asked the Postmaster-General what private companies conduct wireless services in this country; and if he will state the capital of such companies?

The only private company at present conducting public wireless services in this country is the Marconi Company, the authorised capital of which is understood to be £4,000,000.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will lay upon the Table all proposed wireless licences of any kind to be granted to the Marconi Company?

The point will be considered when the question of issuing a licence to the Marconi Company arises.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of companies and the number of countries in which the Marconi Company has interests?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to his question of the 15th May on the same subject

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the development of Post Office insurance, with special reference to adequate publicity?

:I am unable at present to add anything to the reply which I gave to the hon. And gallant Member for Central Hull (Lieut-Commander Kenworthy) on the 27th February last on this subject.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give particulars of the Danish Great Northern Telegraph Company which has been granted a monopoly of telegraph traffic between Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries, with special reference to its board of directors, capital and profits, place of registration, shareholders, general activities and interests, and its associations with other companies?

The Great Northern Telegraph Company has no monopolistic or preferential rights in this country. It owns and works the cables connecting Great Britain with Denmark and Sweden, and has, for many years, provided a telegraph service with those countries and with other places in Northern Europe as well as the Far East. I regret it is not possible within the limits of an answer to a question to give an account of the company's general activities, interests, etc., but. the hon. Member will find a considerable amount of detailed information in the "Manual of Electrical Undertakings."

asked the Secretary of State for War if, in view of the fact that £34,245 is expended on vocational training, he will give directions for a Report to be issued, after collaboration with the Admiralty Departments, on the three years' work of the inter-Departmental Committee set up in 1921 for the placing of ex-professional sailors and soldiers; and, if not, will he inform the House of his objections to the issue of Report?

I understand that the Committee may be expected to make an interim report in the course of the next few months, when I will consider the question of publication, in consultation with the other Departments concerned. I would point out that the Committee is not an executive Committee dealing with individual cases. Its terms of reference are:

"To consider generally, and with special relation to educational schemes which may be operative in the Services, the most suitable machinery, local and central, for promoting the interest of professional sailors, soldiers and airmen after the termination of their service, including the steps necessary to secure openings for them in civil employment."

asked the Secretary of State for War if non-commissioned officers and men in the Army are allowed to allot money to parents or dependants, and up to what proportion of their pay?

Soldiers who are serving abroad, and those serving at home who are in receipt of marriage allowance, are allowed to allot money to be paid direct by the paying authorities to their dependants. Such allotments are not allowed to exceed three-fourths of the soldier's pay, and are payable to one dependant only. In all other cases it is left to the men themselves to make their own arrangements for paying money to their dependants.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers of the Regular Army are drawing extra pay on account. of their qualifications as interpreters of the German language, and how many of these are employed outside Germany at the present time?

The hon. and gallant Member appears to be under a misapprehension. Except for days of attendance at courts-martial, courts of inquiry, and similar judicial occasions, payment is not made to officers employed as interpreters without previous sanction of the Army Council. At the present time, no payment other than the above has been sanctioned by the Army Council.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department what action he proposes to take with regard to the cases of sweating of workers at the British Empire Exhibition which have been brought to his notice?

I beg to refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on Monday the 26th instant, in answer to, a question asked by the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mr. E. Harvey).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the wages paid by Messrs. J. Lyons and Company, Limited, to their staff at the British Empire Exhibition?

I beg to refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave him yesterday and in which I stated that I had no information regarding the wages paid by Messrs. J. Lyons and Company, Limited, at the British Empire Exhibition.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he will take immediate steps to set up a public inquiry into the financial administration of the British Empire Exhibition, with special reference to the numerous cases of alleged profiteering?

I have no information which would lead me to think it necessary to institute such an inquiry as is suggested by my hon. Friend, but I shall be very happy to consider any specific cases of profiteering which are brought to my notice.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how much money was received by the hop control for the sale of the 1922 crop; and whether the crop was sold to brewers or to merchants?

