asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why the coat of the Royal Training College at Dartmouth has increased by over £5,000 for the year 1925-26, whilst the number of naval cadets has only increased by seven?

:It will be seen from page 71 of the Navy Estimates that the average number of naval cadets at Dartmouth in 1926-26 is expected to be 50 in excess of those borne in 1924-25. Against the increased cost of £5,879, due to additional numbers, must be set the increase in the contributions by parents or guardians towards the cost of training, amounting, as will be seen from page 76, to £14,700. The net decrease in the cost of the Naval College is therefore £8,821

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has any record of the number of ex-apprentices who were discharged from the royal dockyards in the penultimate Conservative Administration; and, if so, will he give the figures in respect of each dockyard?

:I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply of the 19th February last. No special record is kept of the number of ex-apprentices included amongst the workmen who are discharged. To give the figures asked for would involve a detailed examination of the discharges at all the dockyards.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty to what extent the warrant officers of the Royal Navy have availed themselves of the existing Regulation permitting them to retire on reaching the age of 40, stating how many have retired in the past year and at what age?

:The following is a statement of the numbers and ages of warrant officers and officers promoted therefrom, Royal Navy and Royal marines, who have retired voluntarily since 1st May, 1924, under the Regulation permitting such retirement on attaining the age of 40:

Age last Birthday.	Number Retired.
40	4
41	5
42	2
43	2
44	3
45	2
46	3
47	1
48	4
49	3
Total	29

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what effect it is anticipated the requirements of the Fleet Air Arm will have upon the requirements of sailmakers' mates; whether it is now proposed to increase the complement of sailmakers and sailmakers' mates; and, if so, to what extent?

:The number of sail-makers and sailmakers' mates has recently been increased by six, to provide for the requirements of the Fleet Air Arm. No further increases are anticipated at present.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will state the scale of pensions and allowances paid to widows, orphans and other dependants of deceased ex-service men; and the amount of pension or allowances paid to men partially disabled and their dependants?

:Provisions relating to the grant of pensions or allowances to widows, orphans and other dependants of deceased ex-service men are set out in the Royal Warrant of 6th December, 1919, as amended by the Royal Warrants of 21st June, 1922, 9th April, 1923, 14th January, 1924, and 2nd September, 1924, copies of which I am sending to the hon. Member. The provisions relating to widows are set out in Articles 11, 13, 17A and 17B; those relating to orphan children in Article 18 (i); those relating to parents in Articles 21 (1) and 21A and 21B. The conditions for the grant of pensions to disabled ex-service men are shown in Articles 1, 3 and 9, and the rates of pension in the first Schedule to the Warrant, while the allowances payable to their wives and children are set out in Articles 1 A and 2.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that a large number of pensioners of all ranks still experience great difficulty in obtaining houses, and that many would gladly commute their pensions with the object of becoming house owners; and whether he would be willing to consider a scheme which would permit pensioners commuting a larger proportion of their pensions for the purpose of building or purchasing a house?

:I am fully alive to the fact that war pensioners, in common with all other classes of the population, are still experiencing difficulty in obtaining housing accommodation, and sympathetic consideration is always given to applications for commutation for the purpose of purchasing houses for occupation, especially if it appears that the applicant's existing accommodation is unsatisfactory. I do not, however, consider it would be desirable, even in this type of case, to alter the rule regarding the minimum weekly amount that must be left uncommuted, as this rule is clearly in the interests of the pensioners.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many ships are classed as War Department vessels; for what are these vessels used; and if he will consider whether the estimated cost of £129,000 could be reduced by utilising privately-owned transport?

:The total number of steam, motor or sailing vessels classed as War Department vessels at home and abroad is 84.

asked the President of the Board of Education the estimated number of pupils in the public elementary schools during the present financial year and during each of the next three financial years?

:For the purpose of the Board's Estimates, 1925-26, an average attendance of 5,016,000 has been assumed. Owing to the fluctuations in the number of children who may attend school before or after the period of compulsory attendance, it is not practicable to frame anything in the nature of a reliable estimate of the figures for future years, but such information as I have before me suggests that the figures arc likely to show a slight further diminution over the next three years.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has received any appeals to permit the marking of the rolls at the commencement of the school business in rural schools half-an-hour later during the months that summer time is in force; and whether, seeing that this system is satisfactorily working in Northern Ireland, he, will give it favourable consideration?

