asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in connection with the breaking up of the German floating dock at Chatham, it is proposed to accept the highest offer or to give preference to British firms?

Tenders were invited without restriction and all the relevant factors of price offered and the use to which the tenderers propose to put the dock will be taken into consideration by the Board in coming to a decision.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the rates of remuneration for electrical station engineers under his Department are below the salaries of comparable grades in the electricity supply industry; and whether he can see his way to raise them to that level?

The salaries paid to electrical station engineers serving under the Admiralty are the same as those paid to other grades in the dockyards, whose duties and responsibilities are regarded as comparable. Comparisons with the salaries payable in the electricity supply industry cannot readily be made owing to the fact that whilst electrical station engineers are all pensionable and are assured of continuity of employment, these conditions of service do not apply in outside undertakings.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction existing amongst senior electrical station engineers and electrical station engineers, respectively, at the delay in announcing the post-war complements; and whether, in view of the fact that this matter has been outstanding for over two years, he can see his way to expedite a decision?

I am aware of the dissatisfaction which exists amongst these officers on account of the delay which has occurred in announcing the post-War complements. The latter are, however, now under consideration and an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War if satisfactory progress is being made in the enrolment of transport vehicles under the subsidy scheme; and whether the vehicles produced by makers who were encouraged to undertake the construction of this type are being readily taken up on the market?

The answer to the first part of the question is-in the affirmative; as regards the second-part, I am informed that the demand for the type of vehicle subsidised by the War Office appears to be increasing throughout the country.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether with a view to encouraging the re-engagement of Territorial soldiers whose four years' service has expired, he can arrange that such service shall count towards proficiency pay in the same way as one year in the Regular Army, and that men who fulfil a modified standard of proficiency and are recommended by their commanding officer shall receive proficiency pay on re-engagement?

This suggestion has been carefully considered, but I regret that I cannot see my way to adopt it. The conditions of service which qualify in the Regular Army for this emolument do not obtain in the Territorial Army.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if the Government will take steps forthwith to give effect to the recommendation of the Linlithgow Committee of 1922–23, which has now been endorsed by the Geddes Commission, that regular authentic information should be collected and published of the stocks of foodstuffs held in this country in cold storage and in the principal wholesale warehouses?

As stated yesterday by the Prime Minister, the Government are carefully considering the Report of the Royal Commission on Food Prices, and an announcement will be made as soon as they have taken a decision.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of new British ships which have been built in Germany since 1920 and the total gross; tonnage of these ships?

The number of ships built in Germany since 1920 for British owners and reported, up to 16th May, as having been registered as British ships is seven, and their total gross tonnage 10,825. The corresponding figures for Danzig are five ships, of 11,283 gross tons. In addition, five ships, of 2,073 gross tons, built in Germany since 1920, and one of 5,210 tons built in Danzig in 1922, have been transferred to the British flag on purchase from German owners.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of British ships which have been repaired in Holland since 1919; and the total gross tonnage of these ships?

I have made inquiries, and find that the information desired is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of claims which are still pending or awaiting settlement for compensation arising out of suffering or damage by enemy action, which claims are covered by the Report of the Royal Commission on Compensation for Suffering and Damage by Enemy Action; and how many claims from seamen are still awaiting settlement?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the money, formerly the property of both the Imperial and the provisional Russian Governments, now in the possession of British banks, has been attached by the British Government; if so, what is the sum total of money;

There are 415 claims dealt with by the Royal Commission on Compensation for Suffering and Damage by Enemy Action against the £5,000,000 fund awaiting settlement, and payment of these claims will be made so soon as some further necessary particulars are furnished. Of this number, 281 are in respect of seamen. As against the £300,000 "belated" fund there are 1,368 claims which have been admitted and will be paid subject to further necessary particulars being furnished, while 1,200 claims are in course of examination. About 90 per cent. of these claims relate to seamen. I may add that the number of claims paid amount to 44,918 under awards of the Royal Commission, and to 22,863 under awards on belated claims.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give the figures showing the tonnage and value of coal exported from Great Britain to foreign countries and British possessions in the years 1913 and 1924, respectively?

The figures are as follow:

whether the banks are paying interest on it; and whether the Government intend taking steps to distribute this sum among British nationals, who have lodged claims with the Russian Claims Department of the Board of Trade against the Russian Government, in proportion to the value of their individual claims?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The remaining parts of the question accordingly do not arise, but I may refer the hon. Member to Article 10 of the Russian Trade Agreement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total oil and

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to the public by stamp machines now fixed outside many Post Offices running out of stamps within a short time of the closing of the offices; that at the Borough head offices, S.E., the machine is generally empty leas than

motor spirit imports in the several ascertainable grades for the years 1910–13 and 1919 up to date, together with the home production of these commodities during the same period?

The following statement shows the quantities of petroleum and of certain petroleum products imported into the United Kingdom during the years specified:

one hour after the office has closed; and is he prepared to instal stamp embossing machines, such as are already in use in South Africa, as an endeavour to overcome the shortage and tearing of stamps in the present machines?

I am aware that difficulty has arisen in some instances, and I am arranging for machines of greater capacity to be in- stalled at the busiest offices. As regards the South Eastern District Office, I think there must be some misapprehension. It is reported that the machine is never found empty in the morning. I will have inquiries made about the embossing machines used in South Africa.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that letters posted in Manchester on Saturday, 9th May, failed to arrive in time for the early morning delivery in Nelson on Monday, 11th May; whether he is aware that this failure has occurred before on Monday mornings; and whether he will take steps to avoid such delays in future?

The delay referred to was due to the failure of a train connection at Preston. I am having further inquiry made in the matter, and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the office accommodation existing in the office of His Majesty's inspector of taxes, second district, Blackpool; that the lavatory accommodation provided for the use of the staff is objectionable and insanitary; and whether he can cause steps to be taken to remedy conditions which are injurious to health, and an overcrowded state, which is a discomfort to members of the public who are obliged to call for interviews?

A scheme for the enlargement of the building, for the purpose of improving the accommodation, has been prepared, and will be put in hand as early as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of persons receiving old age pensions in each of the counties and county boroughs of Wales and Monmouth on the 31st March, 1924?

I regret I am unable to furnish the information asked for by the hon. Member, as the compilation of detailed statistics of the number of old age pensioners in each separate area throughout the country was discontinued as a measure of economy in 1921, but the number for the whole of Wales and Monmouth was 48,167 on 31st March, 1924.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether, when the promise was made by the Board of Agriculture to the men who accepted holdings at Reef, Lewis, Scotland, that a sum of £520, later raised to £810, would be given for the construction of roads, any condition was attached, such as that the men were themselves to construct the roads and that the sums above-mentioned were to cover the cost of road-laying tools, material, and wages; and, if not, whether he will arrange that this road be made by a contractor or by the local authority, employing proper labour and tools?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, subject to the remark that the sums mentioned were offered as a grant-in-aid towards the cost of road-laying tools, material and wages, and were not intended to cover the whole cost of construction. In the circumstances the second part of the question does not arise.

asked the Secretary for Scotland how many acres, of the 335,814 purchased by the Government for small holdings, are occupied by smallholders; how many are being laid out and how many are still unallocated?

Of the 335,814 acres purchased by the Board of Agriculture since 1st January, 1919, for smallholdings, 181,943 acres are in the occupation of smallholders; 77,188 acres are under management by the Board pending allocation to smallholders; 2,126 acres suitable for settlement are still held by tenants under lease. The balance of 74,557 acres consists of subjects which are not suitable or available for sub-division into holdings. Of this balance the Board have disposed of 16,689 acres.

asked the Secretary for Scotland what was the total sum received in the form of grants from the Scottish Education Fund by the burgh education authorities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen for the years 1923 and 1924; what was the total expenditure for these years by the same authorities, with the percentage from grants as compared with the percentage derived from rates; and can he give the percentage from grants as compared

asked the Secretary for Scotland the number of widows in Scotland and, if possible, the number of fatherless children and orphans under the age of 14 years of age, respectively, according to the last Census?

The figures desired were according to the Scottish Census of 1921 as follow:

asked the Prime Minister what action has been taken on

with the percentage from rates of the expenditure of the 33 county education authorities

The information asked for by the hon. Member is given in the following table. The figures for the year beginning 16th May, 1924, are based on estimates. As the percentages asked for do not by themselves afford a satisfactory basis for comparison, I have also shown the amount raised by rate expressed as a rate per £ of gross valuation:

any of the recommendations of the. Anderson Report?

