asked the Secretary of State for War if there is any annual or other limit laid clown as to the number of promotions to commissions in the Army from the ranks of privates and non-commissioned officers; upon what grounds are these commissions granted under peace conditions and what is the number of such promotions for 1912, 1913, 1920, 1921, 1922 and 1923

At present 15 such candidates are being admitted to Sandhurst half-yearly with a view to their being commissioned 18 months later. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the relevant regulations. The numbers of commissions from the ranks (excluding commissions as quartermasters) for the years in question are:

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will state the number of aircraft written off Royal Air Force charge during the past 12 months by reason of accident, obsolescence, and general deterioration, respectively; the average period that had elapsed in each case between the time the machines were first taken on Royal Air Force charge and the date of writing off; and the average flying hours in each case of the machines during that period?

During the 12 months ended 31st October last, 339 aircraft were written off charge owing to accidents and 81 for general deterioration. In each case the average age was about five years and the average flying life about 130 hours. For the purpose of comparison, however, the total age and total flying life are hardly relevant, the date of last reconditioning being a more correct basis for any comparison. I regret, however, that statistics on this point could not be made available without undue labour. In the same way it should be borne in mind that, there is no necessary connection between age and hours flown, as most aircraft, particularly in the case of War-time machines, have been for a considerable period in store. During the same period no aircraft were written off of types which were declared obsolete during the 12 months to which the question relates; but 110 were written off which were nonstandard at the date of write off, comprising types still in the experimental stage and those previously declared obsolete. Particulars of the average age and flying life of such aircraft would be difficult to compile, and would afford no useful basis of comparison with the other classes.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether ho is able to state the proportion of serviceable aircraft to total aircraft on charge of Royal Air Force flying units at the present time, distinguishing between service units and training units; whether he will state the average proportions for similar units during the last 12 months of the War; and, if not, whether he will state, in regard to each of these types of unit, the extent to which the proportions have improved or otherwise?

It would not be in the public interest to give the information asked for in the first two parts of the question, while, as regards the third, to examine the statistics for the last year of the War would cause undue labour and even then the data would probably he found not to be so complete as to furnish a comparable figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will state the proportion of motor vehicles to aircraft on charge of the flying units of the Royal Air Force now and at the termination of the War; and, if not, whether he will state the extent to which the present proportion shows a reduction or otherwise?

The proportion of motor vehicles (viz., motor cars, touring cars, tenders, lorries) to initial equipment aircraft on charge of flying units is approximately 0.6 vehicles to each aircraft. It is not possible to give a corresponding figure for November, 1918.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is prepared to reconsider the terms offered in an advertisement published in several engineering papers for an assistant engineer for the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, namely, £3 a week and Civil Service bonus for a professional man with the degree of Bachelor of Science and several years' practical professional experience?

The terms in question are offered as a commencing salary only to test assistants, not to assistant engineers, and candidates who prove their worth have opportunities of early advancement to a higher rate of pay. I do not consider that in the circumstances they need revision.

asked the Secretary for Mines to what extent, if any, oil is being extracted from coal in this country; and whether, in view of its success in other countries and of the remarkable estimates of production made by experts in this country, steps can be taken to encourage such works?

Considerable quantities of tar oil, creosote, etc., are extracted from coal incidentally to the manufacture of gas and coke by processes of high temperature carbonisation. But my Noble Friend possibly has in mind the extraction of oil from coal by processes of low temperature carbonisation. Such processes are not at present operated on any large scale and consequently the quantity of oil extracted by them is negligible. Considerable advance has, however, been made in recent years

The aggregates of the above figures cannot be compared with pre-war statistics of the trade of the United Kingdom with the former Russian Empire for the following reasons:

(1) They exclude the trade of the Irish Free State with the above-named countries;

on an experimental plane, and I hope that in time one or more processes may be established on a firm commercial basis. His Majesty's Government have for some years past been conducting experiments at the Government Fuel Research Station and publishing the results. In order to assist private investigators in getting their processes, if promising, adopted on a commercial scale they recently offered to test, free of cost, any experimental plant and process which appear likely to give reasonably good results under normal working conditions, and use is already being made of this offer.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value in 1924 and also the volume, as measured in 1913 values, of the exports to and the imports from Soviet Russia; and what are the corresponding figures in respect of the Russian succession States?

