asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will see that the general mess system is not carried out in any ship in the Royal Navy which has not sufficient galley accommodation to make the system practicable, consistent with the comfort of the men and the cooking of meals at a reasonable time before consumption?

:The general mess system is only introduced in His Majesty's ships which are specially fitted and otherwise suitable for this form of messing.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total sum paid in additional allowances to soldiers and Navy men who served in Russia in 1919; and the number of men who applied for the allowance and the number of men whose claims were refused?

:The accounts for the period in question have been destroyed after retention for the statutory period, and it is therefore not possible to say what was the total sum paid in additional allowances to soldiers and Navy men who served in Russia in 1919. Nor is it possible to give the information asked for in the second part of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his Department can state the number of Russian nationals who were killed during the period of armed intervention in Russia by Great Britain and the Allied Powers; and approximately the value of Russian property destroyed during the same period?

:The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will consider the advisability of hanging up in the Members' Tea Room a map showing the route of his recent trip with the Colonial Secretary?

:If any considerable number of Members desire such a map to be made available, I shall be happy to consider the suggestion.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that in many cases it takes over three months to reach a decision in cases under the Regulations governing erroneous awards; and whether he will take action to expedite decisions in these cases?

:Every effort is made to reach a decision in these cases as rapidly as is possible consistently with the difficult nature of the question at issue. If any further action is possible in the direction suggested, I will certainly take it.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, when the re-issue of pension is authorised under the Dispensing Warrant of 1884, and the erroneous awards regulations, the man is awarded pension at the rates of the Royal Warrant for 1919, including allowances for wife and children; and whether, as they have no right of appeal against the assessment given or the pension issued, he will make provision that the men who receive pension under the regulations governing erroneous awards shall have the same privileges as the man whose pension has not lapsed owing to an error in assessment by the Ministry officials?

:The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, it is the practice, so far as necessary, to re-examine the men referred to from time to time, and the grant made is adjusted accordingly.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he has any intention to close down the clinic at Broad Street, Holborn; and whether he is aware of the inconvenience that such a step would cause to disabled men living in North and East London?

:The clinic in question belongs not to the Ministry, but to the British Red Cross Society. Any question— as to its closure would not, therefore, be a matter for my decision. I may, however, say that so long as the clinic is in operation, and the Ministry have cases which can suitably be sent to it, the institution will continue to be used by my Department.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many widows, children or dependants of deceased ex-service men are in receipt of a pension where the cause of death was general paralysis of the insane; and, if any, the numbers, respectively, for Scotland, England and Wales?

:The records of the Ministry do not, I regret, enable this information to be given.

asked the Undersecretary of State for India whether he is aware that a Committee was set up in India in 1906 to investigate and report upon the conditions of employment and pensions of Anglo-Indian officials; that delays occurred and the Committee failed to report till 1913; that certain British officials approached the then Governor-General, Lord Hardinge, and asked whether, if and when the Committee reported recommending an increase of pension rates, such increase would be granted as from the date of the setting up of the Committee of Inquiry, namely, 1906; that, in fact, increases of pensions were only granted to police officers retiring subsequent to 1913; and that Lord Hardinge wrote a personal letter to the late Secretary of State, Lord Olivier, to the effect that he had assured the petitioners that the delay in reporting of the Committee was not intended by the Government of India to prejudice their claims in any way; and whether he is prepared to publish the full text of Lord Hardinge's letter on this subject to the Secretary of State?

:The hon. and gallant Member is presumably referring to the Report of the Royal Commission on the Public Services in India which was appointed in August, 1912, and reported in August, 1915. The date 1906 appears to be that of certain memorials. The increases of pensions sanctioned as a result of the recommendations of the Commission were granted to officers retiring after 23rd July, 1913, the date of a letter from the Government of India to certain memorialists. A letter to the effect indicated by my hon. and gallant Friend was written by Lord Hardinge to Lord Olivier. My Noble Friend does not propose to publish it, but copies of the correspondence between them will be made available for those affected by the decision.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India, in view of the fact that the Commander-in-Chief in India issued an order on 6th May, 1919, staying all demobilisation, if he will state under what authority Major A. M. Lloyd, of the Indian Army, retired and re-employed officer during the late War, was demobilised on 7th May, 1919?

:The general suspension of demobilisation was intended to enable Government to retain the services of officers who might be required in the emergency that had arisen. Major Lloyd ceased to do duty on the 7th May, and his services were not, thereafter, required during the emergency. It is to be presumed, therefore, that the decision to dispense with his services was not held to require modification in consequence of the general order issued on the 6th May.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether the low output of coal during the week ended 2nd May was due to any exceptional causes?

:Yes, Sir; the output was affected by holidays taken in the observance of May Day.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether, as the Board of Agriculture has purchased, along with land for small holdings, 57,868 acres, which they still hold, he can state to what use this land can be put; and whether, if it is suitable, he will consider placing it under afforestation?

:The greater part of the land referred to consists of crofting holdings formed before the lands were acquired by the Board and small feus. These will continue, generally speaking, to be put to the same use as hitherto. The Board's practice is to endeavour to dispose of areas which form part of properties acquired for land settlement purposes, but which are not suitable for those purposes. If any of the surplus land is suitable for afforestation the Board give the Forestry Commission an opportunity of acquiring it. An area of 16,300 acres has been transferred by the Board to the Commission under this procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of emigrants to the United States that have not been allowed to sail at their appointed sailing date during the years 1923 and 1924 owing to the prescribed quota from Britain having already left in any one month; and will he take such steps as will prohibit shipping companies or emigration agencies from booking in advance the numbers stipulated by the American emigration authorities?

:I have been asked to reply. Owing to the operation of the United States immigration laws a very considerable number of persons who had booked passages were not able to sail on the dates intended, but I am afraid it is not possible to give exact numbers. This difficulty will not arise in future as the number of Consular visas issued to emigrants each month is now restricted to the quota figures, and there is therefore no sufficient reason for taking any such action as that suggested in the last part of the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total value of the imports of food into Great Britain, and the exports of manufactured goods from Great Britain for the year ending 1st May, 1925?

:The total value of articles of food, drink and tobacco (Class I of the Trade Returns) registered as imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the 12 months ended 30th April, 1925, amounted to £594,254,329. The value of articles wholly or mainly manufactured (Class III of the Trade Returns) in Great Britain and Northern Ireland registered as exported to all destinations during the same period amounted to £635,774,893.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total value of jewels imported from Russia since the outbreak of the revolution in 1917?

:Imports into the United Kingdom of precious stones, unset, and of jewellery, registered by His Majesty's Customs as consigned from Russia, amounted to £120 in 1922 and to £20 in 1924. No other imports of jewels have been registered as consigned from Russia in any of the years 1918–1924. It is to be noted that jewellery or precious stones which reach this country in the luggage or on the persons of travellers arriving here, or through the post, are not registered by the Customs.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in considering applications for the erection of new elementary schools, he will refuse such applications unless due provision is made for playing fields; and the number of elementary schools that have playing fields atached where the children can play cricket, football, hockey, net-ball, etc.?

:The proposal in the first part of the question would be quite impracticable. As regards the last part of the question, I regret that the information asked for is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many education authorities have made provision for central schools providing education of a standard in advance of that given in elementary schools, and the number of education authorities that have raised the school-leaving age above 14 years?

:I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by me on 26th March last to the hon. Members for Jarrow (Mr. Robert Wilson) and South-West Bethnal Green (Mr. Harris), a copy of which I am sending him. As regards the latter part of the question, bye-laws are operative in the areas of two local authorities making school attendance compulsory up to the end of the term in which the age of 15 is reached.

asked the Home Secretary whether when permission is given by the Metropolitan police for collections of any kind to be made in the streets, any conditions are laid down to insure that the funds so collected are used for the purposes for which the appeals were made?

:Permits for street collections are granted only on the recommendation of an Advisory Committee, who inquire into the character of the body responsible for the collection. The regulations of the Secretary of State as to audit, accounts, etc., provide as far as is possible against any improper use of the money collected.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the estimated consumption in Great Britain during 1924 of wheat, including flour, and of poultry; and what proportions of these products were imported from overseas and produced at home, respectively?

:Owing to the fact that the Trade Returns do not distinguish separately the trade of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, figures cannot be given for Great Britain alone. The following table, however, gives the estimated consumption of wheat (including flour) and of poultry in 1924 in Great Britain and

asked the Minister of Agriculture the amount of public money voted for agricultural purposes in 1913, 1923, and 1924, respectively, by each of the following countries, namely: Great Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the United States, Canada, Australia, Spain, Holland and Sweden?

:Owing to the different methods adopted by different countries

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will consider the setting up of a committee at each Employment Exchange for the purpose of rehearing and reviewing cases in which doubts have arisen or fresh evidence can be submitted, such committee to be distinct and apart from the rota committee?

:It is already part of the directions issued to committees that they should set up appropriate machinery for dealing with

Northern Ireland, together with the proportions home produced and imported, respectively. These estimates, particularly in the case of poultry, must be regarded only as approximations:

and the difficulty of defining precisely what is expenditure for agricultural purposes, I regret I am unable to give this information. The International Institute of Agriculture has for some time past been endeavouring to collect particulars direct from the various Governments, but the results have not yet been published. The sums voted by Parliament in respect of expenditure undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Board of Agriculture for Scotland in the years named have been as follow:—

cases in which a claim for further hearing is made, if the circumstances appear to warrant it—and that such machinery should be made known to those who wish to avail themselves of it. The precise form of machinery differs according to what each committee may think most appropriate to its own case, but, so far as I am aware, effect has been given generally to the directions.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total paid into the Unemployment Insurance Fund from the State and industry, respectively, during the 12 months ended 1st May, 1925; and the total expended in benefit during the same period?

