asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the great inconvenience caused to postmen in the delivery of letters by the lack of provision of letter boxes in the doors of working-class houses; and whether the will make compulsory the provision of letter boxes or apertures in any houses erected under the Government's new housing proposals?

My right hon. Friend can appreciate that considerable inconvenience would be caused by the omission of letter boxes or apertures for the delivery of letters. He understands that it is customary in houses erected in connection with schemes under the Housing Acts to make such provision, and he does not consider it is necessary to deal with this matter in the new Housing Bill.

asked the hon. Member for Carlisle, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, whether any arrangements have been arrived at between the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and the London County Council with the view to the demolition of insanitary areas the property of the Commissioners, within the County of London, and which have been condemned under the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1919?

The Ecclesiastical Commissioners, in co-operation with the London County Council, are endeavouring to formulate a joint scheme for the clearance and re-development, by the erection of dwellings for the working classes, of an area in Lambeth now occupied by old and more or less worn-out cottages. The property has not been condemned by the local authority.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that the Regulations governing the importation of dried milk are being administered with sufficient stringency; and whether these Regulations make any provision for requiring disclosure to the purchaser of the amount of liquid milk represented by the dried product when reconstituted, in order to draw attention to the costliness of the manufactured article in comparison with the natural product?

I have no evidence that the Regulations referred to, which only came into force on 1st May last, are not being efficiently administered by the responsible authorities. It is required that each tin of dried milk shall bear a declaration of the equivalent amount of liquid milk contained.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the latest report of the medical officer for the Milnrow district, in which it is stated that the death rate was 21·5 or 7·3 higher than in 1921, that infantile mortality was at the rate of 190 per 1,000 births, that the smoke nuisance was very bad, and that a more rapid conversion of the sanitary system of water carriage was required; whether he is aware that the local authority have done nothing in the way of providing working-class houses, that there is no child-welfare centre and no district nurse, and that the sanitary inspector has to give most of his time to collecting rates, collecting rents of council houses, and collecting electricity accounts; and whether, in view of the conditions revealed in the report, he will make representations to the local authorities in question as to the need for active measures in the interests of the health and well-being of the people in the district?

attention has been drawn to the report referred to. The district was inspected by one of the medical officers of my Department towards the end of 1922 and representations were made to the council with regard to certain matters arising out of his report. As regards smoke abatement, a special visit was made by one of my engineering inspectors in May, 1923, with the object of advising the council. I am awaiting the report of the medical officer of health for 1923, and if it reveals no evidence of improved conditions, I propose to arrange for an inquiry to be held into the sanitary administration of the district. The county council is the authority responsible for maternity and child welfare work in the area, and a report on the county scheme by one of my medical officers is in preparation on which action can be considered. I may add that 54 houses were erected by the local authority under the State-assisted scheme authorised by the Housing, Town Planning, Etc., Act, 1919, and that the council have adopted a scheme for the assistance of private builders under the Housing, Etc., Act, 1923.

asked the Minister of Health whether there is a department of his Ministry for dealing with matters concerning the administrative work of sanitary inspectors; and, if so, whether that department is under the control of a sanitary inspector or if there are any sanitary inspectors upon the staff of the Ministry in either an advisory or supervisory position?

Questions arising out of the work carried out by sanitary inspectors under the local authorities are not dealt with in any one division of the Ministry of Health but form part of the work of several divisions. Any technical advice required in connection with these questions is afforded by officers of the Ministry who have qualifications, equivalent or superior to those prescribed for sanitary inspectors, but there are no sanitary inspectors as such upon the staff of the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in the interests of the health of the community, he will arrange to give a grant of 50 per cent. on the net cost of bacteriological examinations of specimens forwarded by medical practitioners to the medical officers of local authorities, with an arrangement with the authorities that the cost shall be recovered in cases where the patients are able to Pay?