The following statement shows the declared value of merchandise imported into, and exported from, Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1924, registered as consigned from or to Soviet Russia and other States specified in the table:

(2) They exclude the trade with Bessarabia, now included with Roumania;

(3) They include the trade with Dantzig and the parts of Poland formerly German or Austrian.

It is accordingly, not possible to compute the values of the goods covered by the above table on the basis of the 1913 values of corresponding goods imported from or exported to the several countries named.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the exports of biscuits in 1924 and 1913, respectively, both in weight and value?

In 1913 the exports of "biscuits and cakes" of United Kingdom manufacture (including a relatively small quantity of cakes) amounted to 481,471 cwts., valued at £1,561,640. The exports in 1924 amounted to 147,756 cwts., valued at £948,085. These latter figures are exclusive of 39.671 cwts. of biscuits and cakes, valued at £221,750, consigned to the Irish Free State. The particulars for 1913 include, while those for 1924 exclude, the exports from the Irish Free State to countries outside the British Isles. In 1924 such exports from the Irish Free State amounted to, approximately, 15.500 cwts., valued at 2150,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Trade Facilities Act is, in practice, available for contracts carried out by British firms exporting to Russia?

It is open to the Trade Facilities Committee to consider applications for expenditure in this country in connection with Russian schemes, but the Committee have not been able to recommend any such applications.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as the embargo on gold exports automatically expires in December, if he will appoint a Committee at an early date to report on gold and gold standard?

I do not think that the appointment of a new Committee would be helpful.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Imperial Calendar, giving complete Civil Service lists, the publication of which was abandoned for reasons of economy, can now be officially restarted?

A new edition of the Imperial Calendar is in preparation, and will be issued early in April next.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that claims are now being made on members of regimental old comrades associations to pay duty for armorial bearings on the badges worn by the members and the use of the regimental badge on the association notepaper; and whether he will order that such claims be not enforced

The duty on armorial bearings is levied in England and Wales by county borough councils and county councils, and I can only suggest to the hon. and gallant Member that any representations as to whether duty is payable on the badges referred to should be addressed to the council concerned.

asked the First Commissioner of Works if a railway-ticket issuing office can be installed in the Houses of Parliament for the convenience of Members of both Houses?

The First Commissioner regrets that ho is unable to adopt the Noble Lord's suggestion, as he is not satisfied that there is any general desire for an alteration of the existing arrangements.

asked the Minister of. Transport whether and when, for the purpose of relieving the very heavy traffic at the points concerned, it is his intention to recommend subways for vehicles at Berkeley Street and at Hyde Park Corner?

These matters, with others, will engage the attention of the London Traffic Committee, and I cannot usefully make any statement at the present time.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the Barnsley railway station is an old and dangerous wooden structure with inconvenient approaches thereto and out-of-date accommodation; that the town is an important marketing centre with numerous surrounding areas; and that the corporation, chamber of commerce and business people have repeatedly approached the railway companies by deputation seeking better facilities without success; and will he have the necessary inquiries made and receive a deputation from the borough council and surrounding urban authorities representing upwards of 100,000 population?

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will take steps to have the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1924, amended in such a way as to include authorities, like the Port of London Authority, not in receipt of direct assistance from State funds, on the same basis as education and police authorities?

Section 3 of the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1920, provides that the Treasury, after consultation with the appropriate Government Department, may, by order, authorise the application

The hon. Member has informed me that he now wishes to withdraw this question. I will therefore only say that the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company have recently stated that there is no foundation for any suggestion to the effect that the structure of either of their two stations at Barnsley is dangerous.

asked the Minister of Health the number of occupied males and females, respectively, in each part of the United Kingdom on the occasion of the Census of 1921: and how these compare with the figures for previous Censuses?

The 1921 Census figures asked for are given in the following table, together with the previous Census figures most closely corresponding thereto:

of the provisions of the Act to pensioners in receipt of pensions granted by any public authority. Further legislation does not, therefore, appear necessary.

asked the Home Secretary what were the numbers of persons dependent upon public support at Census period intervals since 1876?

I have been asked to reply. I would refer the hon. Member to the Returns of total expenditure under certain Acts of Parliament published in 1921, 1922 and 1924 (Parliamentary Papers Nos. 189 of Session 1921, 139 of Session 1922 and 26 of Session 1924), of which I am sending him copies: the last columns of those Returns give for the years 1920, 1921 and 1922 such figures as are in existence. Earlier figures are not available, and could not be obtained without very laborious inquiries. It is hoped to issue at an early date a further Return which will give corresponding figures for the year 1923.