asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) if he is aware that many acres of strawberry plants have been destroyed in England during the last few years by a disease commonly

I am aware that certain diseases of obscure origin, among which is that known as "patch," have caused loss to strawberry growers, particularly in the South and West of England, and also in various parts of Scotland. I understand that there has been less demand for strawberry pickers this season owing to the lightness of the crop, which was adversely affected chiefly by the cold, wet spring, and the following drought, and to a lesser extent by the diseases in question. These disease are being investigated by the staff of the Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station of the University of Bristol at Long Ashton, who are working in conjunction with the Advisory Mycologists and Entomologists of University College, Reading, and Seal Hayne College, with the horticultural staffs of the counties concerned and with the Ministry's own officers. A special survey of the problem has been carried out during the present summer, and the question of the programmes of work to be undertaken in the future is under consideration. The inquiry is being carried out by the various officers in conjunction with their other duties, and it is not possible to state the amount of money which has been spent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the workers' side of the Hertfordshire Agricultural Wages Committee gave Notice of Motion on 22nd December, 1924, for a special rate of wages to be fixed for market gardeners and glasshouse workers; that this matter has been postponed from time to time and that nothing has yet been fixed; that a special meeting of this Committee was fixed for Saturday last to settle the matter and that no appointed member turned up; and whether he will make inquiry into this matter with a view to ending the delay which has taken place in the settlement of this matter?

I am fully aware of the efforts which are being made to fix special rates of wages for market gardeners and glasshouse workers in Hertfordshire and I understand that the Committee is to meet to-day to endeavour to arrive at a settlement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if Germany has decided to prohibit the importation of British coal; if so, how this decision affects the Anglo-German commercial treaty, and if the Government has any statement to make on the matter?

The import of coal into Germany has been subject to licence for a long time past. I have no reason to suppose that the German Government contemplate any action which would have the effect of reducing the amount of British coal imported into Germany.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the aggregate amount of the produce and manufactures of Great Britain and Northern Ireland imported into the following dominions and countries, and also the amount per head of their respective populations, for the year ended 31st March. 1925, or for the latest period available: India, Canada, Australia, Union of South Africa, New Zealand, France, United States, Germany, Italy, Russia, Argentina, Belgium, Switzerland and Japan?

The following statement shows the aggregate value of merchandise, the produce and manufacture of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, exported therefrom and consigned to the under-mentioned countries during the year ended 31st March, 1925, and the values of the exports per head of population of the countries:—

Country to which consigned.	Value of consignments thereto.	Value per head of the respective population.
British Countries Overseas:—	£	£	s.	d.
India	93,127,935		5	10
Canada	28,232,296	3	2	2
Australia	62,464,679	10	14	1¼
Union of South Africa.	30,216,123	4	3	6¼
New Zealand	21,575,146	15	18	2½
Foreign Countries:—
France	40,874,786	1	0	9½
United States	53,946,034		9	7½
Germany	44,485,618		14	3
Italy	18,581,202		9	0¾
Russia	5,014,505			9¼
Argentina	28,112,491	2	17	11½
Belgium	22,143,193	2	17	7½
Switzerland	11,196,011	2	17	4¾
Japan	24,301,818		8	3¾

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can state in tabular form the increased net annual charges on employers per head of employés, employed persons and the State, as a result of the provisions of the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Bill and of the Unemployment Bill conjointly?