Medical practitioners can generally now obtain from local authorities reports on bacteriological examinations of specimens forwarded in cases where the diagnosis of venereal disease, tuberculosis or acute infectious diseases is in question. The expense of such examination is in most cases defrayed by the local authorities. My right hon. Friend will be prepared when time admits to consider the arguments for or against an extension of the existing facilities.

asked the Minister of Health what action he is taking with reference to the surcharges which have been made by the district auditor on members of the Poplar Board of Guardians and other boards in respect of relief given to certain labourers for whom work was available during the recent strike?

My right hon. Friend understands that no surcharge of this nature has yet been made in the case of Poplar, but, as he informed the hon. Member on Wednesday last, he has received appeals against surcharges in the case of certain other London boards of guardians. These appeals are receiving consideration, and my right hon. Friend will give a decision in due course.

asked the Minister of Labour what work under State schemes had been completed in regard to reafforestation, new arterial roads, improvement of roads, etc., during the 12 months ending 1st January last; what amounts had been spent on such schemes; what additional employment had been found during that period; what additional work under such schemes was done between 1st January and 30th April; and what employment was afforded, and at what cost, during that period?

The existing records do not enable this information to be given precisely in the form asked for. A White Paper is being prepared, in accordance with a promise given in the Debate on the Estimates for my Department; this Paper will set out in some detail the available information with regard to work provided for the relief of unemployment.

asked the right hon. Member for Tiverton, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the number of man-weeks of employment paid for by the Forestry Commissioners for the years 1919 to 1923, each year being given separately?

The Forestry Commissioners were appointed on the 29th November, 1919; the number of man-weeks employment paid for by them has been as follows:

Year.	Man-weeks.
1920	14,900
1921	43,300
1922	54,300
1923	69,500

In addition, the following employment on estates of corporate bodies and private individuals resulted from Grant Schemes in relief of unemployment:

Planting season.	Man-weeks.
1921–22	45,000
1922–23	58,000

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the economic success of the afforestation of their water-catchment areas by the Corporation of Liverpool and the County Council of Lanarkshire; that such afforestation is recommended by experts as of great benefit to the purity and extent of the water supply; and what steps it is proposed to take to induce other local authorities to adopt this method of reducing unemployment.

I have been asked to reply to this question. The Forestry Commissioners are aware of the afforestation schemes referred to and of the beneficial results. They are, in fact, acting in partnership with Liverpool Corporation in respect of the Lake Vyrnwy Scheme. Local authorities have been notified by letter or by public announcement of the State grants which have been available during the last three seasons for afforestation work in relief of unemployment, and 60 schemes have resulted. Similar action is proposed for next planting season.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can make a statement concerning the dispute between the building trade employers and the operatives, including the position at Liverpool?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave on this subject yesterday to the hon. Member for Bristol North (Mr. Ayles).

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he has had under consideration the question of assisting the widow and dependants of an ex-service man whose death is attributable to war service but whose marriage took place after the termination of his war service?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blackley (Mr. P. Oliver) on the 28th February, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Pensions when the application for pension put forward on the 27th of March last of the widow of Private Albert Massey, No. 509,611, references Manchester Chief Area Office, A.W. 4,135, and 3/M.M./13,849, will be dealt with; and if payment can be expedited?

This claim, which was not completed by the widow until the 16th April, is under consideration, but I hope that it may be possible to notify a decision very shortly. The hon. Member will appreciate that it is often more to the advantage of the widow that some time should be employed with a view to obtaining all available evidence, rather than that the claim should be decided at once solely on the evidence put forward by the widow.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that no award of allowance has been granted to Mrs. Forrest, 15, Morton Place, Kilmarnock, for a child born within 280 days after the date of her husband's final discharge from the Army, the reason given being that the pensioner was transferred to Class P of the Army Reserve more than 280 days from the birth of his child; and if he will now take steps to make provision for an allowance to be made on behalf of children of pensioners born within 280 days from the date of parent's final discharge, and not, as at present, from the date of transfer to some class of the Army Reserve?