:The approximate amounts paid into the Unemployment Fund during the 12 months ended 1st May, 1925, were—by the Exchequer, £13,370,000 (including payments by the Service Departments, under Section 41 of the 1920 Act); by employers and workpeople, £36,800,000. The amount of benefit paid was, approximately, £42,200,000. Refunds at age 60 and compensation on abolition thereof, interest on debt and expenses of administration amounted altogether to £6,250,000.

asked the Minister of Labour the amount of deficit on the unemployment insurance scheme on 1st May, 1924, and 1st May, 1925?

:The amount of Treasury advances outstanding on 1st May, 1924, and 1st May, 1925, was £9,230,000 and £7,650,000, respectively. In addition, on the 1st May, 1925, a sum of approximately £582,000 was due to the General Post Office for disbursements by way of refunds at the age of 60, and of compensation for the abolition of these refunds.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the hardships imposed upon young persons in West Ham at present signing the unemployment register, and under the supervision of the after-care committees, when they are sent to apply for vacancies at a considerable distance from home; whether he is aware that the young persons are not in the position of being able to pay their fares; and whether he will consider the payment of fares by the Employment Exchanges for all distances over one mile?

:I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 11th March last to a similar question put by the hon. Member for East Ham South (Mr. Barnes).

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons engaged in the production of artificial silk and the number engaged in the finishing processes in all stages of both real and artificial silk?

:At the population census of 1921 the total number of persons enumerated in the artificial silk spinning industry in Great Britain was 4,063; in the silk throwing, silk spinning and silk (including artificial silk) weaving industry group the total was 29,990. These figures include employers and persons working on their own account as well as employés. Comparable figures are not available for any later date, but the estimated number of employés in the silk (including artificial and real silk) industry insured under the Unemployment Insurance Act in Great Britain at July, 1924, was 41,720. This total excludes juveniles under 16 years of age, non-manual workers receiving more than £250 a year and outworkers. The figures given above cover all workpeople, including also those engaged in bleaching, printing, dyeing and finishing processes who are employed by firms of spinners, throwers and weavers. Workpeople employed by firms of bleachers, printers, dyers and finishers are not, however, included, as the statistics relating to such workpeople do not distinguish those engaged on silk from those engaged on other textiles

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury when it is expected that the Committee appointed last year to inquire into the National Debt will be in a position to report?

:I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for Ilford (Sir F. Wise) on the 5th March last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total sum by which the National Debt has been reduced from Budget surpluses and by Sinking Fund operations, respectively, since the 1st day of April, 1919; and the total sums received by the Exchequer from all sources in respect of disposal of war stores and other capital assets since the 1st day of April, 1919?

:The National Debt was rising during the calendar year 1919, and reached its peak at the end of December. Since 1st January, 1920, the cash applied to its reduction has been £736 millions of which, approximately, £524 millions came from Budget surpluses. In this connection I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on the 5th May to the hon. and gallant Member for the Maidstone Division, of which I am sending him a copy. The sums received by the Exchequer from the disposal of war stores and similar assets in the same period have been about £600 millions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any prosecutions have been instituted by his Department during the last financial year against persons who have rendered incorrect Income Tax returns; if so, the number and results of such prosecutions, together with the amount of any fines that have been imposed by the Inland Revenue or by the Courts; and whether he will consider the desirability of bringing in legislation to disfranchise for a certain period all persons found guilty of such practices?

:There were during 1924–25 three such prosecutions, and in all cases convictions were obtained. In two cases terms of imprisonment were imposed on four persons in all, and in the third case the Court imposed fines amounting to £1,250. I see no reason to adopt the suggestion contained in the last part of the hon. Member's question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total number of old age pensioners in the metropolitan area?

: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.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the total sum received in 1913 and in 1924, respectively, for railway duty, and what percentage of the total passenger receipts of all railways this tax yield represented in each of the two cases?

:The total receipts for Railway Passenger Duty in the financial years 1913–14 and 1924–25 were £288,000 and £427,000 respectively. These figures represent approximately two-thirds of 1 per cent. and one-half of 1 per cent. respectively of the total passenger receipts during the same periods.

asked the Minister of Health the number of one-room tenements in the borough of Bethnal Green; and whether his Department is taking any action to relieve the housing shortage in that borough?

