asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the conditions of service under which naval ratings serve in hospital ships; and whether, as the period of service is in excess of two years, he can reduce it to the same period as applies to service in foreign hospitals, on account of the monotony of continuous hospital work at sea?

The conditions of service in hospital ships are as nearly identical with those in fighting ships as circumstances admit. With regard to the second part of the question, no reason is seen to discriminate in this matter between hospital ships and others of His Majesty's ships.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when it is intended to bring the warrant rank in line with the new proportions tabulated on pages 68 and 69 of the Navy List of April, 1924, observing that gunners, boatswains, signal-boatswains, telegraphists, shipwrights, ordnance, electricians and schoolmaster branches are considerably below complement, and that the proportions allowed by the Order in Council of 28th November, 1923, carry with them an increased number of lieutenants?

As stated in the note at the top of page 67 of the Appendix to the Navy List, the numbers shown are the maximum numbers allowed in each branch, and are not necessarily the numbers borne on the active list, which depend upon requirements. The numbers borne in several branches named are also limited by the number of candidates qualified for promotion to warrant rank, and in the schoolmaster branch by the numbers which can be entered and trained. The number of officers of the rank or equivalent rank of lieutenant is governed by the total number of officers borne, and, in certain of the branches named, is also subject to provision being made, under the arrangements in force, for promoting a proportion of officers to this rank at an earlier age after examination. The number of headmasters is limited by the number of posts available which are suitable for officers of this rank.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, with reference to the "Maine," whether the naval ratings on board are credited with the present Admiralty allowance of 2s. 3d. per day per man; if so, will he see that this is paid to the men direct so that they may victual themselves, and that cooking be done separately from the patients, observing that the mercantile crew have their own English cooks and separate galley; whether he is aware that under present conditions no monthly statement of mess accounts is either rendered or exhibited; will he see that any money which may have accrued in the past from savings on victualling be credited to the ratings concerned or to the mess; and whether there is any reason why a Navy, Army and Air Force institution canteen should not be established on board, from which ratings could buy provisions direct, considering that under present conditions these are apparently purchased in large quantities and kept for months in cold storage?

The answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question is in the negative. The "Maine" is on the general mess system, under which the Admiralty provides full messing within a maximum overhead rate, which is at present 2s. 3d. a day. There is no personal money allowance, and consequently the question of savings does not arise. There is a Navy, Army and Air Force Institute canteen on board.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that naval ratings working in the dockyard at Hong Kong and the dockyard at Kowloon and at the Royal Naval Hospital, including the soldiers in the various barracks, are paid at the rate of 10 dollars to the £, whereas the men in H.M.S. "Tamar," which is permanently tied up in the Honk Kong dockyard basin, are only paid at the rate of 8.50 dollars to the £; and whether he will issue instructions for the men in the "Tamar" to receive their pay and victualling allowance at the higher rate of exchange in order that they may not be penalised?

The ashore personnel are paid in dollars at the rate stated, subject to a maximum amount so convertible, the balance of their pay drawn, if any, being converted at the current rate of exchange, which is approximately $8.50 to the £. Personnel afloat, including the crew of H.M.S. "Tamar," are also allowed to convert a portion of their pay at the rate of 2s. to the dollar, under a scale varying with their status, and are paid the balance at the current official rate. These ratings are victualled on board, and so are not under the necessity of spending the same proportion of their pay ashore. I understand that soldiers in the barracks are treated similarly to the naval personnel ashore.

asked the Postmaster-General whether there are any, and what, terms in the agreement between the Postmaster-General and the British Broadcasting Company which give to the public any control over the management and choice of programmes?

The licence and agreement of the 18th January, 1923 (published in Command Paper 1822), and the supplementary agreement of the 1st October, 1923 (Command Paper 1976), give the Postmaster-General various powers of control over the constitution and finances of the British Broadcasting Company and the operation of the broadcasting service. In particular, the company must provide a programme of broadcast matter to his reasonable satisfaction.

asked the Home Secretary whether Oscar Slater, the man convicted at Glasgow in 1908 of murder, and whose sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life, is still in prison; and, if so, in view of the nature of the evidence at that time, whether he is prepared to reconsider his case?

Countries whence consigned. Stripped or stemmed. Unstripped or unstemmed. 1913. 1923. 1913. 1923. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. Canada … 14 107,640 — 847,867 Union of South Africa … 13,465 28,179 31,710 22,326 Nyasaland Protectorate … 433,244 3,301,807 1,468,607 2,589,300 British India … — 1,936,536 6,724 2,635,968 Other British Possessions … 35,695 944 169,684 1,422,014 United States of America … 46,483,399 48,151,398 95,467,222 106,647,947 Other Foreign Countries … 1,965,693 338,952 16,192,860 4,945,533 All Countries … 48,931,510 53,867,516 113,336,807 119,110,955 NOTE.—As from 1st April, 1923, the figures are exclusive of direct imports into the Irish Free State.