It has always been a principle of the Royal Pension Warrants that the State's liability in respect of the family responsibilities of a disabled officer or man is limited by reference to the position obtaining at the date on which he ceased to render effective military service. My right hon. Friend regrets, therefore, that he cannot see his way to recommend an amendment of the Royal Warrant in the direction suggested.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will amend the existing rule that no pension can be given in a lump sum unless it is the full amount of disability which brings in a sum of £175 per annum, or, in some exceptional cases, £120, in such a way as to enable all permanent War pensions to be commuted?

The minimum under the standing rules is £150 a year, not £175, and £120 in certain exceptional cases. These minima have been laid down, by common agreement of all the Departments concerned, to safeguard officers against the very serious hardships which would inevitably arise through misfortune or improvidence were they permitted to commute the whole of their permanent pensions. My right hon. Friend is not prepared to advise that these limits should be removed or reduced.

asked the Minister of Agriculture from whom his Department has made inquiries in ascertaining the rate of wages paid to agricultural workers in different parts of the country?

Periodical reports are received from outdoor officers of the Department who are in touch with the situation in different parts of the country, and special inquiries have recently been made of employers and workers in particular localities.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the rate of wages generally paid to agricultural workers in the county of Cornwall, and the average cash value of the privileges added to the wages?

The recognised wage for adult agricultural workers in Cornwall is 30s. per week, which, in the case of ordinary labourers, is believed to be inclusive of the value of any allowances in kind.

asked the Minister of Agriculture at what period during December, 1923, his Department began to pay compensation for dairy cattle slaughtered in consequence of foot-and-mouth disease upon a basis higher than that paid prior to that date; what instructions were at that time given to the Government valuers; and what ratio the average payments, by way of compensation for dairy cattle, made in November, 1923, bear to those made in January, 1924?

The basis of valuation of animals to be slaughtered in connection with outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease has not been altered. This basis was fixed by the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, to be, in the case of animals affected with the disease, the value of the animal immediately before it became affected, and in other cases, to be the value of the animal immediately before it is slaughtered. The Ministry gives no special instruction to valuers other than directing their attention to the terms of the Act on this subject. With regard to the last part, particulars relating to the whole country are not immediately available. The information has been extracted for four counties (Cheshire, Shropshire, Denbigh and Flint). Compensation for cows slaughtered in these counties in November, 1923, averaged £31 a head, and in January, 1924, £37 a head. My hon. Friend will realise that the depletion of the herds in this area at the end of last year would tend normally to raise the value of the remaining stock.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the average price per head in Canada of the store cattle which are being shipped to Great Britain?

I have no information as to the prices paid in Canada for the store cattle actually shipped to this country. Official reports of the prices of store cattle in Canada indicate that good feeding cattle of 1,000 1bs. live weight have been selling at Toronto during last month at an average of about 68 dollars, whilst the average price of similar cattle at Winnipeg hag been about 50 dollars and at Calgary about 47 dollars.

asked the Home Secretary how many joint executive committee meetings of the Metropolitan Police were held in each of the years 1921, 1922, 1923, and how many have been held up to the present date in this year, respectively; whether permission has been refused to hold any such meetings; and, if so, whether he will state the reasons for such refusal?

Eight such meetings were held in 1921, six in 1922, nine in 1923, and four have been held so far in 1924. Permission was refused for one meeting proposed to be held in March last, the reason being that the Commissioner did not consider that sufficient cause had been shown for the holding of a further meeting at that time. These meetings are not statutory, and sanction for them to be held is a matter resting entirely in the discretion of the Commissioner. No previous request had been refused, but I am informed that there is a tendency to multiply the number of such meetings, which are additional to the meetings of the respective Boards and to the meetings of their Executive Committees.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether, in view of the circumstances in which the people of South Uist are still placed owing to the closing of Lochboisdale pier, he will state the present position of the negotiations for the re-opening of the pier?

