asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Carlisle Board of Guardians have recently granted a contract for the painting of the local infirmary without the inclusion of a Fair Wages Clause, and that the firm which has secured the contract is not a Carlisle firm and pays wages less than the Carlisle rate; and whether he will circularise local authorities as to the advisability of inserting a Fair Wages Clause in all their contracts?

I have received a communication in regard to this matter and am in communication with the Car- lisle Board of Guardians. A circular on this subject was issued to all local authorities some time ago and, as at present advised, I am not aware of any need for further action in the direction suggested in the last part of the question.

asked the Minister of Health if any meetings have been held of the Local Building Industry Committee for London to deal with the supply of labour for housing under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924; and, if not, what are the reasons for the delay?

I am informed that there have been four meetings of the Central Local Building Industry Committee for London. In addition to the meetings held by the Central Committee, which is a co-ordinating committee, five district committees have held meetings for the purpose of augmenting the labour supply in London, and other district committees are now being set up.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered encouraging the development of house building by mass production by offering the subsidy now being given under the Wheatley Act for houses that can be sold as well as leased?

I have considered the suggestion contained in the question, but I am not satisfied that the desired effect would be obtained by an increase of subsidy or that the subsidy at present available for houses built for sale is inadequate. In any case fresh legislation would be necessary, and I can hold out no hope of this in the present Session.

asked the Minister of Health whether he proposes setting up a Committee to consider the working of the Local Government and other Officers' Superannuation Act, and to make recommendations with respect to amending legislation; and, if so, whether, in view of the fact that the Act affects officers and servants, and that the latter outnumber he former by five to one, he will appoint sufficient direct representatives of the servants?

It has seemed to me to be preferable in constituting the Committee to avoid appointing direct representatives of any section, and that the representatives of the various interests should state their case in evidence before an impartial body.

asked the Minister of Health the value, expressed as an addition to the weekly wage of insured persons, of the contributions of employer and the State to national health insurance, including the proposed scheme of contributory widows and old age pensions?

— Contributions per insured person per week. Total. National Health Insurance. Widows, etc., Pensions. Employer. State. Employer. State. d. d. d. d. d. Men … … … … 4½ 2¼ 4½ 1½ 12¾ Women … … … 4½ 2½ 2½ ¾ 10¼

asked the Minister of Health whether he has recently received representations from the Southwark Borough Council requesting him to introduce legislation making it illegal for a ratepayer to contest more than one seat at an election of board of guardians, Metropolitan borough council, or for other local authority; and will he, in view of the unnecessary public expense incurred by this procedure, give this request his consideration?

I have been asked to reply. I have received the representations of the borough council and will certainly have the matter investigated with the view to considering whether there is any need for a change in the law.

The contributions proposed in the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Bill to be paid by employers and the State respectively in respect of insured persons, expressed in terms of pence per insured person per week, are given in the subjoined table. It should be explained that in the case of National Health Insurance the State contribution takes the form of payment of the statutory proportion of the cost of benefits and administration, together with the cost of central administration. In the case of contributory pensions the State assumes liability for the cost of pensions in so far as it is not covered by the contributions of employers and employed; the State contribution provided for in the present Bill represents the equivalent of the estimated deficit in the first decennial period and is exclusive of the additional cost of old age pensions at 70. The amounts given in the table as representing State contributions are therefore approximations.

asked the Minister of Health the total amount of Poor Law relief paid to unemployed persons from the Armistice to the present time?

The amount of domiciliary Poor Law relief in money or kind given in England and Wales to persons ordinarily engaged in some regular occupation and their dependants during the period from the 31st March, 1920, to the 25th April, 1925, was approximately £31,253,000. The corresponding amount for the period from the date of the Armistice to March, 1920, has not been ascertained. The sum named includes all domiciliary Poor Law relief in money or kind given to the persons mentioned, whether granted on account of unemployment, or for some other reasons such as, for example, sickness.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of children who, in the years 1922, 1923, and 1924, passed out of the special schools for the deaf and dumb; and whether there are any figures available as to the number of deaf and dumb persons between the ages of 16 and 20 at present unemployed?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The number of pupils in special schools for the deaf and dumb who were due to leave on attaining the age of 16, during the years ended 31st March, 1922, 1923, and 1924, were 510, 547, and 464, respectively. As regards the second part of the question, I am afraid that neither my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour nor I have any figures available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the Reports on the investigations made into the wages paid in the drapery and meat trades have been received; and whether he is of opinion that the rates of wages prevailing in these trades, or in any part of them, justify the application of the Trade Boards Act?