The particulars for the years 1913 to 1922 are to be found in the annual statements of trade, the issues for 1918 and 1922 being sufficient for the purpose. I am sending to the hon. Member the complete statement for all these years, compiled from these volumes—with the addition of details of the imports of stemmed tobacco from Canada, the particulars of which have, up to the present, not been separately shown in the annual statement.

I have been asked to reply to this question. The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, in accordance with the normal practice, the case is now receiving my consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the quantities of manufactured tobacco, stemmed and un-stemmed, imported from Canada, Union of South Africa, Nyasaland Protectorate, British India, other British Possessions, from United States of America, and other foreign countries, for the years 1913 to 1923, inclusive?

The following statement shows the quantities of unmanufactured tobacco, distinguishing stemmed and un-stemmed, imported into the United Kingdom in 1913 and in 1923, and registered as consigned from the specified countries and groups of countries:

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the tonnage of wheat and flour exported from the United States and Canada, respectively, to Great Britain and Northern Ireland for 1921, 1922, 1923 and the first three months of 1924?

The quantities of wheat and wheat flour imported into the United Kingdom during the periods specified, registered as consigned from the United States and from Canada, respectively, were as follow: — Consigned from the United States. Consigned from Canada. Imports of Wheat: Tons. Tons. 1921 1,803,250 729,466 1922 1,863,095 1,145,490 1923 1,596,497 1,424,339 1924 (Jan-Mar.) 346,752 376,506 Imports of Wheat, Meal & Flour: 1921 395,037 293,301 1922 228,835 329,822 1923 191,936 279,026 1924(Jan.-Mar.) 39,222 59,977

The import records for 1921, 1922 and for the first three months of 1923 include the direct imports from overseas into the ports of Southern Ireland. The wheat, imported into those ports from all countries in 1921 amounted to 241,795 tons and in 1922 to 206,205 tons. In addition, about 70,000 tons of wheat flour were imported in 1921 and about 50,000 tons in 1922. Particulars of the countries from which such wheat and flour were consigned are not immediately available,

Years. Total Imports (including Bullion and Coin). Percentage of Imports from: United Kingdom. British Oversea Dominions and Protectorates. Foreign Countries. £ Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 1905 (Year ended 31st December) … 38,346,731 53.0 13.6 33.4 1906 (Year ended 31st December) … 44,744,912 51.2 14.5 34.3 1907 (Year ended 31st December) … 51,809,033 51.8 12.6 35.6 1908 (Year ended 31st December) … 49,799,273 50.8 12.5 36.7 1909 (Year ended 31st December) … 51,171,896 50.5 13.0 36.5 1910 (Year ended 31st December) … 60,014,351 50.7 12.6 36.7 1911 (Year ended 31st December) … 66,967,488 48.9 11.8 39.3 1912 (Year ended 31st December) … 78,158,600 50.0 11.1 38.9 1913 (Year ended 31st December) … 79,749,653 51.8 11.3 36.9 1914 (Six months ended 30th June) … 39,777,497 50.1 10.9 39.0 1915 (Year ended 30th June) … 64,431,837 50.4 13.4 36.2 1916 (Year ended 30th June) … 77,744,566 45.2 15.2 39.6 1917 (Year ended 30th June) … 76,228,679 47.6 14.4 38.0 1918 (Year ended 30th June) … 62,334,449 35.4 19.5 45.1 1919 (Year ended 30th June) … 102,335,159 33.8 21.4 44.8 1920 (Year ended 30th June) … 98,974,292 38.9 14.4 46.7 1921 (Year ended 30th June) … 163,801,826 46.9 11.3 41.8 1922 (Year ended 30th June) … 103,066,436 51.4 12.6 36.0 1923 (Year ended 30th June) … 131,808,673 51.7 * * * Not vet available.

and corresponding information for the first three months of 1923 is also not immediately available. From 1st April, 1923, the figures are exclusive of direct imports into the Irish Free State.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the percentage values of goods imported into Australia annually from 1900 to the date of the last returns, showing, respectively, the proportions imported from Great Britain, other British Dominions and Possessions, and foreign sources respectively?

Comparable statistics are not available for the whole series of years specified, as up to the end of 1904 imports into Australia were classified according to the countries from which the goods, were shipped to Australia, while, for the later years, the classification has been according to countries of origin.

The following statement shows the total value of imports (including bullion and coin) into the Commonwealth of Australia during the years 1905 to 1923, distinguishing the percentage proportions of such imports from the United Kingdom, from British Oversea Dominions and Protectorates, and from foreign countries respectively: