asked the Minister of Pensions how many children of deceased ex-service men are at present boarded out by his Department and the total cost of each child to the State, showing the amount paid to the persons with whom the children may be boarded out?

:There are approximately 2,500 children in my care under Section 9 of the War Pensions (Administrative rovisions) Act, 1918, who are boarded out. The amount paid to the foster parent varies in individual cases, but the average total cost to the State is approximately per annum for each child.

asked the Minister of Pensions what is the number of cases in which special boards have found that an error in the previous assessment has been made and in which the Ministry has refused to make a fresh award?

:I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a reply given on my behalf on the 2nd of April, explaining the conditions to be fulfilled before a decision which is statutorily final can be reoponed. In coming to a conclusion on this question, full weight is given to the advice of the responsible advisers, medical and other, to the Ministry. I have no record of the number of cases in which a decision, either in favour of reopening or the reverse, has not coincided with an opinion expressed by any particular adviser or advisers.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office how many territorial infantry brigade clerks served in the Army during the late War; and how many of these, if any, were credited with the pay of their position as infantry brigade clerks?

:The clerks in question are not employés of the War Office. They are either employed and paid by the Territorial Army County Association or by the Brigade Commanders out of an allowance made to them for office expenses. I regret therefore that I cannot give the hon. Member the information he asks for.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institute is in any way subsidised from public moneys?

:No grants are made from public moneys for the purpose of subsidising the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institute. The organisation receives the same facilities which were formerly given to the contractors who were entrusted with the conduct of canteens.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of ex-service men in training under the Government industrial training scheme in Great Britain at the end of February, 1925, and the number awaiting improverships?

The number of ex-service men in training in Great Britain under the industrial training scheme at end of February was 5,099. 'Of this number, 2,691 were in Government instructional factories. The number of men awaiting improverships was 2,379.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, seeing that it is a breach of Section 3 of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, and the Explosives in Coal Mines Order, 1913, for anyone except the manager and under-manager to issue and sign permits for shot firers as defined in Clause 7 of the above Order, and in view of the fact that at some collieries two or three under-managers perform these duties, he will take steps to ensure that only the persons authorised as above shall function in this capacity?

:I have been asked to reply. I am advised that the Coal Mines Act does not preclude the appointment of more than one under-manager for a mine, and that the arrangement described in the question is therefore not in itself illegal. I shall be glad to inquire into any case brought to my notice where it is suggested that the firing of shots on main haulage roads and airways is not adequately safeguarded.

asked the Minister of Health the highest and lowest scale of relief paid to widows and children by Poor Law guardians in England and Wales, and the number of old age pensioners in receipt of out-door and institutional relief on 1st January, 1925?

Boards of guardians are not required to inform my right hon. Friend of the scales upon which relief is paid to widows and children, and he is, therefore, unable to give any figures in reply to the first part of this question. The number of old age pensioners in receipt of domiciliary relief on the 1st January, 1925, was 42,705. The number of such persons in receipt of institutional relief was 3,540.

asked the Minister of Health how many children are at present boarded-out with foster parents by boards of guardians in England and Wales, the total amount per week paid for the maintenance of each child, including food, clothing, doctor, and other necessaries, and the total cost per child maintained in 12 of the largest Poor Law schools and scattered homes throughout the country?

:The number of children boarded-out with foster parents by boards of guardians in England and Wales on the 1st January, 1925, was about 10,500. The estimated average weekly cost per boarded-out child during the year ended 31st March, 1924 (the latest period far which figures are available), was 10s. 10¼ I am sending the hon. Member a statement showing the average weekly cost per child maintained in 12 of the largest establishments for children belonging to Poor Law authorities in England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Health if a person who qualifies at 70 years of age for the old age pension, and applies for the pension, but is not able to produce proof of age at the time of application, is entitled to receive the pen sion from the time of application provided proof of age is subsequently produced?

:If on appeal to the central authority a claim which had been referred by a local pensions committee is allowed in view of further information supplied, the pension is payable as from the first Friday after the receipt of the original claim or from the first Friday after he becomes entitled to a pension, whichever is the later. A decision upon a claim by the central authority (or by a local pensions committee where no question is referred to the central authority) is final and conclusive, but it is open to a claimant to submit a fresh claim at a later date.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the doors being utilised by the London County Council on their Becontree housing estate are stamped with the words "Made in whether British firms had an opportunity of quoting for these fixtures; and, if so, what were the prices quoted by British firms as compared with the American tenders?