The Reports on the investigations mentioned in the first part of the question are before my right hon. Friend, and he is at present considering them for the purpose of taking a decision upon the point raised in the second part of the question.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that, of the 46 States represented at the recent International Labour Conference, the delegations of 17 were not representative of Governments, employers and workers, in accordance with the provisions of Part XIII of the Versailles Treaty of Peace; and whether the representative of His Majesty's Government on the governing body of the International Labour Office is instructed to urge that steps be taken to secure complete delegations from all the countries which are members of the organisation?

It is the fact that 17 States sent to the recent International Labour Conference delegations which did not fulfil the requirements of Article 389 of the Treaty of Versailles. My hon. and gallant Friend may be assured that His Majesty's Government will lose no opportunity of doing anything which may promote the fulfilment in this matter of the Treaty obligations.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can furnish the House with a statement as to the member States of the International Labour Organisation which have ratified the draft conventions put forward by the International Labour Conferences of 1919, 1920 and 1921, showing in such statement the approximate industrial populations of the States and what steps have been taken by them to give effect to such ratification, indicating any legislative measures and any administrative steps taken to give such effect?

I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the Report made by the Director of the International Labour Office to the recent Conference, which gives the latest information with regard to the ratification and application of conventions, and I will send, as soon as possible, any available information with regard to the industrial population of the States concerned.

asked the Minister of Labour for how long any Ministerial representative of the British Government was present at the recent meeting of the International Labour Conference at Geneva; and who represented the British Government at different periods of the Conference?

I was myself one of the representatives of His Majesty's Government at the recent International Labour Conference from the opening of the session on the 19th May until the 26th May, when it was necessary for me to return home owing to the pressure of my duties in London. After that date my place as British Government delegate was taken by Mr. Humbert Wolfe, a Principal Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Labour. The other British Government delegate throughout the Conference was Mr. R. R. Bannatyne, an Assistant Secretary in the Home Office.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made with the tunnel under the Thames providing for a junction of the underground railway between Kennington and Charing Cross; and when it is anticipated that the line will be available for the use of the public?

My information is that the construction of the tunnel to which the hon. and gallant Member refers is proceeding satisfactorily, and that the railway company hope that it may be opened for traffic by about April in next year.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if the roads which were promised the people at Reef Uig, Stornoway, are likely to be completed before winter; and, if not, whether he can state the reason?

As I stated in my replies to the hon. Member on the 12th May and 11th June, what was promised to the Reef holders was a grant towards the construction or repair of certain roads, the contribution originally offered having been subsequently increased from £520 to £810. After considering the letter referred to in the reply which I gave the hon. Member on the 11th June, I see no reason to modify my view that the sum of £810 represents an adequate contribution from public funds. In these circumstances it is impossible for me to say whether the roads will be completed before winter, the commencement and completion of the work being for the holders to decide.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is prepared to call forthwith a conference of the Treaty Powers with a view to the liquidation, in a spirit of equality and reciprocity, of the present differences with the Chinese people on the basis of a revision of the Treaties in so far as territorial concessions and extra-territorial privileges are concerned?

No, Sir. The conditions in which alone a conference can meet were stated by me yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government will take the initiative in proposing immediately to the other Treaty Powers that a conference of all Powers concerned, including China, should be organised forthwith, such conference to discuss the question of extra-territoriality and the revision of the Treaties by which the concessions and foreign settlements were obtained?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer returned yesterday to the similar question by the hon. Member for Rotherhithe (Mr. B. Smith).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what the cities are in China over which there is foreign administration under treaty provision; what the total population is of the several cities; and what the population of the foreign settlement is in each case, distinguishing between the numbers of the Chinese and foreigners?

There are no cities in China over which there is foreign administration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can give the text of the proposed bye-laws in Shanghai against which distinguished Chinese in Peking have forwarded a protest to the Powers; and if he is prepared to agree to the appointment of a mixed tribunal to inquire into the recent shootings in Shanghai?

