asked the Minister of Labour how many persons have been registered as unemployed in the building trade since 1st January, 1925; how much has been paid in unemployment benefit since that date; and how many of then, persons are registered as bricklayers and plasterers, respectively?

:The average number of persons in the building trades registered at Employment Exchanges in Great Britain as unemployed in the first quarter of 1925 was 79,500, of whom 975 were bricklayers and 337 plasterers. Separate figures of benefit paid to particular trades are not available, but assuming that these workpeople drew the same average amount per head as unemployed workpeople generally and allowing for the relatively small proportion of women and juveniles included, the total amount of unemployment benefit drawn by them in the three months is estimated to be in the neighbourhood of £800,000

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the resolution passed by the Town Council of Dunstable, requesting that, in view of the great number of un-remunerative works which many local authorities could put in hand to improve their districts which would not ordinarily, he carried out, and taking into consideration the large amount of money paid away weekly in unemployment benefit from which the community gets no return, he will permit any local authority to employ any of those in receipt of the unemployment benefit and hand over to the local authority the benefit due to those so employed towards their wages, or permit the amount due to count as part of such wages and whether he proposes to take any action?

I have not seen this resolution, but the point raised is one with regard to which I gave a reply on 6th May to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough West (Mr. T. Thomson), of which I am sending a copy to the right hon. Member

asked the Minister of Labour the dates on which the Darlaston Labour Advisory Committee have met during the current year?

:No meeting of this Committee has yet been held during 1925, but I am informed that a meeting has been fixed for 12th of this month

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. as representing the First Commissioner of Works, with reference to the proposed erection of the sorfing office at Plymouth Station, whether, seeing that tenders were delivered on the 20th February, 1925, he can expedite the acceptance of a local tender in view of the fact that many at present unemployed men registered at the Devonport Employment Exchange would be absorbed in carrying out the work thus provided?

:Arrangements have now been made to accept a tender for the erection of this building. The delay has been due to the prolongation of negotiations in connection with the adjustment of site boundaries

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent Death Duties are evaded owing to the conversion of private estates into limited liability companies?

I am unable to furnish the information asked for by the hon. Member; but the subject is one which is engaging attention

asked the, Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of Customs Duty is expected from articles not heretofore specified made wholly or in part of silk or artificial silk at 33i per cent. on the value of the article?

It is not possible to make a close estimate, but it is expected that the yield from the ad valorem duty will be at least £350,000 in a full year

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the proposed duties on silk and what is described as artificial silk have already resulted in business being held up in Manchester; and what steps, if any, he proposes to take in order to remove the present uncertainty and restore business confidence?

The Government is in communication with representatives of the trades concerned, and I would ask the hon. Member to await the results of these consultations

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount received by the Treasury as Entertainments Duty during the years ended 31st March, 1924, and 31st March, 1925, respectively; and what proportion of these totals was derived from the Entertainments Duty on prices of admission up to and including 6d., above 6d. and up to and including 1s. 3d., and above 1s. 3d., in each of the financial years referred to?

The net receipts from Entertainments Duty in Great Britain in the years ended 31st March, 1924 and 1925, respectively, were as follow:The amounts derived from the duty on particular prices cannot be stated

asked the President of the Board of Trade the percentage of Home and Empire production combined of Great Britain's consumption, before the introduction of Preference and in 1924, in cocoa, coffee, tobacco, raisins, sugar, dried figs and plums?

No precise information is available as to the quantities of Empire goods consumed in this country before the introduction of Preference in 1919, but estimates of the proportion of such goods to the total consumption are given in the following table for the pre-War period 1911-13.The corresponding figures for 1924-25 are. provisional. The figures cover the home production of sugar and tobacco:

—	Estimated Proportion pre-War.	proportion 1924-25 (provisional).
Cocoa(raw)	48˙0	90˙8
Coffee	21˙0	44˙1
Tobacco(unmanu-factared˙	1˙5	8˙5
Sugar (total raw and refined)	6˙6	11˙5
Fruit dried and pre served
Raisins	2˙6	32˙2
Figs	0˙1	—
Plums	2˙6	0˙5

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of persons liable to Income Tax and the approximate numbers who will, in practice, be exempted under the various allowances made, including those proposed in the new Budget?

