Market, and is about to take over four additional stalls, and that the influence and manipulation of this combine are responsible for the present high retail prices of meat; and whether he will consider the desirability of appointing a Committee to inquire into the organisation of this trust and the manner in which it manipulates prices to the disadvantage of consumers of meat throughout this country?

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him on the 5th December last. I am informed that since that date there has been no increase in the holdings of stalls in the Smithfield Market by American meat companies, and that the four stalls referred to are being taken by a British company. I am not acquainted with any new facts which would justify a fresh inquiry into American competition in the meat trade; two such inquiries have already been made in the last four years, and Reports of them have been published.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the fact that his Department received in October last year strong representations from the glassware trades as to the trouble and expense involved in complying with the requirement that consular certificates of origin shall accompany all consignments imported from the Continent of glassware falling under the provisions of the Safeguarding of Industries Act, Part II, Order No. 1, that arrangements were promised whereby in the case of Belgium these certificates should be replaced by certificates issued from approved chambers of commerce in that country, and that these arrangements were almost completed two or three months ago, whether he can state on what date the new plan will commence to operate; and what steps, if any, have been taken by the Department to institute similar arrangements in the case of other countries, such as Holland, Switzerland, Sweden, and Czechoslovakia?

As regards Belgium, His Majesty's Government are only awaiting the reply of the Belgian Government on certain minor points of detail, before bringing such an arrangement into force. Communications are passing with the Dutch Government for the conclusion of a similar arrangement so far as Holland is concerned. As regards the other countries named, no steps have been taken up to the present.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state, approximately, the average percental increases in import duties now levied by the various European States on goods imported from the United Kingdom as compared with those in force in 1913?

I have been asked to reply. I am afraid that it would be quite impracticable to frame any reliable estimate of the average extent of these increases.

asked the Prime Minister if the recent shipment of gold from Germany to the United States of America went to the credit of the British Government in America?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total tonnage of new ships launched by Germany since the Armistice; and what is the percentage of Germany's shipbuilding in the world shipbuilding construction for the first four months of 1923?

The tonnage of vessels completed in Germany during the years 1919 to 1922 is shown as follows in the official journal of the German Statistical Office, "Wirthschaft und Statistik."

According to the quarterly returns of vessels built in different countries prepared by "Lloyds' Register," the tonnage launched in Germany during the quarter ended 31st March, 1923, was 69,000 tons gross, and represented 15·6 per cent. of the total tonnage launched in all countries included in the returns. Vessels of less than 100 tons gross are not included in these figures.

asked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health whether he is aware that, from 1st April till 8th June, 1923, 6,528 ejectment cases were heard in the Glasgow Summary Ejectment Court; that in 759 cases decree of ejectment was granted: and that in 163 cases decree of ejectment has been carried out; and whether, as the Glasgow poorhouses are already full, he will state what steps, if any, he intends to take to provide housing accommodation for the evicted citizens?

With regard to the first part of the question, I am informed that in the period referred to there were 5,268 new and 1,806 continued cases before the Glasgow Ejection Court, and that decrees of ejection were granted in 757 cases, in 423 of which the decrees were granted in the absence of the defenders. I have no information as to the number of these cases in which the decrees have been executed. With regard to the last part of the question, I am informed that it s not the case that the Glasgow and Govan poorhouses are full.

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health if he can state, with regard to the clinic for the treatment of venereal disease which has been established for the county of Shetland in Lerwick, if non-insured persons resident in Lerwick and neighbourhood and insured temporary residents are entitled to receive free treatment at the clinic; if non-insured persons in the country districts of Shetland, who, in order to visit Lerwick have to pay heavy travelling expenses, are entitled to free treatment for venereal disease, or are they required to pay a fee for such treatment to the country practitioners; and what proportion of the cost of treatment already provided in Lerwick is to become a charge on the county rates?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Persons in the country districts of Zetland suffering from venereal diseases are entitled to free treatment at the Lerwick clinic. Any such person who is unable himself to bear the cost of travelling to and from the clinic may apply to the county medical officer, who, if he is satisfied that the patient could not obtain the necessary treatment unless his travelling expenses were repaid, may refund such expenses to the patient. In terms of the Venereal Diseases Zetland County Combination Order, which came into operation on 16th May, 1922, the administration of the county venereal diseases scheme, including the Lerwick clinic, is vested in a joint committee representative of all the local authorities in the county. The whole expenditure incurred by or under the authority of the joint committee in carrying out the Public Health (Venereal Diseases) Regulations (Scotland), 1916, under deduction of the sums received by them from the Government Grant of 75 per cent. of the expenditure and from any other sources, falls to be defrayed by the several local authorities in the county in proportion to the population of their respective districts according to the latest available census returns.

asked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health if the corn subsidy for the crop in the year 1921 was paid to the incoming tenant and not to the outgoing tenant in cases where there was a change of tenancy; and, seeing that this has involved in some cases costly litigation, why the payments were made to the incoming tenant?