:The Census Returns of 1921 showed that there were 4,320 families in Bethnal Green occupying not more than one room each. The average number of persons in these families was less than two. The London County Council are carrying out very large housing schemes for the relief of the shortage of houses in the County of London, and a number of dwellings have been provided within the borough by the borough council. In addition, slum clearance schemes in the borough have been undertaken both by the county council and the borough council.

asked the Secretary for Scotland when it is proposed to build the new houses at Rosyth; whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to the children attending the temporary school at Bungalow City; and what is the housing policy for Rosyth, so that the education authority may know what permanent school accommodation is required and where it shall be erected?

:The site of the proposed new houses has not been determined. There is, I think, general agreement regarding the inconvenience attaching to the present temporary buildings at Bungalow. City, and it is hoped to clear them away as rapidly as occasion permits. I am informed that the only housing programme at present contemplated by the Admiralty at Rosyth is for the accommodation of their employés who will be displaced when the temporary houses at Bungalow City are demolished. Tenders for a first instalment of 50 houses will be invited as soon as a, site has been fixed, and I shall see that the education authority are advised when this has been done.

asked the Minister of Health whether in any future valuations of approved societies under the National Health Insurance Acts steps will be taken to have the valuation of all such societies taken in the same year, so that all societies will be able to distribute the additional benefits at the same date and thereby remove the inequalities and allay the irritation caused by the method adopted in the recent valuation?

:The arrangement suggested by the hon. Member for the simultaneous valuation of about 9,000 societies and branches would impose too heavy a strain on the valuers and their staff. The existing arrangements were discussed with, and agreed to, by the consultative council representing all types of approved societies, and as at present advised I see no reason for altering them.

asked the Minister of Health the number of deaths caused by persons drinking spirits of salts during the year 1924; whether he is aware that the sale of this dangerous poison is on the increase; and if he will take any action that will make the same less accessible?

:The figures for the year 1924 are not yet available. The number of deaths from hydrochloric acid poisoning in 1923 were: Suicides 73 and accidents seven. These figures do not differ appreciably from those of the two previous year, and on the information at present available there does not appear to be any ground for increasing the restrictions on the sale of hydrochloric acid already imposed by Section 5 of the Poisons and Pharmacy Act, 1908.

asked the Minister of Health the total amount spent by local authorities on tuberculosis treatment in the years 1923 and 1924, respectively, including capital expenditure?

:The following table shows the gross expenditure, so far as information is at present available, of local authorities in England and Wales on the treatment of tuberculosis, during the financial years ended on the 31st March, 1923 and 1924:

asked the Minister of Health the total number of people in Great Britain suffering from tuberculosis in 1924, and the number of deaths; the total number of children under 14 years suffering from tuberculosis of the glands and bones, and the number of deaths; if he can give the numbers traced to milk infection; and if he can give all the above figures for Lincolnshire?

:I regret that information is not available as to the total numbers of persons who were suffering from tuberculosis in 1924. I have, however, recently issued special Regulations as the result of which reliable data should be available next year as to the numbers of tuberculous persons whose cases have at any time been notified to medical officers of health and who are still suffering from the disease at the end of 1925. The number of deaths in England and Wales in 1924 from all forms of tuberculosis was 41,103; and in Lincolnshire (including the County Boroughs of Lincoln and Grimsby) 636. The number of deaths of persons under 15 years of age from tuberculosis of the glands and bones in England and Wales was 72. Separate figures for Lincolnshire are not at present available.

I cannot say in how many of these cases milk infection was traced. Researches made on behalf of the Medical Research Council would, however, indicate that, in a series of cases of bone and joint tuberculosis in children, the infection was found to be of bovine origin in some 20 per cent. of the cases; whilst in cases of gland tuberculosis the percentage was considerably higher. As regards Scot-

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that modern methods of vaccination tend to produce faint marks which sometimes disappear; and whether the medical officials of the Ministry base their classifications of smallpox cases in regard to the vaccinal condition on the presence or absence of the vaccination marks?

:I am advised that the marks produced by modern methods of successful primary vaccination seldom disappear. Small-pox cases are classified in the Annual Reports of

land, a question should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary for Scotland.

asked the Minister of Health the ages of the 13 persons registered in 1924 as dying from small-pox and the districts in which those deaths were registered; and whether any other disease was mentioned on the death certificates?

:The following Table gives the particulars asked for:

the Chief Medical Officer of my Department under the following headings:

A.—Vaccinated as evidenced by presence of one or more vaccination cicatrices.

B.—Stated to have been successfully vaccinated but no vaccination cicatrix present.

C.—Stated to be unvaccinated (or vaccinated unsuccessfully) and no vaccination cicatrix present.

D.—Previously unvaccinated but vaccinated during incubation of small-pox.

E.—Stated to have been successfully re-vaccinated.