The estimated number of individuals with income above the effective exemption limit (2135 of assessable income) was, for the year 192324, 5,000,000, of whom 2,400,000 actually paid tax, the remaining 2,600,000 being entirely relieved from tax by the operation of personal allowances, etc. These estimates are subject to revision. I am not yet in a position to furnish similar estimates for any later year, but I anticipate that the effect of the Budget proposal for an increased allowance in respect of earned income will be to exempt at least 250,000 individuals who would otherwise pay tax

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what saving in administrative expenses will result from the abolition of the Corporation Profits Tax when all the assessments have been completed and all arrears collected?

The administration of the Corporation Profits Tax is inseparably bound up with that of other Inland Revenue Duties, especially the income Tax, and it is not possible to apportion the total cost of assessment and collection between the various duties. The amount of special machinery maintained for the special purpose of the Corporation Profits Tax and involving expenditure is, however, inconsiderable

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the taxation per head in England, France and Germany; and what proportion it bears to the income per head in each of the three countries?

The taxation per head is as follows: United Kingdom, 19256 (estimate), £15 5s. 9d.; France, 1924 (actual), francs 676; France, 1925 (estimate), francs 718; Germany, 192425 (actual), marks 117. No authoritative estimates of national income exist

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total indebtedness to this country of Poland: what amount has Poland already repaid: and what arrangements have been made for further repayments'

The debt of Poland to this country consists of a relief debt of 4,770,000 and a sum of £167,585 7s., due for the repatriation of Polish prisoners from Siberia after the War. No repayment has yet been made, but it has been agreed that the relief debt shall be repaid in 15 years and the other debt in 10 years from 1st January, 1925, with interest at 5 per cent. in each case

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if in future years the Estimates for the diplomatic services can be presented in a form which shows the total cost of each embassy and legation instead of in the present form?

I fear there may be some difficulty in altering the form of this Estimate, but i will see that the hon. Member's suggestion is fully considered before next year s Estimate is published.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the decision in reference to civil servants' war bonus, he will consider the settlement of those claims at the earliest possible date which are still pending; and whether he can state the causes of delay?

Endeavour is being made by the Departments concerned to deal with claims for arrears of war bonus as expeditiously as possible, and I understand that the majority of claims have already been settled. The claims still outstanding are those which present special complications, as in the case of deceased persons, persons who have resigned from or left the Service, persons whose position under the Military Service Acts is not free from doubt and so on

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the committee set up by the late Government to inquire into the cultivation of flax has sent in any Report; if so, when; and will ho cause that Report to he published?

I have been asked to reply. The committee submitted a Report in November, which has been under consideration. It is hoped to publish the Report at an early date

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the great increase in the ground rents im-posed by the Office of Woods and Forests on the old tenants who held the recently expired Crown leases in Regent Street and Piccadilly; and if such new rentals can be reconsidered

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I have no reason to suppose that the new ground rents call for reconsideration, but if my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind, perhaps he would let me have particulars of it

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that, under the pretext of importing working horses, a great number of horses are imported into Belgium by English dealers and sold and slaughtered in a very primitive way; and whether he will consider the introduction of legislation to prevent this trade being carried on with live animals, with the consequent suffering involved, and compel the dealers to have the animals slaughtered in England before they are exported to the Continent?

The conditions of the export trade in horses from Great Britain to the Continent are at present under investigation by a Departmental Committee and I cannot anticipate their report.

asked the Secretary of State for war in what directions the statements furnished by the Corps of Military Accountants are useful to him?

the object of the work of the Corps of Military Accountants is,inter alia, to bring to light unnecessary expenditure

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the number of British soldiers serving in India who have been sent from home and have not been returned for a period of 10 years or over; the number who have been away for 15 years; and the number who have been away for 20 years?