The subsidy was paid to the outgoing tenant in cases where he was entitled under any custom or otherwise to harvest any wheat or oats grown on the land. In other cases the subsidy was paid to the incoming tenant or other person who was on the 1st September, 1921, the occupier of the land. I understand that some cases have been raised in the Sheriff Court in connection with the assessment of compensation in the latter class of case. The payments were, however, made by the Board of Agriculture in accordance with the specific provision contained in Section 3 of the Corn Production Act, 1917, and so far as I am aware there has been no decision which conflicts with the Board's procedure.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that a sale of Canadian cattle is advertised to take place at Worlingham, Beccles, on Thursday, 31st June, including altogether 506 animals of which 200 are described as prime fat cattle; whether he is aware that these animals were landed at Birkenhead on the 29th of May from the s.s. "Welshman," and reported in the Agricultural Market Report on the 8th June; and why the fat cattle were not slaughtered on arrival at Birkenhead?

The answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the last part, the animals advertised for sale as "fat" cattle were not required to be slaughtered at Birkenhead because, in the opinion of the Ministry's veterinary inspector, they complied with the definition of "store cattle" in Sub-section 8 of Section 1 of the Importation of Animals Act, 1922, namely, were intended for feeding purposes and not for immediate slaughter.

asked the Home Secretary the number of prosecutions by the Metropolitan police during each of the years 1920, 1921, and 1922, respectively, for playing "House" (or box and numbers) and "Backing the Squares"; the number of persons convicted; and the maximum penalty inflicted in each year; and will he make inquiries of the Army authorities as to their reasons for permitting "House" to, be played by the British Army if it is an infringement of the Gaming Acts of this country?

The law prohibits the playing of any such game in a highway or public place, and it is the duty of the police to prosecute offenders, but the playing of such games on private premises is not unlawful so long as it does not make the premises where they are played into a common gaming-house. The law does not prohibit gambling altogether, but is aimed at preventing undue facilities being offered to the public for indulging in such a habit. The figures are as follow:

asked the Home Secretary if he has received a recommendation from the grand jury at the last Leicestershire assizes recommending that Judges be given power to inflict flogging for sexual offences against young children; and if he intends to take any action about the matter?

I have received such a recommendation, but I am not prepared to introduce legislation to this effect.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the net amount in sterling paid to the United States Government for the half-year's interest on the American loan due 15th June, 1923?

Approximately £14,464,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can give the gross amounts of money bequeathed by testamentary disposition to public hospitals and infirmaries in the United Kingdom during the past three years; and if he can state the amounts paid thereon by way of legacy and succession duty?

I regret that no official statistics are available on this subject, but the hon. Member will find some partial information as to the amount of legacies bequeathed to voluntary hospitals in Appendix B of the Final Report of the Voluntary Hospitals Committee, [Cmd. 1335 of 1921].

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Gobelin tapestires are still held by the British Government as security for the new Austrian loan; and, if not, who holds this security?

The Gobelin tapestries are not among the securities for the new guaranteed Austrian loan, with which the former British advance in respect of which they were pledged has been merged. The tapestries are in the hands of the Austrian Government.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether there are any Roman Catholic charities in Southern Ireland which hold either directly or through trustees investments in Great Britain; whether such investments are exempted from British Income Tax; and, if so, by virtue of what existing or proposed legislation?

I have no special information, but no doubt there may be Roman Catholic charities in the Irish Free State which hold British trustee investments. In the past, Irish charities of whatever religious persuasion have enjoyed exemption from Income Tax in respect of their investments. It is proposed by Clause 13 of the Finance Bill to continue this exemption of Irish Free State charities for one year. Corresponding relief to British and Northern Irish charities is being given by the Irish Free State.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, prior to coming to arrangements with the Cohen-Armstrong group for the sale of surplus material, the Disposal Board had before it any offer from other groups proposing terms that would have been more advantageous to the taxpayers; and, if so, what were the alternative offers and why they were rejected?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The latter part of the question, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether, in view of the importance of assisted emigration, he is taking steps to secure the attendance of representatives from districts where there is acute economic depression at the coming conference on Empire settlement?

I have been asked to reply. The forthcoming Imperial Economic Conference is to be a Conference between representatives of Governments only. It will, therefore, not be possible to adopt my hon. Friend's sug- gestion, but the subject of Empire Settlement will be one of the subjects for discussion and will be considered in all its aspects.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the fact that neither the workpeople nor their representatives are consulted when an application is made under Part II ( d ) of the First Schedule to the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, for a certificate of exemption from compulsory insurance; and whether he will take the necessary steps so that in the future the views of all parties concerned are taken into consideration before further certificates are granted?