:The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The matter would be one for the consideration of the local authorities affected.

asked the President of the Board of Education the estimated number of pupils in secondary schools during the present financial year and during each of the next three financial years?

:The number of pupils in grant-earning secondary schools on the 1st October, 1924, was 359,444. I have not sufficient data upon which to estimate the numbers during the next three years.

asked the Attorney-General whether, as the last volume of the second edition of the Revised Statutes, published in 1909, brings that edition only to the close of the year 1900, he will consider the advisability of introducing a new Statute Law Revision Bill with a view to the preparation of further volumes of this edition covering the first quarter of the present century?

:The question of preparing a new Statute Law Revision Bill, with a view to the compilation of further volumes of the revised Statutes covering the first quarter of the present century, has for some time been under the consideration of the Statute Law Committee, and such a Bill covering the first 20 years of the present century is in course of preparation.

asked the Attorney-General whether, as the Law of Property Act and the kindred Acts which passed into law last month, and commence at the beginning of next year, repeal and re-enact the principal portions of the Law of Property Act, 1922, and the amending Act of 1924, he will consider the desirability of introducing a Bill to repeal and re-enact in simple form those remaining provisions of those Acts of 1922 and 1924 which are not repealed by the Acts of the present year?

:I have consulted the Lord Chancellor with regard to this suggestion, and he does not think that the advantage to be gained by the right hon. and gallant Gentleman's proposal would be such as to justify the labour and expense involved.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he can now state if he is in a position to accede to the request for the installation of an annunciator in the map room?

:Yes, Sir. In view of the representations of hon. Members, an annunciator has now been installed in the map room.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of the disadvantage which may attach to a person accused of murder, or manslaughter, in the conduct of his defence arising from the practice of appointing one medical gentleman only to conduct a post-mortem examination; and whether he will take the necessary steps to ensure that, where a person has died in circumstances which may lead to a criminal charge being made against another in connection with the death and a post-mortem examination is held, a duly qualified medical practitioner shall be appointed to watch the examination in the interests of the person, if any, thereafter to be charged?

:My right hon. Friend does not see his way to propose legislation for this purpose. A post-mortem examination is not a matter of advocacy but of scientific investigation. The Director of Public Prosecutions is, however, considering whether it may not be possible to arrange that the defence shall have the opportunity of appointing a medical man to be present on behalf of the defendant when the postmortem examination is performed.

asked the Home Secretary the number of beer off-licences in the boroughs of England and Wales (excluding London) with a population of 90,000 and upwards; and the ratio of off-licences to population in these boroughs?

:I can only refer the hon. and gallant Member to Table I of the Annual Volumes of Licensing Statistics. Columns 6 to 8 and 14 of the Table contain all available. information on this subject. Reference may also be made to Table B of the comparative tables in the volumes.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the question of the separation of the judicial and executive functions in India has been under consideration from time to time by the Government of India during the last 80 years; whether he can say if any decisions have been arrived at; and when they are likely to be put into operation?

:I am aware of the fact stated in the first part of the question. The matter has of late been very fully examined afresh by most of the local governments and their proposals are now being examined by the Government of India. I am not in a position to say when a decision is likely to be reached.

asked the Minister of Health whether in view of certain misconceptions that appear to exist as to the effect of the Rural District Councils (Slaughter Houses) Order, 1924, and the Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924, he will state whether(1) a person who has in the past annually made use of his premises for occasional slaughtering purposes, and so established a custom, is now entitled to have these premises registered as a slaughterhouse;(2) whether a smallholder, cottager, or other person is at liberty to kill one or two pigs annually on his own premises, wholly or partly for purposes of sale, without registering such premises or obtaining a licence;(3) whether, if proper notice has been given and the carcase of a slaughtered animal has not been inspected, then after three hours from the time of slaughtering or six hours after the delivery of the notice, whichever may be the later, the carcase can be removed unless such later hour falls between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., in which ease the carcase cannot be removed until after 7 a.m.;(4) whether, in the event of an animal being slaughtered and the premises not being suitable for the retention of the carcase thereon, such carcase can be removed to a more suitable place; (5) whether, in a case where an accident occurring on a farm necessitates an animal being slaughtered, it is sufficient compliance with the regulations if notice of the slaughtering be given as soon as is reasonably possible;(6) whether, for the purposes of the delivery of notice, a notice sent to the proper authority by letter may be regarded as having been delivered at the hour at which such letter would ordinarily reach the addressee;(7) and the conditions, if any, under which notification by telephone or telegraph would be accepted?