No official report in regard to the matter mentioned in the first part of the question has yet been received. I have not yet had time to consider reports which have just reached me bearing on the second part of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that, as stated in the "Far Eastern Review" of Shanghai, in July, 1922, General Chang Tso Lin had received financial support from the Japanese Bank of the Chosen, the French Banque Industrielle de Chine at Mukden, and the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank at Harbin; and whether he can assure the House that the military and naval forces of the Crown will not be used to compel repayment of loans in money or military material to this insurgent general?

No, Sir. I have no information confirming any part of the hon. Member's question, and I have definite information that it is unfounded in the case of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to give the date upon which the British-owned mills in Shanghai voluntarily adopted the regulations proposed by the Child Labour Commission of the Shanghai Council?

I understand that the position is as follows. For some time before the Report of the Child Labour Commission appointed by the Shanghai Municipal Council appeared, the British millowners had already adopted the policy of excluding from their mills boys under 10 and girls under 12. I do not know the precise date as from which they initiated this policy, but the information has been asked for by telegraph. When the Report of the Commission appeared the British owners publicly declared themselves to be in favour of the recommendations of the Commission, and I understand that they then took such steps as were in their power to give effect to those recommendations in their own mills, independently of any action taken by Chinese or other millowners. On this point, again, further information is being obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many Europeans and how many Chinese, respectively, reside within the inter- national settlement in Shanghai to-day; and whether there has been any, and, if so, what, increase in the number of Chinese residents in recent months?

I have no information beyond that contained in the reply to a question by the hon. Member for Penistone (Mr. Rennie Smith) on the 17th of June.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the recent propagandist activities of the Soviet Government in breach of their agreement with this country, he will consider the advisability of withdrawing diplomatic recognition from their representatives in England?

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Wycombe (Sir A. Knox) on the 29th of June.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that 1,000 Indian Haj pilgrims on board the s. s. "Jehangir" were recently detained at Port Said on their way to Mecca; what was the reason for their detention; whether they have now proceeded on their journey; and whether steps are being taken to protect the sea routes of Indian subjects on pilgrimage?

Yes, Sir. The s. s. "Jehangir" was detained by her owners, not at Port Said, but at Port Sudan, pending inquiry on the spot regarding the feasibility of landing the pilgrims safely at Rabigh. The latest reports indicate that the pilgrims are now proceeding from Rabigh to Mecca. His Majesty's Government have always taken whatever measures were possible and proper to secure the safety of the Indian pilgrims.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction of the Civil Service in British Honduras at the Government's failure to put into operation the salaries scheme proposed by Sir Eyre Hutson in 1923 and by the substitution of the proposals since adopted; whether representations on the subject have been made by the staff affected to the Colonial Office; and whether he will make investigations into the representations thus made to him with a view to giving these State employés satisfactory terms of employment and living?

I have recently received through the Governor of British Honduras a memorial on this subject from the British Honduras Civil Service Association, which is now engaging my attention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is proposed to take further action for the promotion of cotton growing within the Empire; and whether, in all cases where there is a Government guarantee of capital or State moneys are invested in cotton-growing companies, steps will be taken to appoint a director representing the British Government?

A great deal of work, Government and other, is now actively in progress or in prospect, and any practical suggestions for the further development of cotton growing in the Empire will be very carefully considered. With regard to the last part of the question, the usual practice is as stated, and it will no doubt, unless for special reasons, be followed in similar cases.

asked the Secretary for Scotland when the Report of the Scottish Agricultural Conference will be published?

This Report has been published by the Stationery Office, and copies are now on sale.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of the hardship to farmers of having to serve on juries during the busy time of the hay harvest; and whether he will recommend to the authorities concerned the desirability of abstaining from calling upon farmers so to act at the summer assizes?

I believe that the consideration to which the hon. Baronet calls attention is borne in mind by the officials on whom the duty of summoning jurors for the summer assizes is laid, but I have no authority to issue directions on the subject.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether the public are permitted to view Chequers; and, if so, on what days and under what conditions?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether, in view of the inconvenience caused to Members when working with their secretaries in the secretaries' room by the lack of privacy, he will consider dividing one of the secretaries' rooms into small cubicles by light partitions?

