asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that in the island of Lewis young men who do not reside within 12 miles of the burgh of Storno-way are informed by the authorities that they are ineligible for the Royal Naval Reserve; and, in view of the fact that the Western Isles have always produced one of the finest types of sailor, if he is prepared to remove this restriction?

Applications for enrolment in the Royal Naval Reserve are at present limited to candidates living within 12 miles of the office of the local Registrar at Stornoway and certain other northern ports. Recruiting from more distant districts would involve increased expenditure to the Crown; and as there is a large preponderance of fishermen in the Royal Naval Reserve, and it is desired to increase the proportion of recruits from the mercantile marine, recruiting from Outlying districts in the Western Isles would not be justified.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how much money has accrued to date from unclaimed bank balances in the dockyard and naval savings banks; and whether the transfer of any moneys of this description held by the dockyard and naval banks to the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust can be authorised?

The unclaimed balances in the naval savings bank amounted on the 31st March last to £35,953 0s. 7d., of which £23,594 11s. 2d. was deposited by men who had afterwards deserted, and who may at any time reclaim their deposits. The amount is a fluctuating one, as additions to these balances and applications for payment are constantly being received. Approximately £18,000 has been paid out in settlement during the last three years. It is impracticable to authorise transfer to the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust, as unclaimed balances of depositors who are known to have been dead for more than 6½ years are transferred to Greenwich Hospital funds under Section 30 of the Revenue Act of 1889. About £2,700 has been dealt with in this way.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that ratings of the naval sick-berth branch borne in His Majesty's Hospital Ship "Maine" are employed on duties ordinarily performed by the crew of hospital ships, such as sentries, embarking baggage and stores, working parties, etc.; and whether he will take the necessary steps to secure that these men are employed on the proper duties for which they are entered, borne and paid?

It is not the custom to employ the sick-berth staff on duties which pertain to the crew of the hospital ship. They carry out the necessary hospital patrols and the unpacking and stowage of medical stores, which are appropriate duties for sick-berth ratings. The work of embarking and disembarking baggage is carried out by the ships concerned.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that vacancies exist in His Majesty's Dockyard, Portsmouth, for pattern makers; and what is the reason that they are not being filled, although there are local unemployed pattern makers registered at the Employment Exchange?

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

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when the full Regulations governing awards to widows and dependants of seamen and marines whose deaths are connected with naval service after the 30th September, 1921, will be published for the information of the petty officers and men of the Fleet?

It is hoped that the full Regulations will be promulgated for the information of all concerned at an early date. A few outstanding points affecting the co-ordination of the three Services remain to be settled by conference.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will state the average number of patients in the Military Families' Hospital, Devon-port, during the last three months, and the average number before the Royal Marines came entirely under the Admiralty, respectively, and if there is any decrease in the number of patients; whether such decrease is attributable to the fact that the present charge is 10s. a day for any except Regular soldiers, a sum which few can afford to pay; and whether he will consider the advisability of reducing the price to 3s. or 4s. a day per wife, with a view to the hospital being kept full, particularly as overhead charges would not be appreciably increased?

The average daily number of patients under treatment in the Military Families' Hospital, Devonport, during the last three months and the average number during the six months before the change in the scale of charges payable by the wives and families of Royal Marines, is 14 and 16, respectively. The fact that Army funds are not now chargeable with the cost of treatment of the families of Royal Marines has no doubt tended to decrease the number of admissions. With regard to the last part of the question, the charge of 10s. is an all-round charge, based on the actual cost of treatment, and is in force in all Army hospitals as the regular charge made in respect of any person who is not entitled to hospital treatment at the expense of Army funds. I regret that I cannot make exceptions to this rule in particular cases, but I would point out that the charge is only borne by individuals in cases where they are not entitled to treatment at the expense of their own Department. In other cases, the individual patient is treated at the public expense, but the cost, at 10s. a day, is credited to Army funds by the Department concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what has been the total expenditure to date by the authorities of New Guinea and Papua in the attempt to obtain petroleum; whether it is proposed to continue this expenditure; arid, if present investigations do not lead to the discovery of oil, whether other oil interests not associated with the Government will be permitted to prospect?

I regret that I am not in a position to supply the desired information. The two territories mentioned are under the control of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the questions of policy involved are entirely matters for determination by the Commonwealth Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has yet had an opportunity of assessing the financial results of the McKenna import duties during the financial year ending 31st March last; what total amount accrued to the Treasury from those duties; and under what heads was that amount made up?