While any question as to the interpretation of the material enactments and Regulations is ultimately for the Courts. I am advised that the answers to the several parts of the question are as follow:

(1)Yes; if there had in fact been up to 1st January last an established custom of slaughtering on any premises in a rural area affected by the Order, the occupier is entitled to have the premises registered as a slaughterhouse.

(2)Yes; I am advised that this is so.

(3)Yes.

(4)Yes; if the animal was slaughtered by reason of accidental injury, but not otherwise.

(5)Yes; subject to the carcase being retained as mentioned in the third part of the question.

(6)Yes.

(7)There are no restrictions upon the giving of notice of intention to slaughter by telephone or telegraph.

I am proposing to issue a Circular to local authorities on points arising under the Order and Regulations.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities in England and Wales have power under special Acts of Parliament to buy land in advance of their immediate needs; the names of the local authorities that have such powers and in respect of each the area of land so purchased; the price paid; and the net rateable value of the land previous to purchase?

:Thirty local authorities have this power. The following are the cases in which loans have been sanctioned by my Department; I have no information of the rateable value of the lands before purchase:

Name of Local Authority.		Area (Approx.)	Price.
			£
Liverpool	…	642 acres	721,245
Birmingham	…	112 acres	467,167
Nottingham	…	972 acres	220,800
Portsmouth	…	564 acres	47,000
Nelson	…	224 acres	26,639
Bolton	…	375 acres	15,280
Leeds	…	10 acres	11,000
Northampton	…	2,070 sq. yards	10,350
Preston	…	480 acres	10,000
Swansea	…	3 acres	6,650
Croydon	…	1,171 sq. yards	1,700
Chesterfield	…	2 acres	1,650
Plymouth	…	1 1/12 acres	1,582

The following local authorities also have this power, but no loans have yet been sanctioned for the purpose: The county boroughs of Barnsley, Birkenhead, Blackpool, Coventry, Grimsby, Hastings, Kingston - upon - Hull, Manchester, Rotherham, Sheffield, Wakefield; and the Town Councils of Chatham, Harrogate, Haslingdon, Lytham St. Annes, Morecambe and Ramsgate.

Local Authorities in England and Wales
Year.		Total expenditure other than out of loans.	Receipts during the year from which the expenditure would be met.			Average amount of rates (Col. 3) per head of population.			Net outstanding loan debt at the end of the year.
			Rates.	Exchequer Grants.	Other Sources.
1.		2.	3.	4.	5.	6.			7.
		£	£	£	£	£	s.	d.	£
1913–14	…	148,259,788	71,276,158	22,617,246	55,454,595	1	18	11	526,928,217
1922–23	…	346,707,800	157,273,530	75,843,058	128,000,669	4	2	5	741,465,263
1923–24	…	Not yet available.	144,000,000	Not yet available.	Not yet available.	3	14	10	Not yet available.
1924–25	…	Not yet available.	142,000,000	Not yet available.	Not yet available.	3	13	11	Not yet available.
The amount per pound of assessable value of the rates levied in the following areas in 1924-25 exceeded 20s. in the £—the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar, the County Boroughs of East Ham, West Ham and Merthyr Tydfil, the Boroughs of Sudbury, Thornaby-on-Tees and Neath, and the Urban Districts of Leyton, Walthamstow, Aberdare, Gelligaer, Glyncorwg, Maesteg, Mountain Ash, Ogmore and Garw and Pontypridd

asked the Minister of Health whether His Majesty's Government proposes to take any action to give effect to the recommendations of the -Royal Commission on London Government?

No action is contemplated at present.

asked the of Health whether he can furnish a comparative table showing the total cost of local government in the United Kingdom in 1913-14 and in 1924-25, the figures for that part of Ireland now the Free State being deducted therefrom; the total local debt in 1913-14 and at the present moment; the average per capita payment levied in regard to local taxation; and a list of those localities where the local taxation exceeds 20s. in the £ sterling?