I will discuss this matter with the Serjeant-at-Arms, but I fear that the division of the rooms into cubicles would still further curtail the limited space available.

asked the Prime Minister if he intends to move the suspension of the 11 o'clock rule frequently or continually during the remainder of the Session; if so, having regard to the strain imposed upon Members, particularly those who have to attend Committees upstairs in the morning, by irregular and frequently very late hours, whether he will consider, as an alternative, moving to appoint for the rising of the House some regular hour later than 11 o'clock; and if he will consider whether a regular rising of the House at 12 midnight or 12.15 would meet the exigencies of the case?

The suspension of the 11 o'clock rule is unfortunately often necessary during the latter part of a session, but the Government have no desire to ask the House to sit late more often than the condition of business demands.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will explain the position of a small shopkeeper or business man in relation to subsistence allowances and loss of business time when he has to close his place of business to attend meetings of war pensions committees; and whether payment at the rate of 1s. 6d. per hour is paid for all the hours the business is closed?

In the circumstances stated, a member of a war pensions committee would receive compensation for loss of profits shown necessarily to have been incurred in consequence of attendance at a meeting up to 1s. 6d. an hour and subject to a maximum of 10s. a day. A subsistence allowance would also be payable, subject to the usual conditions.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that attendance at the meetings of war pensions committees entail much loss of time and personal expense, and that business men very often have not time to send in their claims for travelling expenses, etc., until other business engagements allow; and whether, under these circumstances, he will explain why expenses which are in order cannot be paid after 14 days without the express authority from Ministry head-quarters?

It is obviously desirable that claims of the kind referred to should be submitted within such time as will allow of a reasonable check upon the facts on which the claim is based, and the period of 14 days, which is the normal rule for this purpose, is, in my experience, adequate. In any case where exceptional circumstances have been present to prevent the claim being made at an earlier date, such circumstances are reasonably considered. The arrangement by which belated claims are submitted to headquarters is in order to ensure that they shall be fully considered and dealt with on uniform lines.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, in the case of a man who has received a final award, the Ministry is prepared to allow his case to be re-opened if, on the recommendation of his local pensions committee, he is granted further treatment?

Medical treatment, with allowances if necessary, was expressly reserved to the pensioner under the scheme for final awards, and such treatment is available, if required, independently of any recommendation by the War Pensions Committee. The fact that treatment may be necessary is not, of course, in itself evidence that the final award was erroneous. But in any case where such treatment is given on account of a worsened condition, the medical officers of the Ministry are instructed to consider, if necessary, whether, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, the man's condition is such, even after treatment, that it must be held that the final award was erroneous on the ground that there was a serious underestimate of the man's permanent condition for purposes of assessment.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware of the representations made by divers London local authorities, including the Metropolitan Borough Council of Southwark, urging the amendment of the War Pensions Act, 1921, so as to provide that the time limit imposed in the Royal Warrants should be entirely abolished for officers, men, women and their dependants and that officers and men should have the right of appealing to an independent tribunal in cases where the Ministry refuse to grant further compensation after a final allowance and where the claimant is able to produce medical evidence that the disability has reasserted itself or become worse; and will he state whether he is prepared to consider such Amendments at an early date?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer which I gave to the right hon. Member for Deptford (Mr. Bowerman) on the 25th ultimo, in reply

— 1921–22. 1922–23. 1923–24. 1924–25 (approximate). Customs and Excise:— £ £ £ £ Receipts 323,627,554 280,024,976 268,021,266 235,294,000 Cost of Collection 6,327,943 4,612,917 4,324,987 4,340,000 Inland Revenue:— Receipts 521,274,000 482,099,000 435,441,000 439,066,000 Cost of Collection 8,941,650 7,252,388 6,715,376 6,920,000 Post Office (including Telegraph and Telephone Services):— Receipts 61,038,798 57,415,995 56,184,095 60,129,420 Cost of Collection 67,777,043 51,684,051 51,041,792 54,219,801

During these years there were great changes owing to the establishment of new Governments in Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State. The figures for 1924c25 are in all oases approximate only: the Post Office cost of collection in that year includes £1,799,843 on account of war bonus arrears.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many industries have made application for safeguarding; and how many of these applications are being proceeded with?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on the 17th June to the hon. Member for Mossley (Mr. Hopkinson), of which I am sending him a copy. Besides lace and embroidery, applications have been referred to committees in respect of leather and fabric gloves and glove fabrics, superphosphate and gas mantles.

to a question on the same subject, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the aggregate net receipts of the Customs and Excise, Inland Revenue, and Postal (including Telegraph and Telephone) Services for the years 1921–22, 1922–23, 1923– 24 and 1924–25, respectively, and the corresponding charges for collection in each case?