I understand that some of the internal doors are so stamped. I am informed that British firms had an opportunity of quoting for these doors, and that the lowest British firm's tender was 12s. 4d. for a 2—foot 3—inch door against the accepted tender price of 9s.8d.

asked the Minister of Health if he will consider the introduction of legislation to prevent persons in control of children, as, for example, headmasters and managers of schools, from permitting them when in an in fectious condition to enter public vehicles or go into public places at the risk of spreading infection?

Provision is already made in Section 126 of the Public Health Act, 1875, for preventing the exposure, without proper precautions, in public places and public conveyances of children suffering from any dangerous infectious disorder. Similar provisions as regards London are contained in Sections 68 and 70 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and there are numerous supplementary provisions on this subject contained in local Acts. The question of introducing further legislation dealing generally with the matter will be considered in connection with the proposed amendment of the Public Health Acts.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the Courts of Sewers are causing dissatisfaction in the country districts; and whether he will bring in a Bill to abolish these Courts and intro duce legislation that will be mutually satisfactory to all ratepayers?

I am not aware of any general dissatisfaction with Courts of Sewers, and I cannot promise to introduce legislation on the lines suggested. But. if my Noble Friend will call my attention to any particular case, I will consider whether the position can be remedied under the existing law.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that legislation in Canada and New Zealand compels that straw bottle-wrappers and straw used as packing shall be disinfected before being shipped to these countries; and whether, in order to minimise the danger of disease to livestock, he would be willing to consider similar legislation?

The answer to the first part is in the affirmative. Considerable difficulty attends the imposition of similar measures with regard to packing straw coming in to this country, as has been emphasised on more than one occasion by the Departmental Committees which have examined the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in this country in recent years, but I am at present considering what action is feasible which will not involve an undue interference with general trade.

asked the Minister of Agriculture. the number of applications that have been received for long-term loans under the Agricultural Credits Act, with the total amount so applied for and the number of such applications that have been granted, with the total amount of the loans granted?

928 applications for loans to the amount of £23,546,739 have been considered by the Public Works Loan Commissioners under Section 1 of the Agricultural Credits Act., 1923. Of these, 896 have been granted, to ',the amount of £3,432,806.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been drawn to the complaint by Messrs. Robert Davies and Company, of 16, 18, 20 and 22, Grayson Street, Liverpool, whose average number of telephone calls is 2,000 per quarter; whether he is aware that for the past 12 quarters the Post Office has demanded payment for an average of 140 calls in excess of the firm's own records, and on complaint has asked the firm to split the difference; whether the Post Office has any accurate method of check ing the calls made by individual firms; and, seeing that the only method of deal ing with the complaints of users of the telephone service is to inform complain ants that if they do not pay the charges made the telephone will be disconnected, will he have further inquiries made?

I am aware that Messrs. Davies and Company have made frequent complaints of over charges in respect of their local calls, and that settlement was effected on two occasions by the acceptance of half the amount in dispute, not because there was any doubt of the accuracy of the Post Office records, as was explained to these subscribers, but in order to bring the disputes to an amicable conclusion. As regards the system of the registration of calls in use in the Post Office, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the explanation given to him on the 24th March last. In connection with a special check made on Messrs. Davies and Company's circuit in December a number of omissions from their record were brought to their notice and I am satisfied that there was no reason for reducing the amount of the latest account which they questioned. As they failed to pay the amount outstanding there was no other course open but to give notice terminating their agreement for telephone service.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will inquire into the existing regulations of some country telegraph offices regarding the passing of messages by telephone, not to the district office thence to be sent by telegraph, but by trunk telephone calls to the nearest town or office of the addressee; and whether he will inquire into the question whether this custom, although restricted to a radius of 50 miles or so, delays the telegram and congests the telephone lines, thus preventing the use of such lines by local subscribers?

The practice of telephoning short-distance telegrams directly from the office of handing-in to the office of delivery is limited to cases in which those offices are within a radius of twenty miles of each other, and in which the telephone circuits can carry the traffic satisfactorily. This arrangement makes for acceleration by eliminating unnecessary telegraphic retransmissions at intermediate offices, and I am advised that its effect on the telephone traffic is negligible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of the total imports last year of feathers and plumage, natural and artificial?

The declared value of ornamental feathers, undressed and dressed, imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1924 amounted to £916,437.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total tonnage of bitumen and dehydrated coal tar, respectively, imported or produced in this country during the year 1924?