:I have been asked to reply. In order to give the information asked for, it would be necessary to carry out an extensive examination of documents in the Record Offices, and it is not clear to me that the value of the information would justify the time and labour expended in preparing it. I may say, however, that, under the King's Regulations, soldiers with nine years' total service who have served abroad continuously for six years can apply to be posted to the home establishment, and it is the policy and practice to bring such men home as soon as a relief is available; it is therefore unlikely that any men have served continuously abroad for more than 10 years except with their own consent

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number and value of eggs, whole, in shell, and in powder form, respectively, imported into this country during 1924?

:The quantity and declared value of eggs, in shell and not in shell imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1924 were as follows: —

Description	Quantity	Value
	Great hundreds	£
Eggs, in shell	20,279,499	15,475,588
Eggs, not in shell	cwts
Liquid and Yolk	483,939	2,249,493
Albumen	28,828	646,551
Dried	10,889	235,578

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the imports and exports, respectively, of the Irish Free State, leaving out Great Britain, from January, 1925, and the same period of 1924;

(2) the imports and exports, respectively, between Great Britain and the Irish Free State from January, 1925, and the same period of 1924?

:The latest particulars published by the Irish Free State Government relate to the month of February, 1925, and the following statement accordingly shows the values of imports into and exports from the Irish Free Slate registered during the periods January and February, 1924 and 1925:

—	January—February,	January—February,
	1924	1925
Imports	£	£
From Great Britain	7,112,749	6,568,257
From Northern Ire-land	1,259,287	1,053,519
From Other Countries	1,630,596	1,933,834
Exports:
To Great Britain	0,309,722	5,110,544
To Northern Ireland	1,052,631	905,226
To Other Countries	82,835	139,082
Re-exports:
To Great Britain	99,501	119,007
To Northern Ireland	39,022	46,092
To Other Countries	1,510	1,580

asked the Prime Minister when the Report of the Blanesburgh Committee will be presented to the House; and whether facilities will be afforded for its discussion?

I understand that the Report of the Blanesburgh Committee should be in the hands of hon. Members within the next few days. As regards the latter part of the question, the Report will first require consideration by the Government, and pending their decision thereon, the question of discussion does not arise

asked the Home Secretary why permission has been withheld from the publication of certain information in a hook on the late Sir Roger Casement, in view of recent instances of the publication of official information with impunity?

It was announced in the Press that the book would contain extracts from documents of a secret nature. The author was accordingly warned that this would involve an offence under the Official Secrets Act, and lie at once abandoned the project. I am not aware of the similar instances referred to in the latter part of the question

asked the Postmaster-General whether the rates charged, and conditions imposed upon, telephone subscribers in connection with special entries in the official telephone directories for the provinces are agreed between the printing or advertising contractors and the Post Office, or whether the contractors have a free hand in fixing rates and imposing conditions?

The charges and conditions under which special entries appear in the telephone directories are prescribed by the Post Office, and embodied in the terms agreed with the advertising contractors

asked the Postmaster-General what facilities are now available to, or obtainable by, amateur experimenters in wireless transmission?

Licences are issued to a large number of experimenters covering the use of wireless-sending apparatus of a power of 10 watts on a band of wavelengths from 150 to 200 metres and on an additional wavelength of 440 metres, which may only be used outside broadcasting hours. In special cases experimenters are authorised to use other wavelengths and to employ increased power up to a maximum of one kilowatt

asked the Minister of Health what advantage, if any, will accrue to a woman who is an insured person under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Bill, but who ceases to be insured before reaching the age of 65, over a woman who at no time becomes an insured person?

The insured woman who ceases to he employed before reaching the age of 65 will have the option of becoming a voluntary contributor and thereby qualifying for an old age pension at the age of 65. I may refer my hon Friend to paragraph 5 of the Report by the Government Actuary on the Financial Provisions of the Bill (Cmd. 2406) on the general question of the woman's rate of contribution

asked the Minister of Healthifhe can give the names of the unions which at the time of the official survey gave oakum-picking to female casuals, the amountsgivenby each union, and the profit, if any, made out of the sale of picked oakum, after deducting the costs of purchase, conveyance, and sale; and whether he can give the names of those unions which supplied appliances such as hooks or nails to facilitate the task of picking oakum?