So far as the Civil Service is concerned, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply by my predecessor to a similar question by the hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Wardlaw-Milne) on the 21st February, 1924. The pay of officers and men in the fighting Services is at present under consideration.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether the Office of Works is responsible for the entire furnishing of the residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland; whether the furniture is being supplied by firms on this side or in Northern Ireland; and whether the Government of Northern Ireland is paying any part of the cost

His Majesty's Office of Works is responsible for the furnishing of the residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland, with the exception of such items as plate, linen, china, etc., the provision of which is a liability falling upon the occupant of the post. The bulk of the furniture is being supplied from this country, but some purchases have been made in Northern Ireland. No part of the expenditure is chargeable against the Government of Northern Ireland.

asked the Minister of Transport the grants that have been made to the local authorities in the counties of Brecon and Radnor, respectively, for the year ending 31st March, 1925, in respect of assistance to roads from the taxation on motor vehicles, showing the amounts granted for roads classed as 1, 2 and 3, respectively?

The grants made from the Road Fund to the road authorities in the counties of Brecon and Radnor during the year ended 31st March, 1925, are as follow:

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that many of the carriages on the Southern Railway, Brighton section, are not kept in a reasonable condition of cleanliness, and that the lavatory accommodation is not nearly sufficient to meet the needs of the travelling public on the longest journeys; and if he has received any reports from his inspectors about the condition of the carriages on this railway?

No representations with regard to these matters have recently been made to me, but if the hon. and gallant Member will furnish me with particulars of any specific case he may have in mind, I will call the attention of the railway company to the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that, in virtue of the recent award of Lord Burnham in respect to teachers' salaries, the Government grant to local educational authorities is considerably reduced; whether he has considered the consequent hardships imposed upon the West Ham authority which for the current half year has levied a rate of 2s. 0¼d. in the £ for educational purposes; and whether he will consider the increase of the proportion borne by the national Exchequer?

I do not see my way to adopt the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the President of the Board of Education the amount of money contributed by the national Exchequer to the highly-rated areas in the form of substantive grants for the years 1912, 1913, 1914 and 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923 and 1924, respectively?

The expression "substantive grants" was first used in the Education Act of 1918, taking effect from 1st April, 1919; but I have understood the inquiry to relate to the whole of the grants paid in respect of elementary education for the years named to the 16 areas now receiving grant as highly rated. They were as shown in the table below. The grants are not determined until after receipt of the audited accounts, and therefore the year 1923–24 is not included in the table since the accounts have not all been received for that year:

asked the Minister of Health what warning has been given to local authorities of the repeal of numerous sections of the Housing Acts of 1919, 1921, 1923 and 1924; and if his Department has arranged to assist housing committees throughout the country, by the issue of circulars or any other means, to understand the 137 new sections contained in the Housing Act of 1925?

The Act to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers is not one conferring new powers but is a consolidation of the already existing permanent law on housing which was contained in a considerable number of Statutes The provisions in the earlier Acts which are repealed are set out in the sixth Schedule to the new consolidating Act. I am sure that the simplification of the housing legislation which the Act introduces will be of great convenience to local authorities. I hardly think it is necessary to issue a circular on the subject.

asked the Minister of Health what powers are now given to local authorities to acquire houses suitable for the accommodation of the working classes under the Housing Act that passed into law last month; and whether the Ministry is now prepared to repay half the loss on property acquired for temporary use as hostels and subsequently converted for use as working-class flats?

The Act to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers does not confer new powers but is a consolidation into one Act of the permanent provisions in previous Acts dealing with housing. With regard to the particular powers referred to in the question, the new Act in Section 57 reproduces the provisions of Section 12 of the Housing, Town Planning, Etc., Act, 1919, which empowers local authorities to acquire houses suitable for the working classes. I have no power to grant a subsidy in the circumstances referred to in the last part of the question.

asked the Minister of Health what is the total amount of housing bonds that fall due in England and Wales this year; and what will be the estimated saving if present holders are prepared to leave their money invested at 4¾ per cent. as fixed by the Treasury?

The total amount of housing bonds maturing during the present financial year is approximately £7,000,000. If all the holders renew at 4¾ per cent. the saving will be £87,500 per annum.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give particulars of the recent proposals made by the London County Council, and approved by his Department, for the reduction of rents of post-War houses upon their estates?

The following applications have been received from the London County Council for approval to a reduction of the rents of houses erected by them under the Act of 1919. In each case the applications relate to houses on the Council's Becontree estate:

The reductions were approved by my Department.

asked the Minister of Health the number of tramps and homeless persons who appeared in the starvation list for the years 1908 to 1918; how many starvation cases occurred in Berkshire unions between those years; how many of them resulted in death; whether any starvation lists have been published since 1918; and, if not, whether he will consider the resumption of their publication?

It is difficult to give any precise figure in reply to the first part of this question, but it would appear from the examination of the returns of deaths in which a coroner's jury has returned a verdict of death from starvation or death accelerated by privation that 438 of the persons mentioned in those lists in the years 1908 to 1918 were tramps or homeless persons. The returns show 11 deaths in all as having occurred in the years named in the county of Berkshire. The returns have not been published since 1918. The selection of cases for inclusion in the returns depended upon the terms of the verdict of the coroners' juries and on the classification of those verdicts by the several coroners. No uniform or scientific principle was followed; the return was in consequence both useless and misleading. For these reasons, I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by a revival of the returns.

asked the Minister of Health what is the present assessable value for local rates of property in England and Wales; and what reduction in assessable value he anticipates will result from Clause 22 of the Rating and Valuation Bill?

According to the Valuation Lists in force in April, 1924, the assessable value for local rates of property in England and Wales was £241,975,264. It is clear from the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee that there is in the application of the law to the valuation of machinery and plant a serious lack of uniformity as between different unions, and in these circumstances no reliable estimate applicable to the whole country of the effect of Clause 22 of the Bill can be made.

asked the Minister of Health if, in view of the fact that there are not sufficient applicants to fill the home for incurable ex-service naval and military patients, recently erected on the site of the Star and Garter Hotel, Richmond, he will consider the advisability of endeavouring to provide accommodation in that home for incurables among other classes, in view of the large number of such poor people trying to gain admission into other institutions?

This institution, which was provided from voluntary sources and is under voluntary control, is not within my jurisdiction and I have no power to adopt the hon. Member's suggestion

asked the Minister of Health whether it is proposed to reintroduce the Bill to consolidate the Town Planning Acts introduced by the previous Government and which passed the House of Lords; and how many copies have been sold of the Ministry's booklet on town planning?

The Bill received the Royal Assent in April last. Nearly 4,400 copies of the booklet have been sold.

asked the Minister of Health what was the death rate in the Borough of Southwark for the years 1923 and 1924; and what was the infant mortality in this borough in the foregoing period?

The figures asked for are as follow:

asked the Minister of Health the amount of money disbursed by local authorities in promoting Bills in Parliament during the 12 months ending 31st December, 1924; and will he consider introducing legislation that would relieve ratepayers of the cost of promoting Bills for purely local objects in the Imperial Parliament?

I regret that complete figures are not available, but I have ascertained that the cost connected with eight of the Bills in 1924 was over £18,000. With regard to the latter part of the question, the Eating and Valuation Bill and the Public Health Bill of this year propose to make general a large number of Clauses now frequently contained in local Bills, and I hope that a further public health measure of a similar kind will be introduced next Session. Further, many powers which formerly required a special Act of Parliament can now be obtained through the Provision Order procedure. It has to be remembered, however, that local legislation performs an important function in local government, and I could not contemplate depriving local authorities of access to the Imperial Parliament.

asked the Minister of Health what it would cost to pay a funeral benefit of £10 on the death of each insured person under the Health Insurance Act; and if the disposable surplus of approved societies now being valued would usually admit of such a benefit being paid if the present state of the law allowed it?

The cost of providing a funeral benefit of £10 on the death of insured persons under the National Health Insurance Act is estimated at about £1,200,000 a year. As regards the second part of the question, the second valuation of approved societies as at the end of 1922 and 1923, has not proceeded far enough to enable any conclusions to be drawn as to the proportion of cases in which the disposable surpluses of societies might be sufficient to cover the cost of the suggested funeral benefit for members of the societies if the provision of such benefit out of National Health Insurance funds were not, as is at at present the case, expressly prohibited.