The net amounts collected from these duties in the year ended 31st March, 1924, under the various heads, were as follow:—

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the estimated expenditure on Mesopotamia and on Palestine incurred by this country during the present financial year; and under what headings is that expenditure made up?

The information required will be found in the Middle Eastern Services Vote, Class V., Vote 4.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether there are at present any Treaties or Conventions signed by His Majesty's Government which have not been ratified; if so, what Treaties or Conventions; and whether prints of all Treaties and Conventions signed on behalf of His Majesty's Government will in future be circulated to Members of Parliament before ratification?

As the hon. Member's question is comprehensive, I will confine my reply to Treaties or Conventions signed by British representatives since the Armistice with Germany. The following have been signed by British representatives, but have not yet been ratified by the King:

Commercial Treaties with Czechoslovakia, Finland, Poland and Spain; the Nationality Treaty with Brazil; the the Treaties of alliance with Irak and of friendship with Nepal; a provisional air navigation agreement with the Netherlands; two Conventions respecting the sock-eye salmon fisheries and one respecting the halibut fishery with the United States of America; the Liquor Convention with the United States of America; the Aims Traffic Convention; a protocol amending Article 34 of the Air Convention; the Treaty of Lausanne and the other instruments attached thereto which form the peace with Turkey; the Greek Minorities Treaty and the Thrace Treaty; the Geneva Convention for the suppression of obscene publications; the Geneva protocol relating to arbitration clauses in commercial and other contracts; the Geneva Convention for the simplification of Customs formalities; the Paris Convention relating to the assessment of and reparation of damage suffered in Turkey by Allied nationals; the Geneva Conventions and statutes relating to the international regime of railways and maritime ports, the transmission in transit of electrical power, and the development of hydraulic power; the Convention relating to the status of Tangier; and the Paris Convention for the creation of an international veterinary bureau.

His Majesty's ratification of the agreement for the reimbursement of the cost of the American Army of Occupation is at Paris awaiting deposit; and His Majesty's ratification of the Washington Treaties relating to China, the Chinese Customs tariff and the protection of lives of neutrals and non-combatants at sea in time of war, and the prevention of the use in war of noxious gases and chemicals are at Washington awaiting deposit.

With regard to the last part of the question, in accordance with the statement made in this House on the 1st April, all Treaties concluded from that date will be laid on the Table of both Houses of Parliament for 21 days before ratification.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed now as compared with the number on 1st January, 1924, with, in each case, the percentage of skilled men unemployed; and whether he has any statistics showing the total number of skilled men who have emigrated in that period?

The number of persons on the 21st April, 1924, recorded on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain was 1,050,500 of whom 775,600 were men. The corresponding figures for 31st December, 1923, were 1,285,623 and 946,521. The number of skilled men cannot be given separately. The number of British emigrants who left Great Britain and Northern Ireland for places out of Europe during the three months ended 31st March, 1924, was 29,196 of whom 14,511 were males. No information is available as to the number of skilled men included in this figure.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the low rates of wages paid in many grocery and provision establishments owing to the unorganised conditions of labour engaged in the industry and the unfair competi- tion which this means towards the fair employer, he intends to take any steps to establish an effective Trades Board for the grocery and provision trade?

Reconstitution of the two Boards for England and Wales and for Scotland respectively, which were established under the Grocery and Provisions Order, 1920, for the grocery and provisions trade, is proceeding at the present time, and will be completed at an early date. The Boards will then meet to consider the minimum rates of wages for the trade.

asked the Minister of Health when he proposes to take the Second Reading of the Housing Bill; and whether, before he does so, he will issue a White Paper to the House dealing with the entire finance of the scheme?

I am not at present able to state when the Second Reading of the proposed Housing Bill will be taken. In accordance with the usual practice a White Paper will be circulated before the Financial Resolution is discussed

asked the Minister of Health if any casual wards have been closed in this country since 1918; if so, how many; if any of the wards closed have had to be re-opened; if so, how many and where are they situated; and can he state generally whether there has been any increase in the number of persons using these wards since the conclusion of the War?

Eight casual wards have been closed in England and Wales since 1918; one of these in the Atcham Union has been re-opened. The number of persons applying for relief as casuals has increased since the conclusion of the War, but is still smaller than the number in pre-War years.

asked the Minister of Health whether, before framing any legislation to effect the reform of the Poor Laws, he will consult the Poor Law Officials' Union with a view to obtaining their suggestions on the matter?

I shall be glad to consider any suggestions which the Union may think fit to place before me in this connection.