As regards the chief classes of employments for which certificates of exception have been issued, the associations of workpeople mainly concerned had an opportunity to make observations before the certificates were issued originally. In most cases the certificates have been renewed for five years from July, 1922, and before a renewal was granted notice was given in all cases to the associations of workpeople concerned. Very few objections were received to the original issue of certificates and none to the renewals. Before certificates are issued in any class of employment not covered by the decisions in previous cases, notice will be given, as far as practicable, to the associations of workpeople concerned.

asked the Minister of Labour the reason for withdrawing support from the discharged sailors' and soldiers' training centre (scientific instruments), 24, Church Road, Richmond, Surrey; and if he will reconsider granting maintenance allowance to this training centre for disabled ex-service men?

In 1921 three trainees were placed with the private establishment referred to, but since that date the nature of the training given, and the prospects of subsequent employment, have not justified further placings.

asked the Minister of Labour if he has received notification of a dispute in the woolcombing department of Messrs. Holden and Burnleys, Bradford; whether he is aware that the dispute is owing to the firm not carrying out a decision of the Woolcombing Employers Federation to share the work out in slack times in place of dismissing workpeople; and what steps does he propose to take to bring the dispute to an early settlement?

I am aware of the dispute to which the hon. Member refers. The matter, however, has been dealt with by the effective machinery which exists in this trade for the settlement of differences between employers and workers and no request for the intervention of my Department has been made. I understand that as a result of a meeting between the National Wool and Allied Textile Industrial Council with the representatives of the firm and of the trade union concerned at which no agreement was reached regarding the sharing of work during periods of bad trade, the question has been referred to arbitration as provided by the constitution of the Joint Industrial Council.

asked the Postmaster-General if, seeing that the Post Office wireless station at Stonehaven is costing £10,000 a year to run, whilst the revenue amounts to only £3,500 a year, he will state how long this station has been in operation; if the receipts show any tendency to increase; and when he expects that it will pay its way?

The Stonehaven station has been in operation for wireless services with the Continent since August, 1919, but the services were at first mainly experimental. The receipts are increasing, those for the last financial year being twice as much as those for the preceding year. Arrangements are being made for additional services, but it cannot be stated at present when the station will pay its way. The run- ning expenses of the station are estimated at about £6,100 a year. If interest and depreciation are added, the total is £9,200, as stated in my answer to the question asked on the 29th May by the hon. and gallant Member for the Henley Division (Captain Terrell).

asked the Postmaster-General (1) what is the amount of pension now being received by Miss M. E. Mathew, late of the Money Order Department of the General Post Office, retired for ill-health, after 22 years' service, on the 27th February, 1922, and what is the amount of pension to which she would have been entitled had the reports of her own medical officer and of the official medical officer, who visited her on 16th January, 1922, been acted on without undue delay and her pension retirement authorised before 20th February, 1922; why the Department, in their letter of 29th January, 1922, refused to sanction her retirement, seeing that without any further medical examination it was sanctioned immediately after the pension was payable at the reduced rate; whether, in view of the fact that it was known throughout the service that the reduction in pension rates would operate as from the 20th February, 1922, he will explain the reason for the delay of nearly six weeks in acting on the report of the medical officer;

(2) whether his attention has been directed to the case of Miss Josephine Duncan, formerly a clerk in the Money Order Department of the General Post Office who was retired for ill-health, after 26 years' service, on 8th April, 1922; whether he is aware that she had been attending the chief woman medical officer at the Post Office for some years, so that the Department was aware of her medical condition: that on the 30th January, 1922, she submitted a certificate from her own doctor stating she was unfit for further service, and that she was not in a fit condition to travel; whether he is aware that in spite of this certificate, she was summoned to an interview with the chief woman medical officer at the General Post Office which she was unable to attend, and that after her letter of explanation the divisional medical officer called on her without notice when she was alone in the house and unable to leave her bed to answer the door; whether, owing to the delays caused by this Departmental action, Miss Duncan's pension has been adversely affected; what is the amount of the pension she would have received had her retirement been authorised before the 20th February, 1922, and what is the amount of pension she is now drawing; and whether it is now possible to amend the date?

Miss Mathew is at present receiving pension at the rate of £82 4s. and Miss Duncan at the rate of £123 16s. 10d. a year. The amounts which they would have been awarded under the pension scheme in force prior to the 21st February, 1922, are £89 6s. 11d. and £133 17s. 4d. a year respectively. Under the Superannuation Acts an officer cannot be retired on health grounds until a certificate of permanent incapacity is furnished by an official medical officer. I am satisfied that there was no avoidable delay in the issue of retiring certificates by the Post Office medical officers in these cases, both of which presented doubtful features from a medical aspect. The change in the pension scheme was made as a result of debate in the House on the 21st February, 1922, and was not known or anticipated beforehand.