asked the Secretary of State for Air how many machines of the type fitted with American Curtiss engines have been purchased and tested by the research department of the Air Ministry; how many are now on order; what is the customary and what the maximum post-War practice as to the number of machines purchased for experimental test by the research department; and what is the largest number of machines previously ordered for service squadrons under a post-War contract placed prior to completion of standard tests by the engine to be fitted?

The answer to the first part of the question is none; the experimental machine which was built by the British contractor at his own expense and remained his property during the tests has not been purchased by the Department. As regards the second part, 18 machines are about to be ordered. As regards the third part, whilst there is no hard-and-fast procedure, the general practice is that if the research department requires a machine to a certain specification, an order for three is normally given to each firm selected; but as many as 11 have on occasion been ordered to one specification. This procedure is, however, not applicable to the ease now in question in which an experimental machine was produced displaying certain satisfactory results which made it desirable to try it out for operational purposes on a squadron basis. As regards the last part of the question, an order for 30 machines was recently placed with a British manufacture two months before the British engine for which they were designed had actually passed the type test. In this case, as in that of the Curtiss, the contract was proceeded with as soon as it became evident that the completion of the engine test after certain modifications was no longer in doubt.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many firms in Great Britain are supplying water-cooled aeroplane engines of 450 to 500 horse-power for the use of His Majesty's Air Force?

The answer is one company at present, but another company is building an experimental engine within the horse-power limits mentioned, and it depends upon the results of the tests whether this second type of engine is adopted for supply to the Royal Air Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware of the hardship inflicted upon married men on the strength of the force at various Royal Air Force stations owing to the shortage of married quarters; and what steps are being taken to overcome the shortage and resulting hardship?

I am aware that there is some hardship for married airmen owing to the lack of provision of married quarters. Steps are being taken, as quickly as the need for economy will allow, to provide the necessary accommodation. At present over 55 per cent. has been provided. An additional 20 per cent. is under construction, and it is hoped that the remainder will be completed in the course of the next few years.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he has under consideration proposals for the reduction of pension rates in the case of new entrants into the Air Force; and whether, before any reduction is made, an opportunity will be afforded the House to consider the matter?

The question of the reduction of the present rates of airmen's pensions for future entrants is under consideration. The last part of the hon. and gallant Member's question is a matter of the arrangement of the business of the House, which does not, of course, rest with me.

asked the President of the Board of Education what steps he is taking with a view to investigating alternative and more economical methods of building schools; and whether he is considering the construction of steel and concrete buildings?

I have appointed a small expert committee to consider the question of school building with special reference to the use of new materials and methods of construction and the reduction of cost, and I hope to receive an interim report from them very shortly. I understand that construction in steel and concrete is among the various types of construction under the Committee's investigation.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is aware that the Report of Mr. Justice P. O. Lawrence's Committee (Command Paper 2358) made no provision or recommendation as to the following out-of-pocket expenses of poor persons, which could not be affected by decentralisation, namely, a husband's liability in matrimonial proceedings to pay or secure his wife's costs, whether or not he is a poor person admitted to proceed under the poor person's rules, and the costs of service and obtaining evidence abroad, and which have been estimated by the secretary of the poor person's department to amount, in an average case, to at least £25; and what steps are proposed to enable a poor person, under either the old or the proposed new scheme of legal aid in the Supreme Court, being entirely without means, to pay or secure his wife's costs or have service effected and evidence obtained abroad?

The amount of deposit required under the present Rules in a divorce case is £5. The cost to a poor person petitioner (whether wife or husband) is found in practice, in the great majority of cases, to be less than that amount, and the difference is returned to the petitioner. It is to be expected that the amount of the costs (whether wife's or husband's) will be considerably reduced on an average by decentralisation. Rare cases occur where greater cost is necessarily incurred, and, as I have repeatedly stated, it is not proposed to make any grant from public funds towards the expenses of those costs.

A asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is the intention of the Admiralty further to reduce the personnel of the Royal Navy; and, if so, under what conditions they will be discharged?

As Vote "A" for 1926–27 is not yet decided, I am not in a position to say whether any reductions will be necessitated. I hope, however, that any discharges other than the normal wastage will not be necessary.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that second mates, permanent cruiser service, receive less pay than the chief and petty officers of their ship, owing to the fact the latter get marriage allowance and the second mates do not; and whether, in view of these anomalous conditions, he can grant marriage allowance to these men or reconsider the pay of the second mates in question?

