asked the Secretary for Scotland the number of immigrants from the South of Ireland who have come to Glasgow and the West of Scotland during the last 12 months; and what percentage of these are drawing the unemployment benefit?

I regret that, as there are no statistics available, I am unable to furnish the information asked for by my hon. Friend.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he will consider the desirability of the Government setting up a training centre where men who desired to emigrate could receive such agricultural training as would render them acceptable to the Dominions as emigrants?

I propose to answer this question, as the arrangement under which the Parliamentary Secretary to the Department of Overseas Trade was responsible for oversea settlement matters has been discontinued. The question of training for oversea settlement was discussed by the Imperial Economic Conference, 1923. The following is an extract from the Report of the Proceedings of the Committee on Oversea Settlement. This Report was adopted by the Conference.

"TRAINING.

The Committee have come to the conclusion that such training (apart from any brief period of testing in order to ensure suitability) as may be required by persons in the United Kingdom who contemplate settlement upon the land overseas should be undertaken overseas and o not in this country. It was admitted that a brief period of testing in this country might conduce to the elimination of unfit persons, but the Committee felt that if such an experiment were to be tried, the cost could not be shared by the oversea Governments. The Canadian representative intimated, however, that his Government would be prepared to supply free of charge instructors familiar with Canadian conditions."

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, with reference to the damage caused to boats and nets of fishermen and others in the Tamar by the leakage of oil from the Admiralty installations, whether steps have been taken, or are proposed to be taken, to prevent such occurrences in the future; and, if so, what steps, in view of the loss which individuals have sustained?

Remedial measures with a view to preventing a repetition of leakage of oil fuel into the River Tamar have been authorised and are in hand. These measures comprise the laying of a new oil main along the road which will, when completed, be utilised in preference to the existing main across the foreshore, the failure of which led to escape of oil into the harbour. It is also intended to insert expansion joints in the existing main, which, it is hoped, will render it safe for retention as an emergency stand-by main.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that a number of old pensioners in Devonport entitled to the increases under the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1924, have not yet received the sums due to them; and when it is anticipated that the readjustments of pension under the Admiralty will he finally settled?

With very few exceptions, all Navy pensioners eligible for benefits corresponding to the increases under the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1924, have been paid the sums clue to them. If the hon. Member will let me have full particulars of the cases to which he refers, I will have the necessary inquiries made.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what sums have been expended in the current year of the £85,500 voted in the current Navy Estimates for new works in connection with Devonport Dockyard and the Royal Navy Barracks: whether these have been instrumental in relieving unemployment, and, if so, to what extent?

We expect that the sum of C82,000, out of the £85,500 voted for major new works in the Devenport district, will be expended in the current financial year. The expenditure of this sum has provided work for an average of approximately 330 workmen throughout the year. As no entry of additional Departmental workmen was made for the execution of these works, they did not relieve existing unemployment, but, by obviating discharges, prevented increase of unemployment.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, seeing that there is no dock in Devon-port sufficiently large to accommodate a battleship, and that three of the battle- ships in home waters are manned by Devonport crews, he can see his way to give free railway warrants to the men entitled to leave when their ships are being refitted at Rosyth, particularly in view of the fact that these men would not be under the necessity of paying expensive fares were the proposed berth in Devonport ready to receive the floating-dock allotted to that port?

All men of the Royal Navy participate in a concession granted by the railway companies, whereby return tickets are issued for journeys on leave at the cost of a single fare plus one-third. But I regret that it is not possible to make a contribution from public funds in cases in which, by reason of the distance of their homes, the expense incurred for leave journeys is still heavy. The particular cases of ships refitting at Rosyth was exhaustively considered within the past three years, and it was found impossible to make a departure from the general rule. It would be incorrect to assume that the whole of the ships' companies could take their leave without substantial expense for railway fares, if the ships could be refitted at Devonport, as the inquiry I have referred to showed that 20 per cent. of the personnel concerned had their homes in Crewe or further North, or in Ireland, while the homes of no less than 37 per cent. of the complement of one of the ships at that time were not less distant from Devonport than Crewe.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that commissioned Army officers of the staff for Royal Engineer services with 26 years' service are remunerated at a rate of pay equivalent to 26s. 7d, per day plus allowances, whereas officers of equal experience and length of service in other Army branches receive from 49s. 8d. to 57s. 10d. per day this allowances; and whether he will take steps to remedy the matter and place the pay and prospects of the officers of the staff for Royal Engineer services on a basis of equality with those already enjoyed, for equal length of service, by other Army officers drawn like themselves from the professions?

There are branches of the Army where the conditions of service are different in which the pay and prospects are better than those of the staff for Royal Engineer services. But I am unable to agree that there is anything in the position of these officers which calls for remedy. Their claims were fully investigated in 1923, when they were given material improvements in pay and pension.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what proportion of Royal Air Force non-flying personnel have qualifications such as are required as a condition of issue of ground engineers' licences?

Strict comparison is not practicable owing to differences between civil and service organisation. Broadly, however, the duties of the civil ground engineer are performed in the service by fitters (aero) and carpenters (rigger) of sergeants' or higher rank. There are 569 airmen of these trades of sergeants' or higher rank, and it may be taken that they are qualified at least to the standard required for a ground engineer's licence.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of qualified pilots who were demobilised from the Royal Air Force after the War; the number who have joined the Royal Air Force Reserve; whether the latter are considered sufficient for reserve requirements; and, if not, what steps are being taken to increase the number?

As regards the first part of the question, no statistics giving the information required are readily available, and the lengthy research that would be involved in obtaining it would not, I think, be justified by the results. In answer to the second part of the question, the number of qualified pilots who have joined the Reserve direct from civil life and without passing to it through the Short Service Commission stage, is 488. As regards the third and fourth parts of the question, I am not satisfied that the present number of reserve officers is suffi- cient, and provision will be made in the forthcoming Estimates for widening the field of recruitment.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that 6,000 ex-service men are confined in pauper lunatic asylums; and. if he will take action to have these men removed from such institutions?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer which I gave on the 11th December to the right, hon. and learned Member for Ealing (Sir H. Nield), of which I am sending him 4 copy.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been drawn to a petition signed by a number of Brighton ratepayers and sent to his Department with respect to the plans for the erection of a school in the Moulscombe district of Brighton; whether, in view of the reasons given in the petition for reconsidering the plans of this school, especially with regard to the size of the class-rooms, consideration will be given to the petition and the petitioners given an opportunity of elaborating their objections?

My attention has been drawn to the petition in question. In so far as it relates to the number of school places required, I am, in the first place, inviting the observations of the local education authority upon it. With regard to the size of the class-rooms, I propose to observe the principles stated in Circular 1334, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the great increase in the cost of new school buildings (particularly in rural areas, and amounting to nearly one-third of the total cost) caused by the Ministry's insistence on the provision of a central hall which must not be used for teaching purposes; and whether he will arrange that this requirement shall only be imposed where really necessary?

I think that the hon. Member is under a misapprehension. For elementary schools, to which I assume that the question relates, the Board's Building Regulations do not make the provision of central halls a requirement. The matter is dealt with in paragraphs 33-38 of these Regulations, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that the rise of one of the steps leading out of Westminster Hall is about 11 inches higher than that of the other steps, and that in consequence people are continually tripping; and whether he can take any steps to remedy this defect?

I am aware of the irregularity in the rise of the steps to which the hon. Member refers, and will arrange for the difference in level to be reduced as far as possible.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state separately for England and Scotland the number of houses approved for subsidy to 31st January, 1925, under the Housing, Etc., Act, 1923, and the estimated capital value of the subsidies for these houses: and the number of houses approved for subsidy to 31st January, 1925, under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924, and the estimated capital value of the subsidies for these houses?

The numbers of houses authorised by my Department up to the end of January for England and Wales were:

the additional subsidies granted by local authorities in respect of the same houses. As regards Scotland, I would suggest that a similar question be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary for Scotland.

asked the Minister of Health the numbers of bricklayers and of plasterers engaged in the construction of houses costing less than £1,000?

I regret that particulars are not available giving the information desired by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of Health how many working-class houses have been built within the area of Porthcawl Urban District Council during the past two years; and whether he has been asked to sanction the building of any further houses in this district?

The latest information available for this district shows that during the 18 months ending in September last, 55 houses of a rateable value of £26 per annum or under were erected by unaided private enterprise. There are no proposals before me for sanction to any housing scheme by this council.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the fact that the London and North Eastern Railway Company are doing away with the oldest safety device, namely, the guard's look-out side ducket window; that, in the interests of safety, the continuance of this old practices necessary for the prevention of possible accidents; and whether he is prepared to issue instructions to prevent the doing away with this system?

I understand that guards look-out side windows have not been provided on new passenger stock for a number of years, because the additional width of the carriages makes it impos- sible, having regard to necessary clearance, to provide such windows. My officers have not regarded these windows as being necessarily required for the safety of passenger traffic.

asked the Minister of Transport if and when it is proposed to proceed with the Thames tunnel at Purfleet, and whether any new roads or road improvements are contemplated in connection therewith?

This matter is now under consideration by the London Traffic Advisory Committee.

asked the Postmaster-General if 11, is aware that considerable dissatisfaction has arisen over the postal services in Hexham because, in certain districts of that town, there is no delivery between 8 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Monday, a period of 48 hours, and for delayed London letters between 3.30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Monday, a period of 641 hours; and if he will have the system examined, with a view to giving a better service without spoiling the postmen's weekly half-holiday

The afternoon delivery at certain outlying places served by rural postmen from Hexham is suspended on Saturdays with the consent of the local authority concerned, in order to give the postman a weekly half-holiday. This is a common practice throughout the country, but I will have the arrangements at Hexham further examined, as my hon. and gallant Friend desires.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total quantities of aluminium hollow-ware imported into this country during the years 3921, 1922, 1923 and 1924, respectively?

The total quantity of aluminium hollow-ware imported into the United Kingdom during each of the years specified was as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the figures showing the volume and value of the exports and imports of motor

vehicles and parts thereof for each month during the years 1923 and 1924?

The following statement shows the quantity and value of motor cars and motor-car parts imported into, and exported from, the United Kingdom during each month of the years 1923 and 1924.