:The following is the latest available information for England and Wales. As regards Scotland, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary for Scotland, and as regards Northern Ireland to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Home Affairs.

asked the Minister of Health in how many rural district council areas does a penny rate bring in less than £400; in how many up to £600; and what is the highest figure obtained in any rural district council area by the levying of a penny rate, taking in each case the present assessable values as the basis of calculation?

:A rate of one penny in the pound calculated on the assessable values at the beginning of the year 1924-25 would amount to less than £400 in 528 rural districts and to between £400 and £600 in 70 districts. The highest figure for any rural district would he £1,526

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether his attention has been called to the report of Mr. W. F. Vaughan Scott, commercial secretary to His Majesty's Legation, Santiago, to the effect that a point frequently lost sight of by British manufacturers is that the Chilean buyer does not take into account the origin of the article which he purchases, and always buys what is the cheapest, without regard to quality or durability; and whether, in that case, he will consider the issuing of leaflets to British manufacturers, pointing out the desirability of propaganda in such countries, to enlighten public opinion as the value of a good article?

I have seen the statement in the report referred to by the hon. Member. Reference to the importance of advertising British goods is made on page 12 of the report, and considerable publicity has already been given to it both in the Press and directly with business interests concerned. The importance of advertising in relation to the sale of British goods abroad is constantly emphasised in communications issued by my Department.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he can give the results of the working of the tobacco monopoly by the Turkish Government of Angora as compared with the results of the administration of the same monopoly by the Ottoman Tobacco Company?

:The Turkish Government notified the tobacco règie that their concession would expire on 1st March, 1925, and that thereafter the control and sale of tobacco would be administered by the Turkish Government direct. As the law authorising direct administration is still under consideration, a provsional law has been passed authorsing the Government to administer the Règie des Tabacs in its existing form, but it is, as yet, too early to say what the results of direct administration will be.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount and value of the internal and export trade of the chief industrial countries of Europe in 1913-14 and at the present time?

No statistics are available of the internal trade of any European countries or of the total quantities of goods exported by them. For the values of the exports from the countries in question during the periods specified, I would refer the hon. Member to the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics issued by the, League of Nations.

asked the Prime Minister who constitute the Committee of Imperial Defence; and whether it is proposed to submit the vote for the Committee to Parliament so that a discussion can take place on the whole question of co-ordination of the fighting services?

:The constitution of the Committee of Imperial Defence will be found on pages 13 and 14 of Command Paper 1938 of July, 1923, of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy. As regards the second part of the question, the expenses of the Committee of Imperial Defence are defrayed from Subhead B.I, Vote 3, Class II of the Civil Service Estimates. A discussion on this Vote can be arranged through the usual channels.

asked the Postmaster-General the approximate number of letters, postcards and printed papers conveyed during the year ended 31st March, 1925, and for comparison the corresponding figures for the previous

Year.		Letters.	Postcards.	Printed Papers.	Newspapers.	Total.
		Millions.	Millions.	Millions.	Millions.	Millions.
1913–14	…	3,480	925	1,170	205	5,780.including all Ireland.
1923–24	…	3,340	470	1,615	160	5,585.excluding Irish Free State.
The figures for 1924–25 are not yet complete, but are expected to show a total increase of about 5 per cent., say, 5,864 millions

asked the Minister of Agriculture the amount contributed annually by the British Government towards the upkeep of the International Institute of Agriculture at Rome; what steps are taken by the permanent British representative on the governing body of the Institute to disseminate amongst British farmers serviceable information in respect to agricultural developments abroad; whether the British representative furnishes an annual Report on the agricultural situation abroad and its possible reactions upon British agriculture; and, if so, how copies of the Report are made available?

:The grant to the International Agricultural Institute varies slightly according to the rate of exchange, but has amounted to about £2,900 a year on the average for the past three years. The Institute publishes two quarterly Bulletins dealing with economic and technical questions respectively as well as a monthly Bulletin dealing with International crops. In addition, information as to the crop situation is published in the Press at frequent intervals. It is not the practice for the British representative to supply reports separately from those published officially by the Institute.

:The approximate numbers of letters, postcards, printed papers and newspapers delivered during the years 1913-14 and 1923-24 are as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he proposes to give any grant towards the holding of educational demonstrations in rural districts to encourage the blacksmith's craft, as recommended by the Kent Rural Community Council?