At the time of the official survey, the Wantage Daventry and Ware Unions were reported as setting oakum-picking as a task for female casuals. In the case of Ware, the quantity of the task was two pounds, but I have no particulars as to the amount requiredbythe other two unions. The information asked for in the last two parts of the question is not available, but I am making inquiries and will communicate further with my hon. and gallant Friend

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a circular, signed by his assistant secretary, directs the guardians that the regulations as to tasking the casuals should be strictly observed in every union; whether he is aware that during the last few years they have in many unions not been observed and that during this period the starvation cases have greatly diminished; and if he will at once cause an investigation to be made as to whether the strict observanceofthe regulations imposing the oakum-picking, stone-breaking, and, in some unions, of the stone-pounding tasks has resulted in tramps and homeless men having their deaths accelerated by privation owing to their refusing to come into the casual wards where there was strict observance of the regulations?

:The Order provides, as did the Orders which it consolidates, for alternative tasks, and further provides for the excusal of a casual from the whole or any part of a task if it appears that it is not suited to his age, strength or capacity. I am not prepared to accept the suggestion contained in the latter part of the question, but if my hon. Friend has any evidence on the point I shall of course be glad to consider it

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a large balance of unexpended contributions has accumulated in the hands of tuberculosis care committees; what is the total for England and Wales; and how these sums will be utilised?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The income of tuberculosis care committees is largely derived from voluntary sources and I have no control over the funds of these committees. So far as I am aware it is exceptional to find that the income of such committees is in excess of their needs

asked the Minister of Health the average cost for the upkeep of paupers in Poor Law institutions; the cost per head of prisoners serving sentences of less than three years; and the average cost of keeping prisoners serving sentences in convict settlements, respectively?

The average gross cost per inmate in Poor Law institutions for the year 192324 was £65 10s. The average cost of prisoners in the same year, allowing for value of labour, etc., was, for

	£	s	d
Prisoners serving sentences of less than three years	84	10	0
and of Convicts	100	7	0

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention had been called to the case of two summonses against Messrs. Melias, Limited, in which it was alleged that at their Gloucester shop they had sold butter adulterated in one case with 15'8 per cent. of foreign fat and in the other case with 20 5 per cent. of foreign fat; whether he is aware that in each case the butter was reported absolutely pure by Messrs. Hehner and Cox, independent analytical chemists in London, and also by the Government analyst at Somerset House, and that in consequence the authorities in Gloucester withdrew the prosecution recently, but no compensation has been made to Messrs. Melias for the damage done to their reputation by the action of the local authority; whether he will consider what steps are possible to prevent such cases which, though brought in good faith, are so injurious to a trader's reputation; and whether a right to some compensation from the local authority will be conferred when a legislative opportunity next arises?

:My right hon. Friend understands that the facts are as stated in the question and he is causing inquiries to be made. While any damage caused by the institution of proceedings under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts which are subsequently withdrawn must be a matter for regret, cases similar to that referred to are, so far as my right hon. Friend is aware, of rare occurrence, and he could not undertake to introduce legislation providing for compensation in such circumstances. The remedy would appear to lie in giving publicity to the facts of the case, which my right hon. Friend hopes this question will help to secure

asked the Minister of Health whether he has published the Report as to high infantile mortality in Market Drayton by the medical woman whom last autumn he sent to inspect and report; whether he is aware that the figures for 1924 showed that the infantile mortality for Market Drayton was far more than twice as high as that for Newport, and three times as high as that for Wellington; and, if he has not published it, will he do so at once?

