WHITE asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps are now in operation, and what further steps are being considered, to check the jettisoning of waste oil from oil-burning vessels near our coast, so as to obviate the loss of life to sea birds as well as damage to fisheries?

I have been asked to reply. The injury to birds and fish-life, to which my hon. Friend calls attention, is part of a problem which the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1922, was designed to meet. This Act prohibits the discharge from ships of oil and oily water within territorial limits, and it has had a good effect and has stimulated the manufacture and use of special apparatus for separating oil from oily water. The problem, however, cannot be solved by regulation merely within territorial limits, and I hope that arrangements may be made in the near future for an International Conference to deal with it.

asked the Minister of Labour the reason why Frederick Wier, of 58, Rockingham Street, Southwark, S.E.I, was dismissed from his employment on the new arterial road at Surbiton, Surrey, after only four hours' work, on the 6th May, together with nine others, and after having been specifically sent for employment by the borough Employment Exchange?

I am informed that the men in question were discharged by the contractor because they were considered unsuitable for the work allotted to them. I am having further inquiry made in the matter, and will communicate the result to the hon. and gallant Member. Frederick Weir has since been placed in employment on other work.

asked the Minister of Labour the reason why Hugh Robert Cade, of 46, Avonmouth Street, Southwark, S. E., was sent from the Borough Employment Exchange, on the 12th May, to Messrs. Steward and McDonald, for employment on the new arterial road at Surbiton, Surrey, where he commenced work at 7.30 a.m., and, with eight other men similarly engaged, was dismissed at 12.45 p.m.; whether he is aware that these men were offered four hours' wages at 1s. l½d. per hour, and were refused an allowance for wages in lieu of an hour's notice; and will he cause such action to be taken as will avoid the necessity of numbers of men being sent long distances for jobs of only a few hours' duration?

I am informed that H. R. Cade and four (not eight) other men were discharged on the 12th May by these contractors because they were considered unsuitable for the work allotted to them. I understand that they worked a shift of five hours, and were paid for six hours, including one hour's wages in lieu of notice. I am having further inquiry made in the matter, and will communicate the result to the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of Labour the reasons why Q. Wimhurst, No. 056/40, has been refused unemployment benefit for the week ended 30th April, 1925, at the Stratford Employment Exchange; and if it is the usual practice to refuse unemployment benefit to an applicant for the period that he receives a week's holiday pay, notwithstanding the fact that the applicant signs at the Exchange as willing and available for work?

The claim has been disallowed by the Chief Insurance Officer under Section 1 (4) of the Unemployment Insurance (No. 2) Act, 1924. Mr. Wimhurst has the right of appeal to the Court of Referees against the decision, and has been so informed

asked the Minister of Labour what the average salary is of a manager of an Employment Exchange; what are his hours of employment; and if it is with the sanction of the Minister that, while acting as manager of an Employment Exchange, he should be allowed to act in several other quasi-public capacities such as assistant overseer, rate collector, and register checker for the locality?

Employment Exchange managers are full-time civil servants, and would not be allowed to hold posts such as those mentioned. The hon. and gallant Member is presumably referring, however, to the managers of small local offices known as branch employment offices. In the main, these are part-time appointments, and the remuneration varies from £25 per annum to £200 per annum, plus cost-of-living bonus, and allowances in certain cases. As these are part-time appointments, the holders are not subject to the Regulations governing the holding by civil servants of outside appointments.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the fact that the temporary staff in the Ministry of Labour provincial Exchanges are forced to utilise one roller towel per week per 10 members of the staff, while permanent officials are supplied with one clean towel per week each; and, in. view of the fact that the conditions of employment are, as a rule, identical, will he make inquiries?

I find on inquiry that the practice of different Exchanges varies, and arrangements are being made to ensure that no distinction is drawn in this connection between permanent and temporary clerks.

asked the Minister of Labour when he proposes to introduce an amending Bill to the Unemployment Insurance Acts; whether such a Bill will provide for a reduction in the number of stamps, namely, 30 in the past two years, that will be required to qualify for unemployment insurance benefit after October next; and whether he proposes to make special Regulations for areas suffering from prolonged and abnormal unemployment?

As I stated in the Debate on the 14th May, and also in reply to questions on 20th and 25th May, I propose to introduce an Unemployment Insurance Bill this Session. The Bill will deal with the 30 contributions qualification and other matters, but for further details I must ask the hon. Member to await its introduction.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether, in view of the joint meetings which are now proceeding in the coal trade, it will be possible to expedite the issue of the Statistical Summary of Output and Costs of Production of Coal for the three months ending 31st March, 1925, seeing that the report for the last quarter of 1924 was not issued till the beginning of May?

These summaries are always published as soon as possible after the receipt of the necessary figures from the joint accountants to the district boards under the national wages agreement. I have now received the figures for the March quarter, and I hope that the summary will be published by the middle of June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when it is proposed to introduce the machinery recommendations of the Royal Commission on Income Tax, with a view to the unification and simplification of procedure?

I assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the proposals contained in the Revenue Bill which was introduced into the House in 1921, but was not proceeded with at that time. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has as yet not been able to give full consideration to this matter.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total output of gold from the various gold-producing countries for the years 1923 and 1924, respectively?

The figures are as follow:

asked the Postmaster-General the proportion of revenue derived from Press telegrams; the rate charged for Press telegrams; and a comparison of the pre-War and present-day costs and facilities?

The annual revenue from Press telegrams is slightly under 2 per cent, of the total telegraph revenue. The Press tariff is 1s. for every 80 words between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m., and 1s. for every 60 words between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., which is an increase of 25 per cent, above the pre-War tariff. The estimated annual cost of dealing with Press telegrams at the present day is about five-sixths of the cost in 1913, and the traffic is about one-third of what it was at that time. There has been no change in respect of facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that an Englishwoman travelling first-class to the United States in April, 1925, for the purpose of seeing her relatives, and having a substantial sum of money and a return first-class passage booked, was sent to Ellis Island on her arrival in that country, although she was able to prove to the immigration authorities she had no intention of settling in that country; and will he call for a report on this case?

No, Sir. I know of no such case, but if this lady's name is furnished, inquiry will be made into the matter.

MITCHELL asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the British holders of so-called good numbers of the Tientsin-Pukow bonds of German issue were able to secure payment up to last year, when the Chinese Government recognised all this issue as being payable: that, since that date, no payments have been made on account of any bonds of this issue; and whether he will, in the interests of the British investor, inquire what is the policy of the Chinese Government in the matter and press for resumption of payment, particularly of those good numbers whose holders are largely British?

The answers to the first two parts of the question are in the affirmative. The action suggested in the third part has already been taken, and will be repeated if necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply the Chinese Government has given to the latest diplomatic representations urging payment of the British investors in the German issue of the Tientsin-Pukow loan; whether further representations will be made; and, if so, when?

The reply of the Chinese Government has not yet reached me, and I am telegraphing to inquire its nature. Meanwhile, I cannot say whether, or when, further representations will be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether his attention has been called to the forced landing on the 17th instant between Ramsgate and Sandwich of a civil aircraft bound from Cologne to Croydon; and what were the circumstances that dictated a diversion from the regular cross-Channel route?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, the pilot was flying by compass owing to hazy weather, and a serious deviation of the compass was caused by the proximity of a load of pocket knives on the machine.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in any new factory legislation, it is intended to make the insurance of steam boilers compulsory?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can state the amount of compensation paid for fatal accidents in the mining industry throughout Great Britain for the 12 months 1st April, 1923, to 31st March, 1924, and for the period 1st April, 1924, to 31st March, 1925; and the amount paid for non-fatal accidents covering the same periods?

Workmen's compensation statistics are published in respect of calendar years. The figures for the year ending 31st December, 1923, are as follow: For fatal accidents, £280,357; for non-fatal accidents, £2,935,172. I regret that the figures for 1924 are not yet available.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can state the amount of compensation paid for fatal accidents in the mining industry in Durham County for the 12 months 1st April, 1923, to 31st March, 1924, and for the period 1st April, 1924, to 31st March, 1925; and the amount paid for non-fatal accidents covering the same periods?

I regret that separate figures for Durham are not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the tonnage of coal approximately replaced each year from 1919 to date by the use of fuel oil in home industries, British shipping, foreign industries, and foreign shipping?