:Approved expenditure by local authorities on demonstrations of the kind referred to in my hon. Friend's question—being directed to agricultural purposes—would be aidable on a 66⅔ per cent. basis under the Ministry's Regulations for grants in aid of agricultural education. I should be glad to see this movement taken up wherever it would be beneficial, and applications from local authorities will receive my sympathetic consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total number of persons who received grants of public money of £5,000 and upwards for services rendered during the great War and the names of such persons: and whether the sums of money so granted were unconditional or were invested in war loans or other Government stock for the benefit of the recipients and their heirs?

Twenty such grants were made in accordance with Resolu- tions of the House of Commons. Full particulars will be found in the OFFICIAL REPORT, 5th March, 1918, column 1865, and 7th August, 1919, column 731. In accordance with the usual procedure in such cases, the grants were made the subject of trusts in favour of the recipients and their heirs. The nature of the investment of the grants is within the direction of the trustees, of whom the Public Trustee is one.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the non-effective expenditure in the £77,000,000 spent on the fighting services in 1913-14; the similar expenditure included in the £117,000,000 spent in 1924-25; and the amount included in the Estimates of the present year?

The net figures are as follow:—

—	Navy.	Army.	Air Force.
	£	£	£
1913–14.Actual	2,944,549	3,915,703	—
1924–25.Latest forecast	8,067,300	7,834,000	107,690
1925–26.Estimate	8,130,800	7,819,000	143,000

asked the Minister of Transport what is the number of accidents to persons travelling on railways caused by the opening of railway carriage doors; and how many of such accidents were of a fatal character during the past 12 months?

:The number of accidents in the year 1924 caused by passengers falling out of carriages during the running of trains was 75, of which 30 were fatal.

asked the Home Secretary what tests are laid down by the Com- missioner of Police for the Metropolis before a driver's licence is granted for a motor omnibus or a taximeter cab in London; is he aware that the London County Council grant ordinary motor drivers' licences without any tests at all; and will he, in the interests of public safety, take steps to unify the tests for all motor drivers' licences?

:I have been asked to reply to this question. Before a licence is granted by the Metropolitan police to a person to act as driver to a public carriage (including cabs, omnibuses and tramcars) the applicant must produce a certificate of medical fitness and must also pass a practical test of his ability to drive. When a man reaches the age of 65, or at such other times as the licensing authority may direct, a further certificate of medical fitness may be required. In answer to the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer which I gave on the 18th February last to the hon. Member for the Hallam Division, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has any information as to the number of persons travelling by public vehicles northwards from Finsbury Park during the peak hours, and the seating capacity of the vehicles at present serving that area?

:The information asked for by the hon. Member is not at present available. I have, however, asked the London Traffic Advisory Committee to inquire into the question of the travelling facilities northwards from Finsbury Park, and I have no doubt that, in the course of their inquiry, they will obtain such information as they may think necessary to a proper consideration of the whole matter.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will inquire into the circumstances of the delayed construction of the Kilandrist Road, at the north end of the island of Lismore, Argyll; and whether, seeing that the whole of the said road, except 800 yards, has already been constructed, but the tenant of a farm declines to allow the Lorn district committee to complete the last 800 yards, whereof about 500 yards goes through his farm, although the proprietor has readily given his consent, he will, if his present powers are inadequate, obtain powers to compel the completion of the said road?

:I am making inquiry into this case, in order to ascertain whether any action on my part would be likely to advance the scheme.

asked the Minister of Labour how many applicants for unemployment pay have been refused benefit by insurance committees and sub-committees during the period between August, 1924, and 30th April, 1925, because of alleged failure to comply with the statutory conditions contained in Section 2, sub-sections (a), (b), (c)and (d), of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1924?

Between 1st August, 1924, and 9th March, 1925, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of applications for extended benefit which were rejected by local employment committees in Great Britain because of failure to comply with the statutory conditions of Section 1 (3) of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1924, were as follow:

Not normally insurable	33,149
Insurable employment not likely to be available in normal times	10,520
Not a reasonable period of in sured employment in last two years	81,512
Not making reasonable effort to find suitable employment or not willing to accept such employment	70,906
	196,087