asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of chief sick-berth petty officers allowed to the Portsmouth Port Division; the number of these ratings who will be discharged to pension within the next 12 months; and the number of these ratings who are within 12 months of completing the time for a pension and are serving in sea-going billets; and if, with a view to maintaining the medical efficiency of the Fleet, he will take steps to have the port complement of chief sick-berth petty officers increased, to allow for a period of understudy when reliefs are taking place among ward masters in home hospitals, the transfer of stores, and other duties carried out by these most important ratings?

The answer to the first part of the question is 41, to the second 18, and to the third 3, all of whom are in home waters. The suggestion in the last part of the question would increase Vote A and entail expense which is not considered justifiable.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the amount of economy that will be effected annually by the proposed reduction in the pay of naval officers and the amount of expenditure that would be incurred by the institution of a marriage allowance to officers at the rate of £36 per annum per head of those officers who would come under the provisions of such Regulations?

Taking as a basis the number of officers included in Vote A of the Navy Estimates for the current financial year, the annual saving that will be effected by the reduction in pay by 5½ per cent on 1st July, 1924, is estimated at £205,000, and the approximate annual expenditure on marriage allowance at the rate of £36 per annum is estimated at £165,000.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will assist the naval authorities to carry out the spirit of the Regulations which directs that men within one year of completing time for pension are not to be sent to sea when drafting requirements permit, by issuing authority for vacancies in higher rating to be filled one year before they actually occur in order to ensure that a sufficient number of these higher ratings will be available for sea draft?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of the 9th April. To fill vacancies before they occur would entail an increase in personnel and expense which is not considered justifiable.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the reply given to Item 48 of the 1922 general welfare requests, he will consider amending the King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions to make leading-rates superior officers within the meaning of the Naval Discipline Act, thereby investing them with the necessary status for the proper performance of their duties, observing that under existing Regulations these ratings, although called upon to take charge of lower ratings, are not considered as superior officers under the Act?

The amendment proposed by the hon. Member is considered to be unnecessary. The requisite status and authority for the proper performance of their duties is afforded to leading rates by King's Regulations, Article 218, Clause 2.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the appointment of a paymaster captain on the staffs of the commanders-in-chief of the three home ports for the co-ordination and simplification of accountant procedure in the home commands, it is still intended to have two paymaster captains in the Royal Naval Barracks, one paymaster captain in the "Excellent," one paymaster captain in the "Vernon," one paymaster captain, superintendent of secretaries' course, one paymaster captain in the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar, one paymaster rear-admiral, deputy-judge advocate, in addition to numerous paymaster commanders and paymaster lieutenant-commanders?

The answer is in the affirmative. These new appointments are for a definite purpose, as explained in my reply of the 9th April.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he can state the view of the Admiralty on the question whether Section 9 of the Naval Discipline Act is limited to neglect of a specific duty, or whether it covers neglect of every sort of duty which a man may be considered to have to perform throughout the period he is serving in the Royal Navy?

Of the two alternative interpretations of this Section propounded in the hon. Member's question, the Admiralty take the wider rather than the narrower view.

asked the Secretary of State for War, how many recruiting officers for the Army are maintained by his Department in London; if any special staff is deputed to obtain recruits in this area; and approximately the number of Army recruits obtained during last year from the London district?

Four officers (one serving and three retired) and 19 paid pensioner recruiters, are employed on recruiting duties in the London Recruiting Zone. The total number of recruits enlisted in this zone for the Regular Army during 1923 was 4,459.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that leave to the medical officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps in the Woolwich district has been stopped owing to shortness of staff, and that much discontent has been caused thereby; and what steps are being taken to rectify and overcome the great lack of candidates for this important arm of the service, the present conditions of which are not considered sufficiently attractive?

No leave of officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps at Woolwich has been stopped, but three officers have had their leave postponed for a short period owing to sickness or other causes. As regards the last part of the question, I can assure the hon. Member that the matter is receiving careful consideration, although I am unable to make any statement at present.

asked the Minister of Labour how many ex-service men are now in training and how many are awaiting improverships; and what steps is he taking to provide these improverships for them?