I am having a statement on the subject prepared, but I am afraid that it is not quite ready. If my hon. Friend will allow me, I will have it circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as possible after the Recess.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that a large number of seamen and other ratings have left British vessels at North American and Canadian ports since January, 1925; will he state how many British vessels without their full complement of men have returned; what is the number of men that have left their vessels; and, in view of the many complaints of the manner in which seamen are dealt with after they are recruited and the danger the travelling public are exposed to by vessels not carrying their full complement of men, will he have the whole question reviewed?

The number of seamen and other ratings belonging to British vessels, which opened agreements in United Kingdom or home-trade Continental ports, who have been reported as having left their ships at United States and Canadian Atlantic ports between 1st January and 30th April, 1925, is 664. It would not be possible, without a great deal of work, to ascertain how many of the ships concerned returned Without their full complement of men. I am not aware what particular complaints the hon. and gallant Member has in mind, but if he will send me any specific cases I will have them investigated. There is no reason to believe that any danger to the ships has arisen owing to their being insufficiently manned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to which countries British-made morphia was exported in the year 1924 and the amount and value of the morphia so exported to each country; and whether the figures include exports through the post?

The amounts of morphine exported to each country in 1924 are given in the table annexed. The figures include export through the post. It is not possible to distinguish between British and foreign morphine, but it may be taken that practically the whole amount exported was of British manufacture. I regret that, as the Home Office does not obtain statistics as to the value of the exports, I am unable to give this information.

Following is the table;

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the quantity and the value of British-made morphia exported annually from 1920–25; and whether any steps are taken to ensure that such exported morphia is required exclusively for legitimate medicinal and scientific purposes, and shall not be re-exported?

The total amount of morphine exported in the years mentioned was as follows:—

It may be taken that practically the whole of this was of British manufacture. I regret that I am unable to give exact information as to the value of the exports. Licences for the export of morphine are only issued after the production of an import certificate issued by the Government of the importing country in the form approved by the League of Nations or in the case of exports to countries which do not issue such certificates, upon information which establishes the bona fides of the application. A condition that the morphine shall not be re-exported has not been proposed by the League of Nations and is not insisted on when the British Government is satisfied that adequate control over exports is exercised by the importing country.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of Admiralty establishments outside the United Kingdom in which civilian labour is employed; and whether he will give the figures in respect of each establishment of British and native labour, respectively?

There are 12 naval establishments outside the United Kingdom at which, according to the last available return, there were employed 632 workpeople appointed from home and 13,525 engaged locally.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, observing that the schoolmaster branch of the Royal Navy is the only one without unambiguous titles, he will consider the introduction of the following titles for the respective officers of that branch, namely, warrant schoolmaster, or schoolmaster as at present, commissioned schoolmaster, schoolmaster lieutenant, schoolmaster lieutenant-commander, and schoolmaster commander?

In view of the nature of the work of Schoolmasters, E.N., and the special Regulations under which they serve, it is not proposed to alter the present scholastic titles.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, seeing that the number of headmasters in the schoolmaster branch of the Royal Navy is still considerably below the normal percentage, he can now state what further promotions to that rank will shortly be made; and whether he will give consideration to the suggestion that promotions to lieutenant-commander in the schoolmaster branch be after six years' service as lieutenant, as in the case in both the medical and instructor branches, respectively?

The number of headmasters is determined by the number of appointments in which the services of a headmaster are required; further promotions will be made as vacancies occur, or as the number of such appointments is increased. In view of the nature of the work and responsibility of Head- masters, Royal Navy, it is considered that they have no claim to earlier automatic promotion.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, with reference to those men employed in the Naval Armament Supply Department, Bombay, whether he is aware that the wages of these men are calculated in sterling but actually paid at the current rate of the rupee which, at the present rate of exchange, means a loss of 2d. on every 1s. 6d. to the recipient; and, seeing that the Income Tax is paid on a sterling calculation, and that therefore the employes of the Admiralty pay tax on money they do not receive, whether, in these circumstances, the Admiralty can see its way to pay wages at the standard rate of the rupee, namely 15 to the £ sterling, seeing that other Government services are paid at that rate?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of yesterday.