I have already explained that I cannot give information with regard to particular items from the accounts of the Hop Control. The crop was allocated to brewers by the Hop Control Committee on an equitable basis, and it was disposed of through the usual trade channels.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether it is proposed to extend the hop control beyond the date of its lapse, 16th August, 1925; and whether to do so would require legislation?

I am giving careful consideration to the organisation of the hop industry, in view of the termination of the present period of control in August, 1925, but I am not yet in a position to make any statement on the subject. The reply to the last part is in the affirmative.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the National Agricultural Council was consulted in regard to the repeal of Part I of the Agriculture Act, the repeal of the so-called embargo on Canadian cattle, and the introduction of the Agricultural Wages Bill; and what was the advice given by the Council and the decision taken in regard to such advice by the Government in each case?

The hon. Member's question indicates some misconception as to the position of the council. It was not established as a body to be consulted on questions of Government policy, that place being filled by the statutory Agricultural Advisory Committee. The council is a representative body, wholly independent of the Ministry, which regulates its own procedure and is free to discuss any subject relating to agriculture which is brought before it by any member. The council has not discussed or given any advice on the first and third of the subjects mentioned in the question, but on the second subject resolutions against the importation of Canadian store cattle were passed at three meetings of the council. The late Government did not feel able to adopt the views of the council on that subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been directed to a report, which was approved at the last meeting of the National Agricultural Council of England, in which it was stated that that council does not claim, and never has claimed, to voice the authoritative opinion of agriculturists, and that the members of the council merely express their own personal opinions on the matter discussed by the council; whether it is intended to circulate this report to the agricultural committees of county and borough councils, so that these committees may know that the members of the council whom they have delegated to represent them do not voice the opinions of agricultural committees at meetings of the council but their own personal opinions; what has been the total cost of the council since its inception, including travelling expenses, hotel expenses, and secretarial and clerical assistance; and what is the estimated cost for the current financial year of the council and its standing committee?

My attention has been called to the Report to which I gather the hon. Member refers. The Report will, as recommended by the Council of Agriculture for England, be circulated to those county councils whose agricultural committees have not yet filled the vacancies that have recently arisen in accordance with their statutory duty. The cost of the Council of Agriculture for England, including any committees other than the Agricultural Advisory Committee, has been as follows:

			£
1920–21	…	(approximate)	250
1921–22	…	(approximate)	1,000
1922–23	…		441
1923–24	…		660

The cost during the present financial year is estimated at £2,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, in connection with the recent decision to permit the Clyde Trustees to deposit material in the lower reaches of the River Clyde, the Corporation of Greenock and other public bodies who objected to the scheme have been refused permission to take samples of the material which is being deposited in the scheduled area; will he state if his Department intend to exercise any supervision of the dumpings or will action be taken only after damage is done; and is he aware that, on the official inspection of the foreshores, deleterious and putrescible matter was found to exist in many places immediately under the surface sand?

I am not aware that any public body other than the Corporation of Greenock has made application for the permission referred to. That Corporation's application was refused by the Clyde Navigation Trustees, and, as the Corporation was informed at the time, the matter is not one in which the Board of Trade can intervene. It is not intended to exercise any special supervision of the dumping in view of the conditions and stipulations referred to in the answer given to the hon. Member on 21st January last. I am advised by the Scottish Board of Health that at the official inspection referred to a black deposit immediately under the surface of the sand was found generally over the area of the foreshores examined, but that this cannot be attributed to the deposit of dredgings. The inspection also disclosed sewage pollution at various places, where crude sewage was being discharged on the shore, and this pollution also cannot be attributed to the deposit of dredgings.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total imports of dyes into this country in 1913 and 1923, showing the quantities from each source of supply?

The following statement shows the quantities of intermediate coal tar products used in the manufacture of dyes, etc., and finished dyestuffs obtained from coal tar, registered as imported into the United Kingdom from the several

Countries whence consigned.		Intermediate Coal Tar Products used in the manufacture of Dyes (including Aniline Oil and Salt, and Phenylglycine).	Finished Dyestuffs obtained from Coal Tar.
			Alizarine.	Indigo Synthetic.	Other Sorts.
		Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.
Sweden	…	—	—	—	16
Germany	…	267	8,198	8,274	25,179
Netherlands	…	10	7	—	60
Belgium	…	—	—	—	205
France	…	20	56	—	465
Switzerland	…	30	148	—	13,077
Italy	…	22	—	—	82
Austria	…	—	—	—	55
United States of America	…	1,000	—	—	39
British India	…	—	—	—	39
Canada	…	—	—	—	257
Total	…	1,349	8,409	8,274	39,474
From 1st April, 1923, direct imports into the Irish Free State from foreign countries have been excluded.
Owing to changes in classification the particulars for 1923 are not strictly comparable with those given below for 1913.

The following statement shows the quantities of dyes and dyestuffs obtained from coal tar, registered as imported into

Countries whence consigned.		Alizarine and Anthracene Dyestuffs.	Aniline and Naphthalene Dyestuffs.	Synthetic Indigo.	Other Coal Tar Dyestuffs.
		Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.
Germany	…	60,315	258,629	23,888	147
Netherlands	…	18	634	1	—
Belgium	…	—	1,286	—	8
France	…	—	98	—	—
Switzerland	…	—	22,141	—	—
Italy	…	—	48	—	—
Austria-Hungary	…	480	17	—	—
United States of America	…	—	174	—	—
Total	…	60,813	283,027	23,889	155

asked the President of the Board of Trade the prices of dyes in this country as compared with the prices in Germany, France, and the United States of America for the years 1913, 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923.

I regret that, in view of the number and varieties of dyestuffs on the market, the different strengths at which they are sold, and the fact that

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will supply a statement showing the effects on the Dyestuffs Act on the cotton industry in this country?

I do not think any general statement is practicable, but if my hon. Friend will indicate the particular points which he has in mind, I shall be glad to consider what information it is possible to supply.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the tonnage of West Indian sugar imported into Great Britain since January, 1924?

The quantity of sugar imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland registered as consigned Northern Ireland registered as consigned from the British West Indian Islands and British Guiana amounted to 4, 169 tons in February, 4,727 tons in March, and 8,985 tons in April, 1924.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will give the cost of production per ton of coal, specifying wages, stores, royalties, and other costs, for 1923

—	August, 1914.				August, 1922.
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
Pit Price			11	6			20	6
Railway Freight:			6	4			9	10
Wagon Hire			1	0			2	0
Other Expenses:—
(a) Wages of Loaders and Carmen.	1	10			3	8
(b) Cartage Expenses	1	0¼			2	10
(c) Sacks		1½				4
(d) Loss on Small and Deficiencies		4				9
(e) Siding Rent, Weighbridge Charges, Wharf Rent, Demurrage, etc.		1				4
(f) Clerical Salaries	1	3			2	2
(g) Establishment Charges	1	1½			1	11
			5	9¼			12	0
Total			24	7¼			44	4

The right hon. Member will, of course, understand that the costs of production given above are average figures for all coal disposed of commercially, but the costs of distribution relate only to a par- and for 1913, also the distribution charges, specifying heads of cost, for a ton of typical coal to a London householder for the years 1923 and 1913, with similar distribution charges for coal used in industry if available?

The average costs of production at the pit head of a ton of coat disposed of commercially were:

—	In 1913.		In 1923.
	s.	d.	s.	d.
Wages	6	10½	12	4¼
Timber and Stores	1	11½	2	2
Other Costs			2	8¼
Royalties	0	6	0	6¼
	9	4	17	8¾

As to the distribution charges of household coal sold in London, I have no later figures than those supplied by the London merchants for the month of August, 1922. Comparative figures for Derby Birghts in 1914 and 1922 are:titular class of coal in a particular place, namely, "Derby Brights" in Central London. I regret that I have not particulars of the distribution costs of industrial coal.