I took the opportunity of examining this question on the spot during the Recess, and I fully appreciate the difficulties caused by the closing of the pier. I am advised that by the restriction of traffic to the sound portion of the structure a partial re-opening of the pier as a temporary arrangement would be practicable and the Board of Agriculture for Scotland have communicated further with the proprietrix on this matter.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that the Board of Agriculture for Scotland have intimated that the work on the South Loch Erisort Road, in the Island of Lewis, must terminate on the 30th instant; and, in view of the difficult conditions obtaining in that area, and the necessity for further relief work, will he consider the extension of the terminal date?

The grant of £2,500 by the Board of Agriculture for Scotland for work on the South Loch Erisort Road was offered to and accepted by the Lewis District Committee subject to the terminal date for expenditure being fixed at 31st May. This date was subsequently altered to 30th June. The grant is made up of £1,500 from the Vote for the Relief of Unemployment and £1,000 from the Agriculture (Scotland) Fund. The former portion of the grant will be fully expended by the 30th June. As a special case, I am willing to make the portion of the grant which is chargeable to the Agriculture (Scotland) Fund available for a further period of two months.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is in a position to state the various relief road works in the Island of Lewis the termination of which, it has been intimated, must take place this month; and whether he will explain why such intimation has been given?

The grants for road works in Lewis for the relief of unemployment and distress were offered by the Board of Agriculture for Scotland and accepted by the District Committee subject to a terminal date for expenditure which was originally fixed as 31st May, but subsequently postponed to 30th June. These grants, amounting to £14,975, were allocated as follows:

(1) £10,100 to meet the cost of a scheme for the resurfacing of unclassified roads. It is anticipated that the full amount of this grant will be expended by 30th June.

(2) £2,375 provided to enable the District Committee to accept a grant offered by the Ministry of Transport of 75 per cent. of the expenditure incurred on a scheme for the resurfacing of main roads and the reconstruction of bridges estimated to cost £19,500. The Board's grant will be advanced in full in respect of the work of road resurfacing completed before 30th June. The local contribution in respect of work still to be done after that date will be provided by the District Committee.

(3) £2,500 to meet expenditure on the further construction of South Loch Erisore Road. I have explained the position in regard to this grant in my reply to the hon. Member's separate question on the subject.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware of the difficulty that has arisen in connection with the hill-grazing for the sheep of the tenants at Rhelonie and Achnagart, Ross-shire; and what steps he proposes to take to restore the arrangement amicably arrived at in 1923?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Board of Agriculture for Scotland are in communication with the agents for the trustees of the late landlord regarding the claims of these crofters. The crofters have also been advised that in so far as they claim statutory rights to grazings in Rhelonie Hill, they should apply to the Scottish Land Court to have these rights defined.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that the Board of Agriculture have not yet completed their arrangement for the erection of the bridge at Balancra, Strathcarron, though they have long recognised that it was a necessity for the community, and particularly for children going to school in winter; what is now the cause of the delay; and when it is proposed to proceed the work?

I am aware that the Board of Agriculture for Scotland have before them an application by the County Council of Ross-shire for a grant-in-aid of the erection of a bridge at Balancra. No undertaking that the Board will contribute towards the cost has been given, but the application has been noted for further consideration as soon as the state of the Board's funds permits.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will investigate the circumstances attending the refusal of prize money and medals to Stoker P.O. Frederick Tongue, No. 312,289, of 34, Avenue Road, Forest Gate; and whether, as this man served in the Grand Fleet, he will expedite such payment?

The circumstances attending the liability of Frederick Tongue, late Stoker Petty Officer, O.N. 312,289, to the ordinary penalties consequent upon desertion have already been investigated and the Admiralty is unable to authorise payment of the prize money referred to, or the issue of medals.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether he proposes to discharge any examiners or other employés in the naval inspection department at Woolwich Arsenal; and, if so, whether he proposes to offer them any further employment?

It has become necessary to discharge a number of men who have been employed on examination work, there being no longer work for them, and in these circumstances I regret it is not possible to offer the men further employment.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many hired men there are in the dockyard at Devonport; and how many of these have served 15 years or more without becoming established?

There are 7,550 hired workmen employed in His Majesty's dockyard, Devonport, and of this number 1,313 have served in the dockyard for 15 years or more.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, seeing that the rank and file of the Army have no organisation through which they can make representations to the War Office, he will establish welfare committees, on similar lines to those existing in the Navy, in the military commands in Britain and overseas?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Devonport (Major Hore-Belisha) on 11th March last.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he can now state his decision concerning the application of the semi-skilled and unskilled workmen at Woolwich Arsenal for a further increase in their remuneration equal to the amount recently awarded by a court of arbitration to certain of the skilled engineers?

I hope to announce a decision on this subject shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War What is the total effective strengths of the land forces of Great Britain, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Russia, respectively?

The figures are as follow:

Great Britain	155,935
France	732,248
Germany	100,000
Czechoslovakia	149,877
Russia	1,003,000

These figures represent authorized strengths, excluding reserves and Colonial troops, and excluding, in the case of Great Britain, the Territorial Army, which has no analogue amongst the Powers named. The authorised peace strength of the Territorial Army is 185,554.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the total population of Gibraltar; what proportion is Service population; how many places there are where intoxicants are sold; and what provision there is in the way of recreation and reading rooms for the Services, and by whom such rooms are run?

According to the latest figures available, the civil population of Gibraltar numbers 18,061, and the Army troops stationed there amount to 150 officers and 2,800 other ranks. Full information as to the remainder of the question is not at my disposal, and I am asking the Governor to furnish a report.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of Vacancies in the permanent staff of each of the Departments mentioned in the statement Cmd. 2150?

Detailed figures are not available of the number of permanent posts in each Department and grade at present blocked by temporary personnel, but the hon. Member will find a certain amount of information as to the clerical and Departmental clerical classes in paragraph 14 of the Final Report of Lord Southborough's Committee on the Appointment of ex-Service Men to Posts in the Civil Service.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it will be possible to make a grant to obtain for the British Museum or the Victoria and Albert Museum, through the French Government or otherwise, casts of the important classic friezes at Baalbec now in the occupation of the French Government?

The Government has already made what it believes to be adequate grants for acquisitions by the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the allocation of the respective grants is left to the Trustees and the Board of Education.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would have been the loss of revenue involved in the adoption of the respective Resolutions for extensions of Imperial Preference which were negatived by the House of Commons on Wednesday last?

The estimated effect on the revenue in a full year of the adoption of the Preference Resolutions referred to is as follows:

Subject of Resolution	Estimated Loss. £
1. Abolition of duties on Empire figs, raisins, plums and currants	75,000*
2. Reduction of duty on Empire tobacco	450,000
3. Reduction of duty on certain Empire wines	negligible
4. Stabilisation of Preference on sugar at ½d. per 1b	1,200,000
Total estimated loss	1,725,000
* Based on reduced duties to come into force on 1st August next.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the contemplated alterations in the franchise, which will presumably entail an early election after their acceptance, he will take steps to ensure that the Committee which is considering the whole question of the civil rights of civil servants shall report in ample time before any electoral appeal is made to the country?

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the Committee appointed to inquire into the Regulations governing the candidature for Parliament and for municipal bodies of persons in the service of the Crown. I see no reason to expect that the Report of the Committee will be unduly delayed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that architects, accountants, draughts men, engineers, and surveyors who practise on their own account are allowed for Income Tax purposes the amount of their annual subscription to their professional societies as a deduction from their professional profits, while such allowances are not granted if they serve as assistants only; and will he give instructions to have this rectified?