The figures are as follow:

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the fact that the statement in the Report on the Training of Teachers (p. 59, lines 21 and 22) to the effect that the Manchester uncertificated teachers are less qualified than the Manchester certificated teachers is repudiated by the Manchester Branch of the National Union of School Teachers as not being in accordance with the facts, he is prepared to hold an inquiry into the status and qualifications of all Manchester school teachers?

I do not find, in the passage of the Report to which my hon. Friend refers, any criticism of the uncertificated teachers employed in Manchester, but merely a statement that the Manchester authority has appointed no uncertificated teachers to their schools in recent years. It is true that the Committee refer to the fact that uncertificated teachers have "less than the full quali- fication," but a discussion as to what is the best mode of entry into the teaching profession should not be necessarily interpreted as a criticism on the competence of existing teachers. No such criticism having been made, no inquiry is needed.

asked the Secretary for Mines the amount paid in coal royalties for the last complete year for which he has returns, and the average amount per ton that figure represents?

The estimated total amount paid in coal royalties in Great Britain during 1924 was £6,430,000, which represents an average royalty of 5⅓d. per ton of coal raised.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of undertakings in the mining industry worked at a loss and the number which made profits, respectively, during the year 1924?

I have now obtained information on this subject, and am arranging to publish it in a White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, seeing that the Workshop Training Battalion, Royal Tank Corps, was disbanded on the 31st May, and the responsibility for second-line repairs of units transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, he will state what economy is expected to follow the change; and what action has been taken for the disposal of the personnel, etc., of the Workshop Training Battalion?

As to the first part of the question, it is hoped to effect a saving of over £50,000 in a normal year; as to the second, the bulk of the personnel is being transferred to other units of the Royal Tank Corps or other arms of the Service; a few officers are being retired and a few men transferred to the reserve or discharged.

asked the Secretary of State for War what are the specified ingredients of the meals supplied to a soldier who is billeted for which the allowances are for breakfast 7d., for dinner 10d., and for supper 4d.?

The quantities of food and drink required to be provided for a soldier billeted on the keeper of a victualling house are laid down in Part I of the Second Schedule to the Army Act, to which I would refer the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, seeing that under the Schedule of the Army and Air Force (Annual) Act, 1925, the rates for billeting are for officers 3s. a day and for other ranks 10d. for the first soldier and 8d. for each additional soldier, the allowance for the soldier including candles, vinegar, salt, and the use of fire and the necessary utensils for dressing and cooking his meat, he will take action to secure an increase in the sums payable, as neither an innkeeper nor any other citizen should be expected to lodge officers and other ranks at a loss?

The rates, which have only recently been sanctioned by Parliament, are considered to be sufficient to safeguard the innkeeper against loss. They come forward for review annually in connection with the Army and Air Force (Annual) Bill.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will call for details of all electrical and telephonic apparatus and supplies, including cables, needed by his Department; and will he institute inquiries in the electrical industries of this country to ensure that the major supplies of this nature are manufactured in Great Britain instead of, as now, being mainly of foreign origin?

The hon. Member is misinformed; more than 99½ per cent. of the electrical apparatus, including cables, purchased by the Post Office last year was manufactured in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether it is the intention of the Government to adopt in its entirety the Report of the Committee on the Claims of Professional ex-Ranker Officers, and to accept as counting for the pensions, recommended in paragraph 32 of the Report, all pre-War service in the ranks?

The Government have adopted the Committee's Report in its entirety. The recommendations in paragraphs 29 and 32 of the Report have already been put into practice; but in order that the hon. and gallant Member may not be under any misapprehension as to their precise effect, it should be pointed out that they deal specifically with a group of soldiers who fell outside the class of pensioner officer whose claim was specially before the Committee. The soldiers concerned are regular soldiers serving on a normal engagement who were discharged during the War to take temporary commissions without enough service on discharge to qualify for a soldier's pension; such soldiers who satisfy the conditions of paragraph 32 are allowed to count their pre-War service in the ranks. The recommendation has nothing to do with the case of persons who were pensioners before the War; these are not allowed to aggregate their pre-War and Great War service for an increase of pension.