asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether, seeing that the limitations recently imposed on the flights of British aircraft over Germany for all practical purposes confines the scope of British air transport to countries bordering the English Channel, Switzerland and the Mediterranean countries, the Air Council contemplates an early removal of these limitations; and, if not, whether a proportion of the funds now available for the development of air transport in Europe will be re-allocated for the development of imperial air transport communications?

As I informed the Noble Lord the Member for South Battersea (Viscount Curzon) on 10th July, the German Government have now agreed to renew for a further period of three months, from 30th June, the facilities previously accorded for the operation of British air services over German territory. It would be premature at present to consider the situation which will arise if the present extension be not renewed after 30th September, but the Air Council will, of course, take all steps in their power to secure its renewal.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether any appointment has yet been made to the post of Director of Scientific Research; and, if not, what steps are being taken to expedite an appointment to this post?

I regret that certain difficulties which have arisen in regard to this appointment have not yet been cleared up.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air, in respect of the past 12 months, the ratio of man hours employed in the maintenance of aircraft and engines on the establishment of units of the Royal Air Force, other than store and repair depots, as compared with the number of machine and engine flying hours, respectively?

To obtain this information would entail a great deal of detailed calculation by the units concerned, the value of which would not, I think, compensate for the time which would have to be devoted to it by commanding and other officers.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the night-flying training which has taken place in the Near East is such as has enabled conclusions to be reached in regard to regular night-flying in tropical and semi-tropical conditions; and whether the data obtained has been published fur the benefit of the aircraft constructional and operational industries, as was done in the ease of the night-flying experiments on the Cross-Channel route in March, 1923?

Sufficient experience has not been gained to enable any very definite conclusions, suitable for publication, to be reached, but the Air Ministry is prepared to place at the disposal of persons interested any information in its possession which bears on this subject.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what were the numbers of Royal Air Force personnel engaged on 30th June, 1923, and 30th June., 1924, respectively, on active duty as pilot or observer, and on other duties?

To ascertain the number of pilots and observers employed actively on flying duties on the two dates named would entail very considerable research, the labour on which would not, I think, be justified. I would, however, point out that all officers of the General Duties Branch, unless excused on the ground of age, medical unfitness or other special reasons, are required to fly regularly. The numbers of such officers were 2,353 on 30th June, 1923, and 2,481 on 30th June, 1924, and there were in addition 23 and 106 airmen pilots on these dates, respectively. The remaining personnel numbered 623 officers and 26,338 airmen on 30th June, 1923, and 675 officers and 28,418 airmen on 30th June, 1924.

asked the Home Secretary the number of vacancies at present in the prison service, England, and the number of recruits enrolled for the last period of 12 months for which figures are available?

The number of vacancies is, not related to a fixed establishment, but depends largely on the size of the prison population, which shows a tendency to fall. During the year 1922 44 men and 15 women were appointed to the subordinate staff. No appointments were made in 1923.

asked the secretary for scotland whether his attention has been called to the lack of transport facilities in the island of Bernera, Harris; and, in view of the adverse circumstances in which the population of this island are placed, is he prepared to reconsider the application of the Harris district committee for the construction of a branch road half a mile long in the Rushgarry district and sanction a grant towards this project?

I am aware that the Harris District Committee recently made application to the Board of Agriculture for Scotland for a Grant-in-Aid of the construction of a road from the Rushgary Sand to the main road in the Island of Bernera. In view, however, of the existing commitments and other demands on the limited funds which the Board have available for assisting works of this character they were unable to offer a grant in this case. I regret that I can hold out no hope of reconsideration of that decision at the present time.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will consider the desirability of extending the present period of two months from the commencement of the year of assessment, during which farmers must give notice of their desire to be assessed under Schedule D for the year of assessment, to a period of four months, in view of the fact that many farmers make their accounts up to 31st March in each year, which gives them only two months during which to make up their accounts, have them audited, and decide whether they shall elect to be assessed under Schedule D or let the assessment stand under Schedule B?

I do not think that any real need exists for the change suggested by the hon. and gallant Member. As I pointed out in the reply which I gave him on this subject on the 13th May, a farmer who elects to be charged to Income Tax under Schedule D for any year, is assessed upon the average of the three preceding years, and I cannot believe that the farmer making up his accounts to the 31st March would be so uncertain of the results of his last year's operations as to be unable to decide whether that result, averaged with the ascertained result of the two previous years, for the purpose of an assessment under Schedule D would, or would not, be more favourable to him than the assessment under Schedule B. Moreover, there is a practical objection to the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion, in that it would operate to postpone the in-gathering of Income Tax returns in rural areas, with consequent delay and dislocation in the work of assessment.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the great difficulty experienced in obtaining a first contribution card from the post offices in many areas by persons entering into insurance who have applied for admission to approved societies but have not yet been notified of acceptance into membership, will he state what are the instructions to post offices throughout the country as to the supply of contribution cards to insured persons?

The instructions to post offices provide for the issue of a current National Health Insurance contribution card to an employed contributor, on application. No case of difficulty in obtaining a card has come to my notice; but, if the hon. Member will supply the name of any office at which difficulty has arisen, I will have inquiry made.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the great increase in the cost of maintenance of patients in lunatic asylums chargeable to boards of guardians, the sum of 4s. per head repaid under the provisions of the Local Government Act of 1888 can be increased, as at present this amount is totally inadequate and throws a heavy burden upon local rates; and whether he will introduce legislation to provide for repayment to boards of guardians of at least one-half of the actual cost of every lunatic patient maintained in a county asylum?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on the 16th July, in reply to a similar question by the hon. Member for Finchley.