The number of ex-service men in training under the industrial training scheme in Great Britain and Ireland at the end of March was 10,067. The number awaiting improver-ships was 3,518. Every effort is being made to obtain improvership vacancies by a canvassing staff specially appointed for the purpose, and by other means.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the case of Mr. A. J. Jones, of 35, Upper Belmont Road, St. Andrew's, Bristol, whose application for a grant from the Civil Liabilities Department has been refused on the grounds that such application was received after the time-limit for such applications had expired; what notice of this time-limit was given to this ex-officer; and whether, in view of the fact that Mr. Jones was employed in the service of the Government from the date of his demobilisation, and has but recently received notice of the termination of his appointment, he will consent to review this case and authorise the grant in question?

Mr. Jones, who has been continuously in employment since shortly after his demobilisation in October, 1919, did not apply for a grant till more than four years after he left the Army and more than three years after the closing date for the receipt of applications, namely, 30th September, 1921. Wide, publicity was given to the terms of the civil liabilities scheme and to the closing date. It would not have been practicable to notify all ex-service men individually.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state the Regulations governing the detention and subsistence of mental cases in the Naval Mental Hospital, Great Yarmouth; what appeal, if any, exists as to the question of attributability; in the case of a man entitled to a pension how much for subsistence is deducted there-from when the disability is attributable to service and when the disability is not attributable to service; and how such deductions compare with the charges made by civil mental hospitals?

, pursuant to his answer [OFFICIAL REPORT, 16th April, 1924], furnished the following information:

Any officer on the active or retired list, whose case is certifiable, may be admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital, Great Yarmouth, at the discretion of the Admiralty, charges being made, in the case of officers not eligible for full-pay benefits under the Regulations, ranging from 4s. to 9s. a day, according to rank. Lunatic ratings in the Naval Service, who are eligible for life pensions under the Regulations, are discharged to the Royal Naval Hospital, Great Yarmouth, and maintained at the charge of Naval funds. An appeal on the question of attributability may be made to the Admiralty, when it will receive careful consideration by the Naval medical authorities; and in the case of men who served during the War period a further appeal, if desired, may be made to the Ministry of Pensions, if the question of attributability is decided in the negative by the Admiralty. In the case of men with whom the Ministry of Pensions is not concerned, their pensions are appropriated towards the cost of maintenance, whether the disability is attributable to the Service or not. Their wives, or persons having charge of their children, are eligible for the grant of a money allowance from Greenwich Hospital funds, according to a scale varying with the rate of pension. When the pension exceeds 2s. a day, the Greenwich Hospital allowance is equal to the excess over this amount, the minimum allowance being 5s. a week in such cases. In the case of patients admitted to Yarmouth Hospital by arrangement with the Ministry of Pensions, a charge is made against that Department by the Admiralty, for each officer or man, based on the overhead cost of the establishment. The charges made at other mental hospitals are understood to vary from 3s. to 6s. a day.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if, prior to the discussion of the Wages Boards Bill, he proposes to lay statistics before the House showing the present economic position of the farming industry; and, if he does not possess such information, whether he will obtain it?

I do not think it is possible to obtain statistics which would show in any comprehensive manner the present economic position of the farming industry, but if the hon. and gallant Member will indicate precisely the figures which he considers will be useful I will consider the possibility of supplying them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the large payments contributed by the Exchequer to schemes in connection with tuberculosis and in view of the fact that infection is largely due to bovine tuberculosis, he will consider the advisability of bringing into force the Tuberculosis Order, 1914?

asked the Minister of Health whether he intends to revive the Tuberculosis Order of 1914 (Order, No. 883, dated 23rd June, 1914, which was suspended by Order, No. 1,215, of 1914), in view of the urgent necessity of enabling local authorities to take adequate steps to combat the disease of tuberculosis?

I am giving careful consideration to the question of re-introducing the Tuberculosis Order of 1914, but I am not yet in a position to make a statement on the subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture which counties or county council areas have forbidden the ingress and egress of cattle since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease; and what has been the incidence of disease in those areas?

The following statement shows the counties in Great Britain which have made local regulations controlling movement of animals operative at any time during period from August, 1923, to April, 1924, and the number of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease therein:

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of bankruptcies among the farming industry in the first place and, in the second place, amongst those connected with or carrying on trades in connection

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses authorised, under construction, and completed to date, by local authorities under the provisions of the Housing Act of 1919?

On the 1st instant, the latest date for which information is available, 173,620 houses were included in tenders approved under the Housing, Town Planning, Etc., Act, 1919. Of these, 169,526 had been completed, and 3,760 were under construction.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses completed

asked the Minister of Health if the Departmental Committee appointed to consider the nursing service in county and borough mental hospitals, and in what directions it can be improved, has yet come to any

with the land during the last three years?

The numbers of failures in the farming and certain kindred industries under the Bankruptcy and Deeds of Arrangement Acts for the three years 1921, 1922 and 1923, were as follow:

under the Housing (Additional Powers) Act of 1919?

The number of houses completed with the aid of the grant under the Housing (Additional Powers) Act, 1919, was 39,184.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses authorised, under construction, and completed to date, under the provisions of the Housing Act of 1923, by local authorities, public utility societies, and private enterprise, respectively?

The figures are as follow:

conclusions and, if so, of what nature; and, if the Committee has not yet reported, when it may be expected to do so?

This Committee has practically finished its work, and I understand it hopes to report very shortly.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that great dissatisfaction exists amongst the staff of the Belfast telephone exchange in regard to locker and cloak-room accommodation; that the switch room in which the operators are employed is very defective in ventilation; and that traffic is increasing; and whether he will take steps to see that adequate and suitable accommodation is provided for the staff?

The reports which I have received do not confirm the statement that the ventilation of the switch room is defective. As regards the locker and cloak-room accommodation, proposals for a relief exchange are now under consideration, and it is hoped that it will at the same time be possible to improve the staff accommodation.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the New Zealand Government has adopted penny postage from that Dominion to this country; whether the postage from this country to New Zealand is fixed at the same rate, and, if not, at what rate; and, if there is a penny postage to New Zealand from this country, whether he will take steps that the same rate should also apply to the Commonwealth of Australia?

The New Zealand Government has adopted penny postage to this country. From this country to New Zealand, as to the other Dominions and Colonies, the rate is 1½d. for the first ounce and 1d. for each subsequent ounce. Any reduction in postage to the Dominions and Colonies would have to be general, and is contingent on a reversion to penny postage at home.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether any inquiry into the charges made against the Disposal and Liquidation Commission in the "Times," of 25th August, 1922, in connection with the sale of scrap brass, etc., has been offered by his Department; and, if not, on what grounds was the offer of an inquiry refused?

"They wish to record their view that throughout the negotiations the Disposal and Liquidation Commission were influenced solely by consideration for the public interest and decided on the course which they thought best in a very difficult situation."

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Aircraft Disposal Company has purchased 10,000 aero-engines and 2,000 aeroplanes from the Disposal and Liquidation Commission; and, if so, whether this company has received permission to sell these engines and planes to a foreign power?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As my hon. Friend is no doubt aware, no export licence for engines or planes is required, and this company, as a commercial company, are, of course, at liberty to sell them to any purchasers abroad.

asked the First Secretary to the Treasury if the whole of the aeroplanes and aeroplane stores were handed over to the Aircraft Disposal Company by the Disposal and Liquidation Commission to be disposed of on a. commission basis; if so, how much was received by the Commission for such sales; how much was paid to the Aircraft Disposal Company as commission; if the balance of the stores remaining were sold to the Aircraft Disposal Company; what was the amount paid to the Commission as purchase price; what was the approximate cost of the material sold; and whether any firms other than the Aircraft Disposal Company were given an opportunity of purchasing these stores?

As regards the first part of my hon. Friend's question, the whole of the "heavier-than-air" aircraft and stores were sold to the Aircraft Disposal Company, under a contract dated 12th March, 1920, for a sum of £1,000,000, plus 50 per cent. of the net profits on resale. This contract was replaced on 6th September, 1922, by a commission contract which became operative from the 11th March, 1922, certain claims of the Aircraft Disposal Company against the Government being extinguished at the same time. The matter is a complicated one, and I would refer my hon. Friend to the Report of the Public Accounts Committee for 1922, particularly Appendix 33, which sets out the facts. The commission contract of September, 1922, referred to above, contained a Clause giving the Aircraft Disposal Company the option of purchasing the unsold stores on 31st December last. The stocks in hand, after valuation by an expert on behalf of the Government, were, under a contract dated 4th March, 1924, sold outright to the company. I regret that it is impossible to state what the material sold to the company originally cost. Before the original contract with the Aircraft Disposal Company was entered into, every effort was made to dispose of the aeroplanes, etc., to other firms, including some to the firms who manufactured them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of revenue

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the percentage of the total taxation raised by direct and indirect taxes, respectively, in Great Britain, France, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Holland?