The quantity of "asphalt and bitumen" registered as imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year 1924, amounted to 270,051 tons. During the same period the registered imports of coal tar amounted to 3,065 tons. Complete particulars of the output of coal tar in this country are not available. No bitumen is produced in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

asked the Prime Minister when the Report of the Committee will be issued as to the cause of the high price of food; and what steps he proposes to take, if any, to lower the cost of food?

I have been asked to reply, and would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 28th April to the hon. Member for Cardiganshire (Mr. Morris) by the President of the Board of Trade, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will issue the necessary demand forms to rating authorities earlier than in the month of March, seeing that in the case of the Enniskillen Urban District Council, owing to delay in receiving demand forms, the contribution was not received within the financial year, although attention had been called on several occasions to the loss and inconvenience caused by seemingly unnecessary delay in this respect?

As soon as conditions have become more settled as regards occupation of premises it is hoped to resume the normal course of issuing forms to the local rating authorities in Northern Ireland for the purposes of claiming the Government contribution in lieu of rates early in the rating year.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Treasury Valuer, in directing payment of Government contribution in lieu of rates on Enniskillen military barracks for the financial year ended 31st March, 1925, refused to allow any contribution in respect of the Castle Barracks on the ground that the barracks had been entirely vacated on 1st April, 1924, and, when his attention had been called to the fact that a portion of the barracks was still occupied in March, 1925, would only recommend payment of 3 per cent. of the usual contribution on the ground that the portion occupied represented only that proportion of the entire building; that, where any portion of premises under one valuation is occupied, rates are assessed and collected on the entire premises; that, in recommending payment of contribution in respect of Enniskillen main barracks at Queen Street, the Treasury Valuer deducted payment in respect of an increase in the valuation imposed the previous year by the Commissioner of Valuation of Northern Ireland on the ground that the buildings covered by the increase were of a temporary nature; and that the fact that a valuation appears on the official valuation list is sufficient authority for the levying of rates thereon, whether the premises be of a temporary nature or otherwise; whether the Treasury Valuer in this matter was acting in accordance with settled practice, and, if so, in what manner was the valuation of the occupied portion of Castle Barracks arrived at; whether he will see that at the time when temporary valuations are being made the rating authorities concerned are advised of the temporary nature of such valuations; and whether, when Government property is vacated, he will notify that fact to the rating authority so as to prevent miscalculations in preparing estimates?

I understand it is the fact that the Treasury Valuer, on the assumption that the caretaker had been placed in charge of Castle Barracks at Enniskillen merely for the protection of a property no longer required, at first proposed to exclude the assessment of the barracks entirely from the basis on which contributions in lieu of rates were pay able. When, however, it was ascertained that some part of the premises was also used for storage he agreed to pay a proportionate part of the contribution in respect of the partial occupation. Property occupied by the Crown in Northern Ireland is not included among the properties on which rates are assessed and collected, but is included by the Commissioner of Valuation in a special list of properties which are "exempt from rates" and to which the ordinary rules of rating do not apply.The Treasury Valuer was acting in accordance with settled practice in declining to accept an increase in the valuation of Queen Street barracks in respect of erections provided for the purposes of a temporary emergency.It is a little difficult even under normal conditions to insure the effective working of machinery devised to meet the points raised in the last two parts of the hon. Member's question, but the procedure will be reviewed in order that, as far as possible, it may be made to assist the local authorities in their work

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the nominal reduction of the National Debt since the peak of December, 1919; and what is the actual reduction, allowing for the conversion operations, which have been carried out since then?

:The total nominal amount of the dead weight Debt on 31st March, 1925, was £7,646,394,000,a net reduction of £351,606,000 'nominal since 31st December,1919. It must, however, be remembered that this net reduction in nominal Debt emerges after allowing for an increase by about £385,000,000 nominal owing to the issue of conversion loans within this period at a discount. The position may perhaps be illustrated best as follows. Between 31st December, 1919, and 31st March, 1925, the cash applied to the reduction of Debt was approximately £736,000,000. In return for this expenditure the State has secured:

asked the Minister of Transport what amounts were allocated or paid from the Road Board Fund to the Rural District Councils of Highworth, Devizes, Marlborough, Ramshury, and Pewsey, respectively, for the years 1923-24 and 1924-25, respectively; and what were the amounts allocated or paid for improvement only and maintenance only, respectively?