The position under the existing law is not precisely as stated in the question, but an allowance to an assistant for a subscription to a professional society could only be allowable for Income Tax purposes where the expense is wholly, exclusively, and necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of the office or employment. If my hon. Friend will send me particulars of any case he has in mind I will cause inquiries to be made and communicate with him further.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the automatic stamp-supply machines now fixed in some post offices are supplied to ordinary shopkeepers either on rent or licence; and whether, in the interest and convenience of the public who desire to purchase stamps when post offices are closed, he can arrange for these machines to be supplied on reasonable terms to shopkeepers, like tobacconists and refreshment houses, who remain open to late hours?

The Post Office does not manufacture or supply automatic stamp-selling machines, and is not concerned with their installation on premises which it does not own or rent. Licences to sell stamps are freely issued to shopkeepers and others; and any person who holds a licence may, if he chooses, sell stamps by means of an automatic machine obtained from the manufacturers.

asked the Postmaster-General why the system of communicating weather forecasts by telephone has been abandoned; whether his Department took any steps to secure the co-operation of the farmers' organisation in giving publicity to the system when it was instituted; whether that organisation was consulted before the system was abandoned; and whether he will consider the desirability of reconsidering any decision taken so that the position of agriculturists may not be prejudiced at this season of the year?

The system referred to has been abandoned with the concurrence of the Post Office Advisory Council because the use made of it had become so trifling that the elaborate arrangements required for the distribution of the messages ceased to be justified, and I am not prepared to reconsider the decision. The National Farmers' Union were asked to give publicity to the service in their publications and they did so. Publicity was also given to the service in the Press, and special steps have been taken from time to time to draw the attention of all telephone subscribers in rural areas to the service. The National Farmers' Union was not consulted before the system was abandoned. It has no doubt been found that the present arrangements for broadcasting weather forecasts and for giving reports in the Press now meet generally the requirements of agriculturists.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider the introduction of legislation to make companies publish in their Articles of Association exact particulars of various assets, the prices paid for them, and the companies or individuals from which they were purchased?

Under the provisions of Sections 80 and 81 of the Companies (Consolidation) Act, 1908, every prospectus issued by or on behalf of a company must be filed with the Registrar of Companies, and such a prospectus must contain inter alia the following information: The names and addresses of the vendors of any property purchased or proposed to be purchased, and the amount payable in cash, shares or debentures, specifying the amount (if any) payable for goodwill; and also the dates of, and parties to, every material contract; and a reasonable time and place at which any material contract or a copy thereof may be inspected. Under the provisions of Section 82 of that Act, a public company which does not issue a prospectus shall not allot any of its shares or debentures unless there has been filed with the Registrar of Companies a statement in lieu of prospectus. Such a statement must include inter alia the names and addresses of the vendors of property purchased or proposed to be purchased; the amount payable in cash, shares or debentures; the dates of, and parties to, every material contract; and the time and place at which the contracts or copies thereof may be inspected. The suggestion that companies should include this information in their Articles of Association will be considered when the next revision of the Companies Act is undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the Russo-Caucasian Company, a British company formed last year to carry on trade with Russia, has been ordered by the Russian Government to leave that country; and what steps does he propose to take for the protection of British firms investing capital in Russia on the faith of the trade agreement?

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies which were given on the 23rd of June to the hon. Member for Erdington (Sir A. Steel-Maitland) in answer to similar questions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what direct British representation there is in Mexico for the furtherance of British trade; what recent effort has been made to encourage British trade in the Mexican market; and whether it is proposed at an early date to appoint British trade representatives with a view to developing and increasing the mutual trading between these two countries?

There is a British Consul-General at Mexico City, and a number of British Consular officers in different parts of the country. It had been under contemplation to strengthen the British commercial representation in Mexico, but the recent unsettled state of affairs in Mexico arising out of the revolution has made it difficult to encourage British trade. In reply to the third part of the question, I am unable at present to make any statement as to future arrangements in the country.

asked the Minister of Transport whether a proposal to initiate a fleet of passenger-carrying motor boats on the Thames has been brought to his notice; and whether, with a view of alleviating traffic pressure in other directions, he will do whatever lies in his power to encourage a scheme of this nature?

I do not think I can add anything at present to the answer which I gave to the question the hon. Member asked on this subject on the 3rd June.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the Departmental Committee on the regulation of hackney vehicles has completed its investigation of all known types of top-deck covers for passenger - carrying motor vehicles; whether, in the course of that investigation, the merits of what is known as the Beck Patent Collapsible Hood were considered; and, if so, whether he can make a definite statement as to the result of such investigation?

I understand that a number of top-deck covers for passenger carrying motor vehicles, including the Beck Patent Collapsible Hood, have been examined, and a report on them has been prepared for consideration by the Departmental Committee on the Taxation and Regulation of Road Vehicles. The Committee are considering the question merely from the point of view of the making of general regulations, and it would be clearly improper for any official opinion to be advanced as to the merits of a particular invention.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what steps he intends to take in order to help rural district councils in Suffolk to put the roads in such a condition as to carry the heavy motor traffic to which the roads are now subjected; and whether he is aware that these councils now find it impossible to meet the heavy costs involved in keeping the roads in any decent kind of repair;

As I stated on 17th June, in reply to a question by the right hon. and gallant Member for the New Forest and Christchurch Division (Colonel Ashley), it is proposed to allocate immediately a further sum of £1,000,000 towards the improvement of important roads in rural areas. This is additional to the sum of £2,750,000 already allocated during the past 15 months. So far as the county of Suffolk is concerned, the normal grants from the Road Fund, towards the maintenance and improvement of Class I and Class II roads, amounted, during 1923–24 to £56,531 to highway authorities in East Suffolk and £29,221 to those in West Suffolk. These grants alone represent a sum of approximately 1s. 6d. per £ of assessable value. In addition, and quite apart from the "Classification" grants, East Suffolk local authorities have since 1st April, 1923, received grants of £184,568 in respect of works estimated to cost £279,485, and in the case of West Suffolk local authorities the grants amounted to £30,473 towards works estimated to cost £46,857. From these figures it will be seen that generous assistance is being offered in recognition of the difficulties of the local highway problem. At the same time, I can hold out no hope of any general increase in the percentages of the normal grants to Class I and Class II roads, having regard to the limitations of the Road Fund and the other calls which it has to meet.

asked the Minister of Transport the number of persons employed by the railway companies of Great Britain in all departments who are in receipt of a salary of £6, or over, per week for a standard week of 48 hours, or less, of day duty; the number of persons employed by the railway companies of Great Britain in all departments who are in receipt of a wage or salary of £3 per week, or less, for a standard week of 48 hours; and the total sum involved; and, if he is not in possession of this information, whether he will take steps to obtain it?

The latest figures available relate to the week ended 24th March, 1923, and the total number of staff employed by the railway companies in Great Britain in that week was 681,778. Details of pay are available in respect of 681,247 employés. It is not practicable from the records in my possession to subdivide the particulars exactly as desired by my hon. Friend, but I have had certain figures taken out which, with his permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has now made inquiries concerning the condition of the rolling stock and the overcrowding on the Southern Railway between Woolwich and London; and whether any action is being taken in the matter?

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that numerous complaints have been received by the Woolwich Metropolitan Borough Council concerning the dirty condition of the rolling stock and the persistent overcrowding on the Southern Railway Company between Woolwich and London, and that the representations of the borough council in this matter have been without effect; and whether he will make inquiries with a view to suitable action being taken by his Department?

The railway company inform me that the matters to which the hon. Members refer have been receiving their attention, with a view to obviating, as far as possible, the difficulties complained of, but that, in consequence of the heavy nature of the suburban traffic in the district, they are not able at the present time to accomplish all they desire in this direction. The company further point out that the electrification of the lines in this neighbourhood is being undertaken largely in consequence of the existing difficulties in dealing satisfactorily with the traffic, and they assure me that, pending the conclusion of the electrification, everything possible will be done as regards both the condition of the rolling stock and overcrowding.