I regret that the total emoluments received by chief petty officers and petty officers of other branches cannot be accepted as an argument for increasing the rates of pay of these officers. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the general superannuation rules can be so amended as to meet exigencies of the increasing unemployment at the dockyards, caused by the closing down of Rosyth and Pembroke, so that an established dockyardsman who resigns at his own request before completing his years of service, in order to take up work abroad or for any other purpose, will be awarded the amount of pension which has accrued to him, seeing that, in any case, he is entitled to the amount paid in contributions by him towards his pension during his years of service at the dockyards?

The Superannuation Acts apply to the Civil Service as a whole, and I am unable to recommend any amendment in the direction suggested. As regards the suggestion in the latter part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply to him of the 18th March last, in which the position of established dockyardsmen is explained.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of the staff, and the cost of the Department, dealing with guns, ammunition, torpedoes and mines in 1914 and in 1925–26?

The staff provided in Vote 12 of the Navy Estimates for the Naval Ordnance and allied Departments and the cost are as follow:

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give particulars of the percentage of unemployment in each of the 10 towns where unemployment is most acute, and in each of the 10 towns where there is least unemployment in the United Kingdom, and also the average for the whole country?

The following table shows at 26th October, 1925, the percentages of insured persons recorded as unemployed at the 10 Employment Exchanges in Great Britain where these percentages were highest, and at the 10 where they were lowest, together with the average for Great Britain as a whole:

asked the Minister of Labour the estimated number of insured persons and of unemployment books remaining lodged at 30th June, 1924, at 31st March, 1925, and at 25th November, 1925, respectively, in the industries concerned with the construction and repair of motor vehicles, cycles, and aircraft?

The number of persons in insured industries is calculated only once a year in respect of July. The estimated number in Great Britain classified as belonging to the industrial group—construction and repair of motor vehicles, cycles and aircraft— was 213,210 at July, 1925, as compared with 201,790 in July, 1924. The number of unemployment books, classified within that industrial group, lodged at Employment Exchanges in Great Britain was 13,470 at 23rd June, 1924, 13,199 at 23rd March, 1925, and 15,200 at 26th October, 1925, the latest date for which figures are available.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) whether he can give the latest figures of unemployment in the cutlery trade, and the percentage to the total employment;(2) whether ho can give the latest figures of unemployment in the enamel end hollow-ware aluminium trade, and the percentage to the total employment?

Statistics of unemployment in insured trades are obtained only for 100 industrial group:!, and for the trades mentioned by the hon. Member separate figures are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is yet in a position to announce his decision with regard to the payment of insurance benefit to fish workers?

I am sorry that, owing to the number of issues involved, it has not yet been possible to reach a decision. As soon as I am in a position to announce a decision, I will let the hon. and gallant Member know.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the salmon fishers of Berwick-on-Tweed work only seven months of the year in the industry, which results in them having only 32 stamps on their unemployment cards; that the rota committee at the Berwick Employment Exchange refuse to consider any case unless they have at least 35 or 36 stamps on their cards for each year 1923–24 and 1924–25, and that in one week 30 of these cases were considered by the rota committee, 22 of which were disallowed on the ground that they were seasonal workers; and if he will take any action in the matter?

I am aware of the position of the workers referred to by the hon. Member. The claims to benefit referred to in the question were in respect of extended benefit, that is benefit irrespective of contributions, for which one of the conditions is that the claimant shall show that he is normally employed in insurable employment. I cannot regard this condition as satisfied in the case of workers who are employed purely and simply for seasonal periods where the season does not extend over a period of at least 10 months a year. I am afraid that the recommendation to disallow made by the committee in these cases must be upheld.

asked the Minister of Health, seeing that a conference of all rate-collecting authorities in the Borough of West Ham made a special appeal to him to receive a deputation upon the question of relief of necessitous areas, and that he refused to see the deputation, whether he will reconsider his decision?

In view of the appointment of the Committee to consider and report on any scheme which may be submitted to them for Exchequer assistance to local authorities in necessitous areas, my right hon. Friend does not think any useful purpose would be served in his receiving a deputation on the subject at this stage

asked the Minister of Labour if he can give an estimate of young people seeking employment who have not yet secured their first job; and the corresponding figure for a year ago?

I am afraid that I am not in a position to give the estimate for which my hon. Friend asks. An inquiry, however, made in June last indicated that of the 33,311 boys and 27,010 girls then registered for employment, about 3,200 boys and 5,600 girls had not had employment since leaving school. Most of them had left school quite recently.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the unemployment and short time prevalent in the engineering industry, he will urge the railway companies to expedite repairs and renewals by an expenditure from the moneys paid to them by the Government on the expiration of control?

As my hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate, the execution of railway re-pairs and renewals is a matter for which the railway companies are responsible, and I would remind him that, under the terms of the Railways Act, 1921, the companies have discretion as to the application of the moneys to which he refers. I may add that I believe the companies to be alive to the situation which he has in mind.

asked the Minister of Labour when he expects the first number of the revised Abstracts of Labour Statistics to be published; and, in view of the importance of this volume to students of industrial problems, whether he can arrange for it to be published at a moderate price?