The following is the information requested, though I must point out that there is no generally recognised and scientific division between direct and indirect taxes. The classification usually adopted in regard to the taxation of our own country has been applied as closely as possible to the other countries in the statement.

secured from the key industries duty imposed on arc-lamp carbons imported into this country during the months October to December in the years 1921, 1922, and 1923, respectively; and what is the total revenue secured from this duty from the time it was first imposed up to the end of March, 1923?

The net amount of revenue derived from the duty on arc-lamp carbons during each of the months October to December, 1921, 1922 and 1923, respectively, and during the period 1st October, 1921, to 31st March, 1923, was as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Anglo-Persian Oil Company have yet arrived at a settlement with the Treasury of their excess profits for the year 1921; and, if not, whether he will state the reason?

The computation of the liability to Excess Profits Duty is a matter between the company and the Board of Inland Revenue. I understand, however, that no unavoidable delay has taken place in this connection.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the number of National War Savings Certificates sold and repaid at banks and post offices, respectively, for the years ending 31st December, 1922, and 31st December, 1923?

Statistics as to number are not available, but the amounts are as follow:

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any information of the normal hours of working in the metal industry in Germany in January of this year; and, if so, can he state what are the normal working hours in the principal areas manufacturing iron and steel, and after what weekly hours overtime is payable?

I have been asked to reply. The information desired by the hon. Member is given in an article headed "Current Wages and Hours of Labour in Germany," which he will find at page 83 of the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" for March, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is aware that, since the reduction of the German Reparations Duty to 5 per cent., German steel hinges are sold in this country at 4s. 9d. per gross, whereas the cost of material and production (not including overhead charges) for the British-made article is 4s. 4d. per gross; and whether, in view of the impossibility of British manufacturers competing with German manufacturers, this matter can be reconsidered;

(2) whether he is aware that, since the reduction of the German Reparations Duty to 5 per cent., German insulator hooks are being sold in this country at 5s. per gross, whereas the cost of production of the British-made insulator is 5s. 1d. per gross; what the difference was in the selling price in this country of the German article before the reduction of the Reparations Levy; and whether there are any figures available of the quantities of German insulator hooks imported during February, 1923, and February, 1924?

I have no information with regard to these matters, and regret that I am not therefore in a position to furnish the figures asked for. In reply to the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the ton. Member for Harrow (Mr. Mosley) on the 10th inst., to the effect that His Majesty's Government have agreed with the German Government to extend the existing arrangements until 15th June next. I would add that the levy under the Reparation (Recovery) Act was never intended to be, and is not under the existing arrangement, a protective duty; an alteration of the rate of levy results in different proportions of the invoice price being paid to the German exporter on the one hand, and to the British Customs on the other.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the average payment made by the Reparations Claims Commission to admitted claimants who have lost a limb while serving in the mercantile marine during the War; whether he is aware that, owing to the paucity of the sums, a great many of these men are in extreme poverty; and whether he can state the corresponding payment made to men who have lost a similar limb in more actual War service?

The information asked for in the first part of the question could not be supplied without an unjustifiable expenditure of labour and money. The claimants in question have been or are being compensated under the War Risks Compensation Scheme also. As to the last part of the question, the compensation provided to merchant seamen under the War Risks Compensation Scheme is approximately the equivalent of the compensation provided for men serving in the Navy during the War.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the statistics published in the "Labour Gazette" showing that, for the month of January last, the real wages value of average weekly earnings of skilled workers in the principal industries in Germany was 73·6 per cent. of the pre-War level; and whether he can give the estimated equivalent figure for the same industries in Great Britain for the same month?

I have been asked to reply. The information in my possession as to many details of the calculations made by the Reich Statistical Office, and as to the rates of wages of corresponding classes of workpeople in this country, is insufficient to enable the equivalent percentage to be computed for Great Britain; but it is clear, from such information as is available, that the British percentage would be above the German figure of 73·6. Here, again, I would refer the hon. Member to the article in the Ministry of Labour Gazette.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the quantity and value of proof spirits exported from the United Kingdom in 1913, with the corresponding figures for the years 1919 to 1923, and the proportion forwarded to foreign countries and British possessions, with the principal destinations of these exports, during the past four complete years?

Statistics of spirits exported from the United Kingdom are classified separately under the headings ( a ) British and Irish Spirits, and ( b ) Foreign and Colonial Spirits. For statistics in regard to ( a ) for the years 1913 and 1919–22, I would refer my hon. Friend to the Annual Statement of Trade for 1922, Vol. III, pages 41–2, and for ( b ) to Vol. II of the same publication, pages 523–528. The figures of exports of British and Irish spirits for 1923 have not yet been published, but these are being sent to my hon. Friend, together with a summarised statement relating to the re-exports of foreign and Colonial spirits for the years mentioned in the question.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Greek Republic has been recognised de jure?

His Majesty's Government have informed the Greek Government officially that they accept the verdict of the plebiscite as representing the wishes of the Greek people and that they formally recognise the régime thus established. The detailed formalities necessary to give effect to this recognition must await the voting of the new Greek Constitution and the election of a President of the Hellenic Republic.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that there are about 600 British subjects, refugees from Smyrna, at present in a distressed and poverty-stricken condition at Cotonera hospital and Fort Ricasoli, Malta; that they have been there since the autumn of 1922; and that it is impossible for them to obtain work in Malta owing to the over-flooding of the labour market; whether, in the circumstances, he will take steps to see that their claims in respect of their lost properties and businesses are liquidated without delay, seeing that there has been ample time to consider their claims; whether there is any prospect of these people being allowed to return to Smyrna at an early date; and, if not, what prospects there are for them?

The facts stated in the first two parts of the hon. Member's question are approximately correct. In reply to the third part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Keens) on the 31st ultimo, in which the method of dealing with claims in respect of damage suffered in Turkey is explained. As will be seen from this reply, His Majesty's Government have already made, or will very shortly make advances on these claims where the damage fell within the scope of the Royal Commission on Suffering and Damage by Enemy Action. As regards the fourth part of the question, as it seems unlikely that these refugees will be able to return to Smyrna in any considerable numbers in the near future, His Majesty's Government are considering what steps can be taken to enable them to earn their living elsewhere. At present the refugees, with the exception of Maltese born in Malta, for whom the Malta Government are providing, are being maintained from Imperial funds.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information regarding the present stage of negotiations, if any, between Rumania and Russia regarding Bessarabia; which countries, in addition to Great Britain, have ratified the treaty with Rumania regarding the maintenance of the status quo in Bessarabia; and whether, both as a member of the League and on account of our other treaty obligations, we are bound to support Rumania in resisting any attempt on the part of Russia to violate the frontier of Bessarabia?

The conference recently held at Vienna between representatives of the Russian and Rumanian Governments on this question failed to reach any conclusion. Rumania and Great Britain are the only contracting countries, so far as I am aware, which have yet ratified the Treaty. As regards the last part of the question, the Treaty is not yet in force, and therefore His Majesty's Government are not bound by its terms. Whether His Majesty's Government would, as a member of the League of Nations, be bound to take action in the event specified must naturally depend upon the circumstances of the case.

asked the Home Secretary the annual cost of the increase in the salaries of prison governors and superior staff, consequent upon the application of the Prisons Pay Report, and the increase for the subordinate staff, showing the numbers affected in the respective staffs; whether the prison department officials at the Home Office are participating in the increases; and, if so, to what extent?

The approximate annual cost of the adoption of the Stanhope Committee Report and the numbers affected are as follow:—

asked the Home Secretary what saving has been effected by the closing of nine prisons and eight female sections, both in personnel, salaries and expenses, distinguishing between prison staff and commissioners and inspectors?

The closing on 1st April, 1922, of eight prisons and parts of five others resulted in a saving to the Prisons Vote of £21,500 a year almost entirely due to the reduction in the staff employed there. There has been a reduction in the staff at the Prison Commissioners' Office since 1921, but it cannot be attributed to the closing of prisons.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has approved of Standing Order 727 ( a ), governing the searching of prison officers; and by whom such searchings should be carried out?

Prison rules made by the Secretary of State for Convict Prisons and Local Prisons enact that the governor may examine all persons going in or out of the prison and may exclude any person who refuses to be examined. Standing Order 727 ( a ) merely reminds all concerned that the words "all persons" include all persons engaged in a prison. The examination could be made by the Governor personally or by an officer selected by him.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make representations to the responsible authorities of the London and North Eastern Railway Company to undertake at the earliest moment the repair and relaying of their roadway which is a section of the highway crossing the railway immediately north of Huntingdon station, which section of roadway is at present in a dangerous condition, especially having regard to the fact that the road at either end of the section in question has recently been thoroughly repaired and relayed?

I understand that there has been some uncertainty as to the incidence of the liability for the maintenance of certain sections of the road referred to in the hon. Member's question. The reconstruction of the greater part of the roadway will shortly be put in hand.

asked the Minister of Transport, whether his attention has been drawn to the number of deaths and accidents on railway trains through passengers opening the wrong doors on corridor trains; whether his Department has taken any action in the matter; and whether any steps can be taken to compel the railway companies to adopt other locks or to paint doors in distinctive colours in order to prevent repetitions of such accidents?

The number of accidents to passengers falling from railway carriages while trains were running was 64 both in 1922 and 1923 and of these accidents 24 terminated fatally in 1922 and 25 in 1923. A small proportion of these accidents appears to have been partly due to the cause to which the hon. Member refers, but it is not possible to give reliable figures on this point. I would, however, refer him to the remarks made on page 13 of the Report upon Railway Accidents for the year 1922, of which I am sending him a copy. I may add that it is already the general practice to provide a different type of door and of door fastening for outside and corridor doors respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that Messrs. Brunner Mond made an offer to take over and work the assets of the Magadi Soda Company in Kenya, which offer was conveyed by him, to the Government of Kenya, that the Government of Kenya informed him that they were willing to accept Messrs. Brunner Mond as tenants, and that the proposed transfer of the assets of the old Magadi Soda Company to Messrs. Brunner Mond was approved by the liquidator, he will state why, on 24th March, he informed the Government of Kenya and Messrs. Brunner Mond that he will refuse to renew the soda concession to Messrs. Brunner Mond?

A scheme for the reconstruction of the Magadi Soda Company was prepared during 1923, approved by the liquidator, the Kenya Government and my predecessors and circulated to the shareholders last January. Messrs. Brunner Mond then came forward with an alternative scheme which, the liquidator and the Kenya Government were prepared to accept, but after careful consideration I decided that the scheme approved by my predecessors should stand, as it offered better prospects of maximum production from Lake Magadi. In view of the recent order for compulsory liquidation, negotiations on the whole question have been reopened.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is now in a position to state the number of officials appointed to the Directorate of Aeronautical Research contemplated under the proposals to reorganise the Department of Supply and Research; the number of such officials who hold engineering or scientific qualifications; and the number of posts in the Directorate at present unfilled?

In answer to the first part of the question, the reorganisation referred to consists of the abolition of the post of Director of Research and the division of his duties between a director of scientific research and a director of technical development. The former will be assisted by a deputy director of scientific research and the secretary of the Aeronautical Research Committee, but no further additions to or formal division of the existing staff of the Directorate of Research are at present contemplated. In answer to the second and third parts of the question, the appointments of director and deputy- director of scientific research have not yet been filled, but the duties of director are being performed for the present by an established senior assistant who has both scientific and engineering qualifications.

asked the Minister of Labour what benefits an employer derives from the contributions paid by him on behalf of his employés to the Unemployment Fund in the event of such employer losing his business and becoming himself unemployed?

An employer would not be entitled to receive any benefits from the Unemployment Fund in the circumstances mentioned. The contributions paid under the scheme are only sufficient to cover the unemployment risks of persons employed under a contract of service.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether the Government can introduce legislation this Session to amend the Coal Mines Regulation Act, embodying statutory obligation for the working of mining minerals upon the retreating system from the leased coal boundary in future sunk mines for the purpose of reducing loss of life and injuries to employés?

I am advised that this method of working coal is not necessarily safer than other methods and that it would not be economically practicable to adopt it generally; and therefore I do not see my way to introducing legislation on the lines suggested.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of widows of warrant and commissioned officers from warrant rank late Royal Navy and Marines who are now in receipt of pre-War pensions, and when it is anticipated the revised rates for widows of the above ranks will be available for the information of the House?

The number of widows of warrant officers and commissioned officers from warrant rank, late Royal Navy and Marines (including corresponding Coast Guard officers) who are now in receipt of pensions is 736. This figure includes 44 widows who have been granted pensions at the improved rates sanctioned by Order in Council of 8th May, 1919, namely, £30 for the widows of warrant officers and £40 for the widows of commissioned officers from warrant rank. The remainder are in receipt of pensions at pre-War rates, of whom the majority, however, receive benefit under the Pensions Increase Scheme. As regards the second part of the question, I am afraid that I can only say that the matter is at present under consideration and that it is hoped to reach a final decision at an early date.