:The grants made from the Road Fund to the rural district councils referred to in the question, during the years 1923-24 and 1924-25, are set out below:charge. The interest payable in the year 1920-21, including interest due on the debt to the United States Government, was £375,900,000. In 1925-26 the sum payable is estimated at £305,000,000.(b)A reduction in the nominal capital value of the Debt by £351.606,000 net, as stated above.(c)Funding Loan and Victory Bonds in the hands of the National Debt Commissioners Approximately £48,500,000 of these securities tendered for Death Duties are held by the National Debt Commissioners; their cash value has been paid into the revenue out of the Sinking Fund and in everything but name they represent a further reduction already effected in the Debt of £48,500,000.:(d)A release from the payment of premiums. Statistics of nominal value do not allow for the fact that many War Bonds are, under the terms of issue, to be redeemed by the State at a premium. This liability was £46,500,000 on 31st December, 1919, and is now £31,135,000, a reduction of £15,365,000.(e) A substantial alleviation of the burden on the State as a result of considerable changes effected in the nature of the Debt. Thus, foreign debt: has been replaced by internal debt, debt immediately payable by long term debt, debt redeemable at fixed dates at the holders' option by debt redeemable only at the option of the State.The following instances will illustrate the improvements which have been secured. The floating debt, which is the least desirable form of debt, amounted on 31st December, 1919, to £1,349,000,000 or 16.9 per cent. of the whole. If the debt to the United States Government, then unfunded, is included, it was £2,216,000,000, or 27.7 per cent. of the whole. It is now £742,000,000, or 9.7 per cent. only of the total Debt.Excluding the floating debt, National Savings Certificates and debt to the United States Government, the Debt maturing before 31st March, 1930, stood, on 31st December, 1919, at £2,202,922,000, or 27.5 per cent. of the total. The corresponding figure now is £1,041,245,000, or 13-6 per cent. of the total.At the other end of the scale, the proportion of the Debt redeemable at the option of the State only has been greatly increased. It was £315,000,000, or only 3-9 per cent of the total Debt on 31st December, 1919, and is now £1,022,700,000, or 13.4 per cent. of the total.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what foreign countries, the competition from which has to be faced by British manufacturers, have an Income Tax upon the profits of companies; whether, in any such country, Income Tax is levied upon

My hon. and learned Friend will no doubt permit me to confine myself to such information as is available to me regarding the principal countries he has in mind, and I will take Belgium, France, Germany and the United States. Broadly speaking, the Income Tax upon the profits of companies in these countries provides for no relief as respects profits reserved for development purposes. In the first three countries named, dividends distributed are also subject in the hands of the individual to the general Income Tax levied upon the total personal income. In the United States, companies are liable to a normal rate of tax 6½ per cent. in excess of that levied upon individuals, and, in addition, are subject to a Capital Stock Tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will say, in reference to the spirit duties, what was the actual revenue from the duties on spirits, home made and imported, respectively, in the year ended 31st March, 1925; what was the estimated revenue from the above duties, respectively, for the year ended 31st March, 1925; and what is the estimated revenue from the same duties, respectively, for the year ended 31st March, 1926?

The figures re quested are as follow:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many proof gallons of home-made spirits were, during the year ended 31st March, 1925, distilled in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, respectively, received from the Irish Free State, retained for consumption in the United Kingdom and Ulster, removed to the Irish Free State, exported, exported as medical preparations, used for ships' stores, fortifying wines, etc., used in arts and manufactures, methylated, and allowed as deficiencies, respectively; the number of proof gallons of home-made spirits remaining in bond on the 1st April, 1925; the number of proof gallons of imported spirits duty paid and retained for consumption during the year ended 31st March, 1925. namely, brandy, rum, geneva, and other unenumerated spirits, tested, not tested, and perfumed; and the number of proof gallons of imported spirits used during the year ended 31st March, 1925, for methylation and for arts and manufactures, respectively?

The figures asked for will not be available until early in June, when perhaps my hon. and gallant Friend will be good enough to repeat his question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what it would cost the Exchequer to remit Income Tax upon the profits of limited companies not distributed annually as dividends?

On the limited in formation available I estimate that the remission of Income Tax at the proposed standard rate of 4s. on the profits of companies (including statutory and chartered companies) not distributed as interest or dividends would cost the Exchequer approximately £50,000,000.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the quantity and value, in pounds sterling, of potable spirits imported into India during the year 1923-24; the amount of revenue derived there from; and the countries from which the spirits were exported?

The following statement gives the information asked for:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he will state in pounds sterling the net excise revenue of India for the years 1921–22, 1922–23, and 1923–24, respectively; what was the recorded consumption of country spirits in each of those years in Bengal, Madras, Bombay, Sind, Bihar and Orissa, the United Provinces, the

The following statement gives the information asked for: