asked the Minister of Pensions if he will investigate the circumstances under which Mrs. Braybrook, of 56, Rosher Road, Stratford. has been refused allowance for the loss of her son, the late Corporal. William James Bray-brook, No. 67005 Yorkshire Regiment. whose death was admitted by the Ministry to be due to tuberculosis contracted during his War service?

Mrs. Braybrook is only eligible for pension in respect of her son if she is wholly or partly incapable of self-support and is in pecuniary need. As she is already in receipt of a pension and allowances amounting to 10s. 2d. a week in respect of her late husband, the latter condition is not fulfilled, and a further award of pension is not, therefore, admissible.

asked the Minister of Pensions if there is any arrangement by which pensioners temporarily resident abroad draw their pensions from the British representative in that place?

The answer is in the affirmative. Pensioners proceeding abroad may, on request, have payment of their pensions made through the British representative for the locality. I may add that the identity certificate issued to each pensioner contains an intimation to this effect.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he will take steps to cause the educational authority of Argyll to reopen the school on the Island of Easdale, which was closed some years ago owing to there being then no children on the island of school age to attend it; and whether he is aware that recently the children travelled by sea to Easdale pier on the mainland, and that the said pier is now in so dilapidated and dangerous condition that it is impossible for it to be used?

I understand that the school to which the hon. Member refers was for infants only, and its reopening would not entirely meet the present difficulty. The education authority inform me that they are at present considering the best way of dealing with the problem of this and similar cases. At the same time, they state that, though the pier hitherto in use is closed, there are several places where landing is possible on the adjoining island of Sell, on which Easdale school is situated.

asked the Secretary for Scotland what number of registered clubs, if any. exist in the respective parishes of Blantyre, Cambuslang, and Rutherglen for each year since 1919 to 1924?

The number of clubs registered under the Licensing (Scotland) Acts, 1903-21, in each of the parishes of Blantyre, Cambuslang and

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that blind people are not allowed the choice of an assistant to enable them to record their vote at a General Election; and whether he will issue a Regulation that a blind man shall be allowed to rely upon the assistance of his wife, or of some other member of his own family, instead of the returning officer if he so prefers?

The Ballot Act, 1872, provides that, on the application of any voter who is incapacitated by blindness from voting in the prescribed manner, the presiding officer shall take special steps to enable such voter to record his or her vote. I have no power to make any Regulation of the nature referred to in the last part of the question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the increasing evasion of the 1825 Act dealing with the manufacture and sale of tobacco and cigars, wherein a condition is imposed upon licensees that the name of the trader must be plainly exhibited over the main entrance of the premises at which such goods are sold; and, inasmuch as many persons holding licences do not display their names as provided by the Act, whether in future issue of licences instructions will be plainly given that the conditions must be complied with?

I have been asked to reply to this question. I am unable to add anything to the answer given by my predecessor to the hon. Member in reply to a similar question on the 5th August last.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of Lytton male entrants appointed as the result of the recommendations of the Lytton Committee to the following classes; clerical class, general; Admiralty Departmental clerical class; Air Ministry Departmental clerical class; Ministry of Labour Departmental clerical class; and Inland Revenue, Taxes. Departmental clerical class, respectively?

The numbers of Lytton male entrants appointed on the result of Lytton examinations to the following classes are shown below:

Clerical class (general)	4,878
Admiralty Departmental clerical class	333
Air Ministry Departmental clerical class	167
Ministry of Labour Departmental clerical class	687
Inland Revenue Departmental clerical class	1,496

The figure for the Admiralty includes a number of quasi-permanent writers to whom the term Lytton entrant does not strictly apply. In addition to the above figures 271 entrants have been appointed to the Customs and Excise Departmental clerical class and 67 from the War Office ex-soldier clerks' examination.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of old age pensioners on 1st May, 1924, on 1st February, 1925, and the increase due to the concessions provided under the Finance Act, 1924?

I regret that the information as to the number of old age pensioners on the 1st May, 1924, and the 1st February, 1925, asked for by the hon. Member is not available. The number of old age pensioners at the end of each quarter in 1924 was as follows:—

31st March, 1924	916,771
30th June, 1924	928,041
30th September, 1924	954,682
31st December, 1924	997,160

As regards the second part of the question the actual increases due to the Old Age Pensions Act, 1924, are not known apart from the increases in the number of pensions generally.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the bad condition of the Great North Road; and will he take action to remedy the bad condition of the road, particularly between North Finchley and the county boundary, Barnet?

I am aware of the condition of the Great North Road between North Finchley and Barnet. The estimate for the necessary repairs on part of the length has been submitted to my Department and accepted for grant;

QUANTITIES of Coal Tar dyestuffs registered as imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during 1924.
		Consigned from
Description.	Total Imports.	Germany.	France.	Switzerland.	U.S.A.	Other Countries.
	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.
Intermediate Coal Tar Products.	648	456	169	23	—	—
Finished Dyestuffs obtained from Coal Tar—
Alzarine	30,156	16,858	13,074	182	—	42
Indigo	—	—	—	—	—	—
Other sorts	40,976	27,905	367	10,485	24	2,195
Total	71,780	45,219	13,610	10,690	24	2,237

The quantity of dyestuffs received from Germany during 1924 on Reparation account, and included in the above table, was 33,896 cwts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what countries are still in the position of owing money to the British Government in respect of having purchased ships either during or immediately subsequent to the War; how much does each country now owe; how much has been already paid; and for how many vessels and of what type were these debts originally made and on what security?

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the quantities, in weight, of dyestuffs imported during 1924 from Germany, Switzerland, France, America, and other sources, respectively; and what was the quantity of dyestuffs imported from Germany on reparation account during the same period?

The following statement gives the information desired by the hon. Member:

The contracts for all ships sold by the Ministry of Shipping at the time mentioned were between the Ministry and the individual purchasers in each country. Over £45,000,000 was paid in cash at dates of delivery and over £24,000,000, exclusive of interest, has since been collected in instalments where the contracts provided for payments over a period of years. The balance remaining to be collected is £450,482 in respect of 17 vessels from seven shipping companies—two British, one Belgian, one French and three Italian—the amounts outstanding being respectively £18,329, £189,000, £10,833 and £232,320. The 17 vessels on which payments are still outstanding are all the "standard" type and were sold for £3,570,000; the security for payment on four vessels is London Bank guarantee; on 11 is mortgage and bills accepted in London and on the remaining two is mortgage only. In the ease of three companies outside the United Kingdom, the purchaser failed to complete payment of the instalments, and foreclosure was made under the terms of the mortgage.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will introduce legislation prohibiting the manufacture of armaments by private companies?

The question of the control of such manufacture is at present under examination by the League of Nations. I am therefore not in a position to make a statement on 'the subject at present.

asked the Minister of Labour if he has now considered the Report of the investigation into the conditions obtaining in the clinical thermometer industry; and whether he proposes to apply the Trade Board Acts to this trade?

My right hon. Friend has the Report of the investigation into conditions in the thermometer industry under consideration, and hopes to be in a position to make a statement at an early date.