The answer to the first question is in the negative

Rural District			Weekly Rent		Remarks
			Agricultural Parish	Non Agricultural Parish
Axbridge	…	…	6s. Od.-6s. 6d	7s Od	Provisional.
Blofield	…	…	4s. 0d-4s. 9d	8s, 0d
Braintree	…	…	*4s. 0d.—Gs. 0d	*4s. 0d.—Gs. 0d	*4s. 6d. to Agricultural Labourers
Chelmsford	…	…	5s. 0d	—	Provisional
Chesterton	…	…	4s. Od.-4s. 4d. 4s. 9d	4s. Od.-4s. 4d. 4s. 9d
East Elloe	…	…	—	5s Od
Evesham	…	…	5s Od	6s 6d
Highworth	…	…	6s 6d	—	Provisional
Hungerford	…	…	†5s. 0d-5s 6d	†7s 3d	Provisional
Lexden and Winstree	…	…	5a, 6d	5a, 6d
Maldon	…	…	4s. Od.-5s. Od	—
Wincanton	…	…	5s. 6d.–6s)d	5s. 6d.–6s)d	Provisional
Solihull	…	…	†7s, 3d	8s 6d	Provisional
St. Faiths	…	…	—	*4s. 6d.–5s. 6d	*4s. 6d. to Agricultural Labourers
Yeovil	…	…	—	4s. 6d.–7d.9d.–9s.od	Provisional
†Inclusive of rates, etc.

asked the Minister of Health if he will issue in the OFFICIAL. REPORT the statement of weekly rents on new council houses in certain agricultural areas which his Department has recently compiled?

The following statement shows the weekly rents proposed to be charged by certain rural district councils in respect of houses erected by them under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924. Except where otherwise stated, the rents are exclusive of rates:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies which industries in Queensland were conducted by the State during the last year for which returns are available; which of such industries were conducted at a profit and which at a loss to the State; and the amounts of the profits and losses in each case?

The only information on this subject available in the Colonial Office is that contained in a Report on the State Trade Department presented to the Queensland Parliament I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of this Report, which furnishes particulars of the various State enterprises for the year ended 30th June, 1924

asked the Secretary of State for the Colories what is the nature of the amendment recently made to the pass laws in South Africa by an Act of the Union; and whether that. Act applies to the mandated area of South West Africa?

:No amendment appears to have been recently made to the Union of South Africa pass laws

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether a Report has recently been received from the Governor of the Straits Settlements with regard to mui tsai; and if any action has been taken in the matter?

Yes, a report has been received and I have approved of a Bill being introduced into the Legislative Connell in accordance with the recommendations of the Governor of the Straits Settlements for the better protection of girls in domestic service

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the promised Report on Kenya will be laid before the House?

The hon. Member no doubt refers to the Report of the East Africa Commission, which has just been published as Cmd. 2387

asked the President of the Board of Education what steps he proposes taking in adjusting grants so as to secure that no local education authority shall gain finanically by paying salaries on a basis lower than the appropriate standard scale?

:I should prefer at the moment not to say anything more on this subject than I stated in my reply of the 30th April to the hon. Member for NorthEast. Bethnal Green (Mr. Windsor), a copy of which I am sending the hon. and gallant Member

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he will make inquiries in the case of Mr. E. A. Guest, an ex-deputy magistrate and deputy collector in the province of Bihar and Orissa, who was wrongfully removed from the service without any inquiry and put on a small pension?

:The case of Mr. Guest has already been carefully considered by three successive Secretaries of State. As all three have come to the conclusion that Mr. Guest has not been unfairly treated and as no new facts have been brought forward, my Noble Friend does not propose to reopen the case

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many European States have recognised the present Russian Government, which States they are; and how many are in normal diplomatic intercourse with Russia, and which States they are?

:The following European States have recognised the Soviet Unionde jure,and are in normal diplomatic intercourse with it:

Albania	Greece
Austria	Italy
Denmark	Latvia
Esthonia	Lithuania
Finland	Norway
France	Poland
Germany	Sweden
Great Britain	Turkey

In addition. Czecho-Slovakia has recognised the Soviet Union Government

asked the Secretary.of State for Foreign Affairs if, since the Russian Government was recognised by Great Britain, Russia has been invited to join the League of Nations; and, if so, on what conditions?Mr. A. CHAMBERLAIN: The answer is in the negative