The preparation of this Abstract has been unavoidably delayed, but the work has now reached an advanced stage, and I hope that the volume will be sent to press early next year. I am afraid I cannot give any undertaking at present as to the price at which it will be issued.

asked the Minister of Labour the average rates of pay and hours worked by bricklayers in Belgium and France, and how these rates and hours compare "with those in England?

I regret that the available statistical material is insufficient to enable me to give my hon. and gallant Friend the information he requires regarding the average rates of pay of brickmakers in Belgium and France, or to provide a satisfactory basis for comparison with the rates paid in this country. The information I have regarding the working hours of brickmakers in these countries is as follows. In Belgium, the working hours of brick-makers in rural brickworks may not exceed 10 a day in summer (15th April to 15th October), nine a day in winter, and an average of eight a day over each six-monthly period. In brickmaking by machinery, working hours may not exceed 108 a fortnight and 10 a day in summer, and 84 a fortnight and seven a day in winter. In France, the working hours of brickmakers appear to vary from eight to nine a day. In Great Britain the normal working hours fixed by agreement between the employers' and workers' organisations in the principal centres of the industry are 48 a week.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can give the latest figure of unemployment in the broom and brush trade, and the percentage of the total employment?

At 26th October there were 1,224 persons in the broom and brush trade in Great Britain recorded as unemployed, or 12.0 per cent. of the estimated number of insured persons in that trade.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state for the years 1913, 1920, and 1924 the number of male and female employés, respectively, in the cutlery trades in Sheffield; the average number unemployed; the number insured; and the average number receiving benefit?

Separate statistics for the cutlery trade in Sheffield are not available, as this trade is included with other trades in the industrial grouping into which the unemployment statistics of this Ministry are divided.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state for the years 1913, 1920, and 1924, respectively, the amount and value of French, German, and American cutlery imported into this country; and whether any of it, and, if so, which, bears any genuine indication of origin?

I would refer the hon. Member to the figures given in Appendix II of the Report of the Committee on Cutlery (Cmd. 2540). As regards the second part of the question I have no information.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Board of Trade Committee on Imported Cutlery stated on 22nd October and 13th November that it was the intention of the Committee to visit Sheffield and obtain information at first hand; whether arrangements were made for such visit; and why it was cancelled?

I understand that the Committee announced their intention of visiting Sheffield after the close of the evidence, and What tentative arrangements were made. The question of what evidence was necessary for the purposes of their inquiry was one solely for the Committee, and it must be assumed that, on reviewing the available evidence, they decided that the proposed visit was not necessary.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade the number of British subjects who are recorded as leaving permanent residence in the United Kingdom to take up permanent residence in European countries during the nine months ending 30th September, 1925?

No statistics are available of emigration to European countries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Italian Government have yet made any and, if so, what response to his representations that negotiations for the funding of their debt of over £500,000,000 to Great Britain should begin?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for the Central Division of Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) yesterday.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any complaints have been received from foreign silk producers since the Silk Duties came into operation, and, if so, what?

Certain representations from foreign silk producers have been received during the period in question. They relate to the rates of duty applicable to certain kinds of yarns and tissues.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the quantity of gallons of home-made spirits exported in 1924?

As shown in the Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom (Vol. Ill), recently presented to Parliament, 8,372,936 proof gallons of potable spirits were exported from Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the calendar year 1924.

asked the Prime Minister whether, having regard to the importance of the cinema as a means of instruction in national affairs, he will consider the desirability of making it compulsory for cinema exhibitors to show a certain percentage of British films in their respective programmes?

Proposals and suggestions for increasing the number of British films shown in this country are under consideration, but I am not at present in a position to make any statement on the subject.

asked the Minister of Health whether oil of cloves is used in the preparation of vaccine lymph?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Minister of Health whether there has now been sufficient experience of the method of assessing compensation under Section 9 of the Housing and Town Planning Act, 1919, re-enacted under Section 46 of the Housing Act, 1925, to enable him to contemplate the introduction at an early date of legislation which will provide for fair market value compensation being given to owners of land and premises thereon where such land is included in the scheme of the local authority only for the purpose of making the scheme efficient, and not on account of the sanitary condition of the premises thereon or of the premises being dangerous or prejudicial to health; whether he is aware of the hardship caused to many small owners of property by the inadequate compensation, based on site value, paid to them in consequence of their property, in good condition, being included in clearance schemes of local authorities; whether he has had brought to his notice the case of any local authority acquiring properties under a scheme on payment of site value to owners failing to demolish the in sanitary houses, carrying out superficial repairs, and collecting rents for all the houses included in the scheme; and, if so, whether he will consider what steps should be taken to provide a limit of time within which local authorities should be obliged to proceed with these schemes or hand the property back to the original owners on the repayment of the compensation?

The question of the basis of compensation in connection with slum clearance is engaging my attention, but I am not at present able to make any announcement as regards future legislation. I must not, however, be assumed to accept the statements in the question without qualification. As regards the last part of the question, I am aware that in one or two cases, owing to difficulty in completing the necessary rehousing, local authorities have been obliged to retain possession of in sanitary property acquired under a slum clearance scheme for a limited period before they have been able to demolish it, but I think this position is only likely to arise in exceptional cases, and I am quite sure that every local authority will desire to carry out their duty of demolishing such property as soon as they are able to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he proposes to obtain, prior to the forthcoming conference, the views of the Dominions and of India with reference to disarmament?

I have been asked to reply. It is certainly the intention of His Majesty's Government to proceed in this matter in consultation with the Governments of the Dominions and India.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs upon whom falls the cost of the transference of the British Army on the Rhine from Cologne to Wiesbaden; and whether the complete or partial withdrawal of British troops from German territory is in contemplation within a year from now?

The cost of transferring the British Army on the Rhine from Cologne to Wiesbaden forms part of the cost of the British Army of Occupation. The amounts which will under present circumstances be allocated out of the current Dawes Annuity towards the cost of the Armies of Occupation will shortly be determined by agreement between the Governments concerned. In regard to the second part of the question, reductions in the British Army of Occupation will naturally be included in the general reductions contemplated by the Note to the German Government of the 14th November, which has already been laid before Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is taking any steps to remove the restrictions and disabilities as to the extra cost of visas to British subjects in Bulgaria wishing to visit Rumania?

The high fees levied by Roumanian Consular officers for visas granted to British subjects, not only in Bulgaria but at all European posts, were recently made the subject of representations to the Roumanian Government, who have now announced their intention of reducing the fee to 10 gold lei. In a despatch dated 13th October His Majesty's Chargé d' Affaires at Sofia reported that the new rates had been Introduced by the Roumanian Legation there.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received any further information as to the progress of the new migration agreement with the Commonwealth Government?

Yes, Sir. My representative in Australia informs me that the States of Victoria and Western Australia accept the agreement and are preparing comprehensive schemes. He also tells me that group settlement in Western Australia is a conspicuous success.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has been made aware that the London General Omnibus Company have, without notice, increased the fare from Millfields Road to Hackney Station to 2d.; that many young persons on their return from work had to walk, owing to their not having the full fare in their possession; and whether he will represent to the company that these increases ought not to be made, and certainly not made without due notice?

My attention had not been previously drawn to the increase in the fare mentioned by the hon. and gallant Member. I am sending a copy of this question and answer to the company concerned.

asked the Secretary for Mines the names of the collieries closed during this year in South Wales; and the number of men and boys thrown out of work as the result of the closing of these collieries?

Ninety mines, normally employing 25,150 wage-earners, have been closed this year and not reopened in South Wales and Monmouthshire. I will send a list of these mines to the hon. Member.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware of the serious effect on the health and efficiency of the staff in the Maidstane tax district, which is caused by the totally unsuitable office accommodation provided in the Inland Revenue offices, 46–50, Earl Street, Maidstone, and that the rooms are low lying and practically on the level of the river Medway, and where the rooms are low and dark, causing almost constant use of electric light; whether he has received any of the complaints from accountants and solicitors regarding the lack of privacy in dealing with their client's affairs; and if he will cause an investigation to be made during working hours in regard to these matters and as to the distracting noises at the back of the offices from animals undergoing treatment in the stables and outhouses?

The First Commissioner is aware of the condition of the office of the Maidstone tax district, but, in spite of prolonged search, no more suitable premises are found to be available. The situation of the building is similar to that of the great majority of buildings in Maidstone; the majority of the rooms are not low and the natural light cannot be described as unsatisfactory. No complaint has been received from accountants or solicitors, nor has attention hitherto been called to the dis- tracting noises of the animals. The possibility of improving the accommodation is already under consideration.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many established positions in the Civil Service with a salary, plus bonus, of over £l,000 a year have or are to be terminated in the current financial year, and in which Departments, respectively?

I assume that my hon. and gallant Friend refers to posts carrying a salary of £1,000 a year or over (plus bonus) which have been or are to be abolished. The number of these posts abolished since the 1st April last is two, and one further post will cease this month. Two of these posts were in the Ministry of Labour and one in the Inland Revenue Department. I cannot at present say what further reduction of such posts may be possible before the end of the financial year.