The subjoined table shows, as regards the

—		Contributions per Employed Person per Annum.												Increased Charge to the State for the Year 1926–7.
		Net Increase resulting from Pensions Bill.*				Reduction under Unemployment Insurance Bill.				Net Increase.
		Employer.		Employed Person		Employer.†		Employed Person		Employer.†		Employed Person
		s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	pensions. £5,700,000 Unemployment Insurance.£2,200,000‡
Men	…	16	0	16	0	8	0	8	0	8	0	8	0
Women	…	8	0	8	0	4	0	4	0	4	0	4	0
Boys	…	16	0	16	0	4	0	4	0	12	0	12	0
Girls	…	8	0	8	0	4	0	4	0	4	0	4	0
* Combined health and pensions contributions.
† No account is taken of the further reduction of 4s. 0d. for men and women (2s. 0d. for boys and girls) which is to be made when the outstanding Treasury advances do not exceed the debt at 31st December, 1925, and in the opinion of the Minister and the Treasury are not likely to exceed that amount.
‡ Subject to the contingent further increase of £425,000 a quarter.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many civil servants, all departments, take in annual holiday in excess of three Weeks, four weeks, five weeks, and six weeks respectively; what is the aggregate number of weeks in excess of three weeks so taken; and what would be the approximate total salary value per annum of the time so taken in excess of three weeks?

I fear that I am not in possession of the information desired.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the advisability of issuing to Members of Parliament travelling passes restricted to the main line to and from their constituencies?

I see no reason to make any more alterations at present in the rules governing the travelling expenses of Members.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the average time taken in transit of a postal packet not exceeding 2 lbs. in weight between London and the following destinations: Sofia, Athens, Bagdad, Calcutta, Hong Kong. Tokio, Pekin, Petrograd, Warsaw, Vienna, Rome, and Madrid; and what in each case is the postal rate for delivery?

The approximate transit times from London for a letter packet of any weight up to the maximum of 4 lb. are us follow:

	Days.
Sofia	3
Athens	5
Bagdad:
By desert motor route or air mail	9
Via Bombay	24
Calcutta	17
Hong Kong:
Via Siberia	24–27
Via Suez	28–30
Via North America	31–35

asked the Minister of Health if he has received a copy of the resolution passed at the eleventh annual conference of the National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis to the effect that a considerable proportion of tuberculosis in childhood is due to infection through the presence of tubercle bacilli in milk offered for human food, and urging His Majesty's Government to render effective the provisions of the Milk and Dairies Act; and whether he is prepared to act upon this suggestion?

My right hon. Friend has seen the resolutions referred to. The Milk and Dairies Act of 1915, which deals with this subject, will be brought into operation on the 1st September next.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average price of parlour and non-parlour houses, respectively, included in contracts let by local authorities during May, 1922, 1923, 1924, and 1925?

The average prices of houses included in contracts let by local authorities during the month of May in each of the years in question were as follow:

Year.			Non-Parlour.	Parlour.
			£	£
1922	…	…	392	422
1923	…	…	368	371
1924	…	…	404	476
1925	…	…	436	495

These prices do not include the cost of land and development.

asked the Minister of Health whether representations have been made to him, and, if so, by whom, in favour of the elimination of unregistered practising midwives; and whether, in that case, he can state the views of the Department on the matter and the likelihood of obtaining an adequate number of registered midwives?

Yes, Sir, I have received many such representations from local supervising authorities and other bodies. I am in favour of the elimination of unregistered midwives, and I do not anticipate difficulty in obtaining an adequate number of registered midwives. I have it in mind to deal with the matter in a Bill to amend the Midwives Act, which I propose to introduce as soon as other commitments allow.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he can state the number of students who left the training colleges in the year 1924 fully qualified as teachers, and the number of the same who, on the last known date, had failed to obtain posts; and can he state the approximate number of certificated teachers in England and Wales who are at present unemployed?

The latest information at my disposal is based on returns received from the training colleges last December. These returns show that out of 7,184 students, who left the colleges in July, 1924, and about whom the authorities of the colleges possessed information, 5,835 (84·2 per cent.) had then obtained teaching posts, 177 (2·6 per cent.) had not attempted to obtain posts, and 916 (13·2 per cent.) had failed to obtain posts. As regards the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given by me on 19th February last to my hon. Friend the Member for Moseley (Mr. Hannon), a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware of the success of the Italian experiment of allowing lads undergoing Borstal detention to attend municipal technical classes; and will he state the number of lads who had such training in this country during the year 1924 and the number having such facilities afforded them this year?

The Prison Commissioners in their Annual Report for 1923–24 say the experiment has proved a great success. Thirteen lads attended these classes in 1924, and eight have attended them so far during the present year.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the openings for boys in agricultural areas in the Dominions which offer specially cheap passages and welfare control, he can state what efforts are made In bring to the knowledge of children in the public schools the possibilities of overseas settlement?

I have been asked to reply to this question. With the co-operation of the Board of Education, efforts are being made to give increased prominence to the study of the Empire in elementary schools. Information regarding the various schemes which have been arranged for the assisted migration of juveniles is brought to the notice of juvenile advisory committees of the Ministry of Labour, and of those local education authorities who are responsible for giving advice and assistance to young persons in regard to choice of employment.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he can state the number of teachers employed by the local education authorities in each of the following towns: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bradford, Newcastle, Nottingham, Leicester, and Bristol, and the number who ceased to be employed in each case during the

—		Elementary Schools (other than Section 25 Schools) and Practical Instruction Centres.	Special Schools.	Secondary Schools.	Technical etc Schools.	Training Colleges and Pupil Teacher Centres.	Total.
(1)		(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)
London	…	19,017	738✶	1,873	832✶	235	22,696
Manchester	…	3,267	55✶	333	109	30	3,794
Birmingham	…	3,711	144✶	297	141	32	4,325
Liverpool	…	3,543	98✶	417	71	9	4,138
Sheffield	…	1,998	52✶	193	12	32	2,287
Bradford	…	1,067	36	305	62	—	1,470
Newcastle	…	1,067	37✶	147	38✶	9	1,298
Nottingham	…	1,087	31✶	120	16	25	1,279
Leicester	…	956	13✶	160	52	5	1,186
Bristol	…	1,469	45✶	237	27✶	14	1,792
✶ Includes Non-Local Education Authority Schools.

As regards the second part of the question, specific figures are no longer collected by my Department as to the wastage among teachers. I may, however, refer my hon. Friend to Table 78 on page 185 of the Board's Statistical Volume for 1913–14, which gives a summary of the last returns collected on this subject.

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware that inmates of almshouses under private benefaction in Birmingham are denied the right of being registered as either Parliamentary or local government electors; and whether he will consider the desirability of taking the necessary action to have the law amended so as to enable such people to have the benefits of the franchise?

I understand that the registration officer at Birmingham takes the view that in the cases in question the male inmates of the almshouses are entitled to be registered

The number of fulltime teachers of all grades employed in the areas of the authorities in question, on the 31st March, 1923, in the various types of schools and institutions aided by grants from public funds was as follows:as Parliamentary electors on the residence qualification, but that the inmates are not occupying owners or tenants and are therefore not qualified for the local government franchise. The question in such cases whether the inmates are in the position of occupying owners or tenants or not depends on the particular circumstances, and in cases of doubt is a matter for the decision of the Courts. I do not think that the question of legislation arises.

asked the Home Secretary under what circumstances a clean defaulter sheet is issued to a Metropolitan police officer; and whether such clean sheet entitles an officer to an exemplary character on retirement?

Under the General Orders of the Force a constable whose conduct has been meritorious and whose conduct sheet, for a period of seven years, contains no record of any but slight defaults, may be recommended for effacement of any entries prior to the commencement of the seven-year period. A similar recommendation may be made, once in a man's service, after three years with only one minor default not involving fine or loss of pay. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the installation of police telephone boxes on police beats in Sunderland has proved of assistance to the police of this town, especially as help can be summoned quickly; and will he consider the advisability of recommending the adoption of this system by other police authorities?

The system in use in Sunderland and other places must be regarded as in the experimental stage, and I am not at present prepared to adopt the course suggested.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the recommendations of the coroner for Mid-Bucks connected with the recent fatal accident to two young boys of 14 and 15 years, respectively, one of whom was riding on the carrier of the motor bicycle ridden by the other; is he aware of the recommendations of the coroner's jury; and what steps does he propose to take in the matter?

I have been asked to reply. My attention had not previously been drawn to this unfortunate accident, but I will make enquiries and communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend.