asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why mechanics engaged on estimating duties in His Majesty's dockyards, Malta, are to be paid an allowance of 3s. per week whilst mechanics on estimating duties in the home dockyards are in receipt of an allowance of 9s. per week?

The reason for the difference is that the conditions generally affecting the matter are different at Malta from those prevailing in the home dockyards; in particular, the qualifications of the local workmen at Malta, especially as regards their technical education, are inferior to those of the men in the home dockyards engaged on estimating duties.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the rates paid to men engaged at Singapore who are employed on the dredgers and hoppers; and what are the hours worked by the masters, mates, and engineers engaged on this work?

The men who have been sent out from England, that is, the masters, mates and engineers, are paid the home rates for their respective classes, with the addition of Colonial allowance at a weekly rate of 45 dollars if married, or 40 dollars if single. I have no information as to the hours actually being worked at present, but I may say that when the men volunteered for service at Singapore it was on the understanding that day and night shifts, of 12 hours each, for which extra pay is allowed, would probably be required.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of battleships and cruisers equipped with catapults for launching aeroplanes in the British and American Navies, respectively?

No British battleship has yet been fitted with a catapult. One cruiser, "Vindictive," is so fitted. A number of experimental catapults are on order and others are about to be ordered. Twelve battleships and ten cruisers of the United States Navy, all of the latest construction, are fitted with catapults.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the operations of the two destroyers, acting in cooperation with the French and Spanish Navies in the patrol of the coast of the Tangier International Zone for the prevention of traffic in arms, are confined to the coast of that zone or are extended to cover the whole of the Moroccan Coast?

The co-operation of the British destroyers is confined to the coast of the Tangier International Zone.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the speed of the sloops engaged on the prevention OF the slave trade in the Red Sea, and what nations own territory on the shores of the Red Sea; and whether there has been any international difficulty resulting in the operations for the prevention of the slave traffic being less satisfactory in 1925 than they were in 1924?

The maximum speed of these sloops is between 16 and 17 knots. Apart from the Arab rulers, territory on the shores of the Red Sea is owned by France, Italy, Egypt and Great Britain. The only international difficulty affecting these operations was the recent war between the rulers of Nejd and the Hedjaz (September, 1924, to December, 1925), which necessitated the frequent presence of one of His Majesty's ships at Jeddah, and consequently the reduction of the period on patrol.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the cost over a recent period of 12 months of material expended in the maintenance of motor transport vehicles; the cost of motor transport fuel expended; the aggregate motor transport mileage; and that of motor cycles, light motor vehicles, and heavy motor vehicles, respectively?

I regret that it is not possible without a great deal of labour to give the information required for motor transport separately from that for technical vehicles such as workshop lorries, mechanical starters, fire tenders, etc., which consume considerable quantities of petrol for purposes other than propulsion, and consequently vitiate the mileage figures given below. The following combined figures relate to the period of 12 months preceding the 30th September, 1925: Net issues for the maintenance of technical and non-technical motor vehicles (excluding armoured cars): At home: £ Units … … 27,400 Repair Depot … … 19,100 Overseas … … 38,500 Petrol: At home … … 17,132 Overseas … … 24,786 The aggregate mileage run in the same period is as follows: — At Home. Overseas. Total. Motor Cycles 260,951 500,290 761,241 Light Vehicles 1,291,171 1,919,934 3,211,105 Heavy Vehicles 789,084 500,854 1,289,938 Total 2,341,206 2,921,078 5,262,284 It must be borne in mind that the greater part of the motor transport in use by the Royal Air Force has been in use continuously during and since the War, and that the cost of maintenance is therefore considerably higher than would be the case with newer vehicles.

asked the Secretary for Air the number of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Brigade of Guards attached to Royal Air Force establishments?

The answer is one officer.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will state, in respect of the boys' training schools, Halton and Cranwell, the Cadet College, Cranwell, and the Staff College, Andover, respectively, the estimated capital values of lands and buildings occupied; the respective annual costs of building maintenance, of educational stores, of provisioning, and of other stores; the annual cost and the numbers of the staff, other than those engaged on educational or works maintenance duties; the annual cost of any other services; the establishment of personnel under training; and the maximum number under training during the past 12 months?

I am anxious to furnish the fullest information on this and similar subjects possible without unduly overburdening the staff of my Department, and have been investigating the practicability of supplying the particulars requested. I find, however, that to furnish accurate figures in the form asked for would entail a considerable expenditure of time and labour and I trust, therefore, that the information contained in Air Estimates for 1926, which have been published since my hon. and gallant Friend put down this question, will suffice for his purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for War if pulmonary tuberculosis amongst soldiers is ever regarded by his medical advisers as attributable to the conditions of service; and, if so, are men so classified granted a pension on account of their disability?

The answer to both parts of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the Minister of Health the rate of sickness and disablement benefits granted to a man invalided from either of the fighting Services of the Crown for pulmonary tuberculosis under the National Health Insurance Act?

The normal rates of sickness and disablement benefits for men are 15s. and 7s. 6d. a week, respectively. These rates are increased by amounts varying from 1s. to 5s. a week for sickness benefit, and by half these amounts for disablement benefit, in the case of men who are entitled to additional benefits from their approved societies.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Dorset County Council is advertising for a health visitor at what appears to be much below the normal salary; whether this council gave the Ministry of Health any assurance as to such appointments in August, 1925; and whether he will communicate with it?

I have seen the recent advertisement of the Dorset County Council for a health visitor and have been in communication with the council who have been inquiring into the salaries paid in other counties. They hope to inform me of their decision after their meeting on 17th March.

asked the Minister of Health if he will furnish a Return giving the following particulars for England and Wales for each year during the past 30 years, namely: total deaths from all causes; deaths certified by registered medical practitioners; inquest cases; uncertified deaths reported to coroners; and uncertified deaths not reported to coroners?

The following is the best information available in reply to the question:

DEATHS REGISTERED IN ENGLAND AND WALES. Year. Total. On Medical Certificate. On Coroner's Certificate (Inquest Cases). Uncertified. Reported to Coroner. Not reported to Coroner. 1896 … … 526,727 482,109 32,990 11,628 1897 … … 541,487 496,515 33,869 11,103 1898 … … 552,141 507,541 34,159 7,940 2,501 1899 … … 581,799 534,446 36,608 8,435 2,310 1900 … … 587,830 539,712 36,861 9,223 2,034 1901 … … 551,585 504,818 36,781 8,285 1,701 1902 …… 535,538 490,091 35,793 8,251 1,403 1903 … … 514,628 470,346 35,561 7,574 1,147 1904 … … 549,784 505,004 35,898 7,788 1,094 1905 … … 520,031 475,918 35,667 7,445 1,001 1906 … … 531,281 486,892 36,275 7,223 891 1907 … … 524,221 480,151 36,474 6,759 837 1908 … … 520,456 476,359 36,620 6,737 740 1909 … … 518,003 474,546 36,436 6,331 690 1910 …… 483,247 441,480 35,109 6,041 617 1911 … … 527,864* 483,998 37,200 6,666 1912 … … 486,967* 443,966 36,668 6,333 1913 … … 505,026* 462,447 36,419 6,160 1914 … … 516,778* 472,804 37,695 6,279 1915 … … 562,253 515,441 39,128 7,684 — 1916 … … 508,227* 463,939 36,760 7,528 — 1917 … … 498,955* 456,699 34,704 7,552 — 1918 … … 611,991* 570,735 33,012 8,244 — 1919 … … 504,254 466,068 31,488 6,698 — 1920 … … 466,130 429,456 31,011 5,663 — 1921 … … 458,710* 424,166 29,304 5,240 — 1922 … … 486,829* 450,996 30,346 5,487 — 1923 … … 444,869* 409,094 30,776 4,999 — 1924 … … 473,270* 437,112 31,108 5,050 — 1925 … … 473,006* 435,494 32,701 4,811 —

* NOTE.—The required analysis is only obtainable in these years from the provisional Quarterly Returns, and the total shown in the first column may, therefore, differ slightly from the figure published after correction.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware that hundreds of houses are standing empty at Rosyth, and that this will cause a serious loss of revenue to the Burgh of Dumfermline; and will he consult with the Scottish Board of Health and the Scottish National Housing Company and ascertain if it will be possible to reduce the rents of the houses in order to attract tenants?

I am aware that a number of house at Rosyth are empty. In order to attract tenants for these houses the Scottish National Housing Company, Limited, have been authorised to make reductions in the rents hitherto chargeable to non-Admiralty tenants.

also asked the Secretary for Scotland the number of houses erected, and the number in course of erection, by the various local authorities in the County of Fife, giving separately the numbers under the Housing Acts of 1919, 1923, and 1924; and the number erected, and the number being erected, by private enterprise?

The following statement gives the particulars desired:

FIFE COUNTY.—Position of building under State-assisted Schemes as at 31st January, 1926. Local Authorities Number of Houses built by Local Authorities under:— Houses built by Private Enterprise under:— 1919 Act. 1923 Act. 1924 Act. Slum Clearance Schemes. 1923 Act. Housing (Additional Powers) Act, 1919. Completed. Under construction. Completed. Under construction. Completed. Under construction. Completed. Under construction. Completed. Under construction. Completed. District. Cupar … — — — — 6 — — — 8 3 6 Dunfermline … 158 — — — — — — — 309 71 27 Kirkcaldy … 244 — — — — 98 — — 119 275 70 St. Andrews … — — — — — — — — 27 5 35 Burghs. Anstruther Easter … 20 — — — — — 2 — 2 — — Anstruther Wester … 10 — — — — — — — — —— Buckhaven … 250 — — — 20 152 100 — 45 5 8 Burntisland … 74 — — — — — — — 6 1 — Cupar … — — — — — 6 — — — — — Cowdenbeath … 116 — — — — 100 — — 85 — — Crail … — — — — — — — — 1 — — Dunfermline … 376 — — — — 52 — — 38 46 15 Dysart … 10 — — — — 12 — — 14 —1 Falkland … 20 — — — — — — — — — — Inverkeithing … 50 — — — — 10 — — — — — Kinghorn … 32 — — — — — — — 1 6 — Kirkcaldy … 188 — — — 18 218 — — 27 14 13 Kilrenny … — — — — — — — — — 1 — Lady bank … 4 —— — — — — — — — 1 Leslie … 4 — — — — — — — — — — Leven … 100 — — — 4 48 48 4 16 6 15 Lochgelly … 150 — — — — — — 20 — — 3 Markinch … 24 — — — — — — — — — — Newburgh … — — — — — — — — 9 — 6 Newport … 12 — — — — — — — 4 — 2 Pittenweem … 14 — — — — — — — — — 1 St. Andrews … 82 — — — 52 62 — — 42 3 Tayport … 30 — — — — — — — 2 — — Total … 1,968 — — — 100 758 150 24 717 435 206

asked the right hon. Member for Cheltenham, as Chairman of the Kitchen and Refreshment Rooms Committee, if he is aware that the majority of the tea-cups used in the smoking rooms are cracked, and as a result are harbourers of dirt and other likely injurious matter; and will he see that a sufficiency of uncracked cups is available?

Since receiving notice of the hon. Member's question, the tea cups in the smoking room referred to have been examined. I find that, out of a total of 80 cups in present use, only seven are cracked—and that to a slight extent—quite insufficient for either leakage or for "harbouring any injurious matter." It is to be regretted that the hon. Member should have derived, and expressed an opinion, which reflects inaccurately and unfairly on the employés of the Kitchen Committee.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, under the present method of assessment for Income Tax, there is, even on the smaller incomes, an actual tax on marriage; and whether he will consider the possibility of removing this grievance?

The suggestion underlying the hon. Member's question would seem to involve the adoption of a course under which a husband and wife would receive individual personal allowances and be taxed at a rate or rates determined by their individual incomes and not, as at present, by their joint income. The effect of this would be to relieve the well-to-do at the expense of the poorer taxpayers, because in their case the wife has, as a rule, either no separate income at all, or a separate income less than the additional Income Tax allowance granted in the case of the married couple, and the Government, therefore, do not propose to adopt a policy involving this result.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what it is estimated would be the cost to the Treasury of allowing to all married persons payment of Income Tax at half rate on £225 allowed at present, whether married or single, and allowing this concession in those cases only where the wife earns her income?

It is estimated that the cost to the Exchequer of allowing to all married couples (whether the wife has any income or not) relief to half the standard rate of tax on £450 assessable income, would amount to about £9,000,000. If this concession were made to apply only where the wife earns income, it is a matter of considerable difficulty to arrive at a reliable figure; but on the assumption that the increase in the amount of income chargeable at half rate is not to exceed the amount of the wife's earned income, less the appropriate earned income allowance, it is thought that the loss to the Exchequer would be in the neighbourhood of £250,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will cause instructions to be given that will result in the civil servants recently appointed to the permanent staff following the recent examination being paid advances on their salaries that will overcome the long waiting period that will result in the change over from weekly wages to monthly salaries?

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to candidates qualifying for appointment to the established clerical classes on the results of the Southborough examination. If there is any general desire for such advances, I should be prepared to agree to arrangements being made for half-monthly advances during the first few months of established service, to assist officers over the transition from weekly to monthly payments.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many persons are employed on duties of inspection and at what annual cost, classified according to the purpose of the inspection, under the Ministries of Health, Labour, Mines, and Transport, the Home Office, and the Board of Trade, respectively?

Department. Nature of Service. Number employed. Annual Salaries. £ Ministry of Health … Health and Unemployment Insurance and Widows', etc., Pensions. 570 214,831 *Maternity and Child Welfare 11 5,040 Poor Law 16 17,422 Engineering 20 21,150 Alkali, etc., Works 8 6,927 Institutions, etc., for the Blind 3 2,442 Canal Boats 1 801 Public Cleansing and Salvage 1 801 Grading and Certification of Milk 2 760 Work of Vaccination Officers 1 864 Housing and Town Planning 10 7,653 Total Ministry of Health 643 278,691 Ministry of Labour … Trade Board Inspectors 59 29,510 Mines Department … Mines Inspectorate 105 59,731 Ministry of Transport … Railway Inspectorate 8 7,245 Home Office … Inspection of Factories and Workshops 198 121,168 Inspection of Explosives 5 4,564 Inspection under Cruelty to Animals Act. 2 2,019 Inspection of Constabulary 2 2,489 Inspection under Children Act 8 6,017 Inspection under Dangerous Drugs Act 2 980 Inspection of Prisons 3 3,096 Total Home Office 220 140,334 Board of Trade … Mercantile Marine Department 33 10,047 Inspectors of Ships Provisions Bankruptcy 1 962 *Some of these officers are also employed on Poor Law Inspection.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can now state when the signatories of the Locarno Treaty will deposit their ratifications at Geneva?

It is hoped that all ratifications may be deposited during the present sitting of the Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the interest and principal of the Chinese railway loans, German issue, British

The following staffs in the Departments mentioned are engaged wholly or mainly on duties of inspection:

owned, is paid by the Chinese Government at present; whether the Chinese Government has honoured those German-issued Chinese railway bonds which have been duly examined and specially sanctioned by the Chinese Government and validated as non-enemy owners, particularly British holders; whether there is any differentiation in the payment of interest and principal of the German-issued Chinese railway bonds, and, if so, on which loan and why; and whether the British Minister is making any representations in the interests of British bondholders against such differentiation?

Notwithstanding their public announcement of 4th July, 1924, of their intention to resume payment and to meet all arrears of principal and interest of the German issues of the Tientsin-Pukow Railway Loans of 1908 and 1910, and of the Hukuang Railways Loan of 1911, the Chinese Government have, with trifling exceptions, failed to do so, and have also, since that date, suspended the service even of the validated bonds. Representations have been made on behalf of British holders of these German issues by His Majesty's Minister at Peking, but without result, and the Chinese Government have given no satisfactory reason for differentiating between the British and German issues. In the meantime, the situation has been changed by the recent default on two of the British issues themselves, and His Majesty's Minister is pressing the Chinese Government to make good their default on the loans in question.

asked the Secretary for Mines the figures showing the increase in the output of coal in the United Kingdom since the coal subsidy was granted up to the present time?

The average weekly output of coal raised and weighed in each month, omitting weeks affected by holidays, was as follow: 1925: Tons. January … … 5,423,000 February … … 5,347,000 March … … 5,239,000 April … … 5,281,000 May … … 4,912,000 June … … 4,462,000 July … … 4,794,000 August … … 4,233,000 September … … 4,365,000 October … … 4,736,000 November … … 4,929,000 December … … 5,398,000 1926: January … … 5,455,000 February … … 5,401,000

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give figures showing the increase in coal traffic recorded by the chief railways of the United Kingdom from August until December, 1925, compared with the corresponding period of 1924?

The tonnages of coal, coke and patent fuel originating on the systems of the four principal railway companies in Great Britain during each of the six months in the latter half of 1925 and during the corresponding months of 1924 were as follow: 1925. 1924. Tons. Tons. July 17,275,880 16,292,608 August 11,921,983 15,316,305 September 14,283,776 16,668,360 October 16,090,947 17,234,676 November 16,109,316 16,630,828 December 17,814,943 17,409,983 Total six months 93,496,845 99,552,760 Decrease 6,055,915 tons = 6.08 per cent.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is willing to consider the advisability of forthwith appointing a commission of inquiry independent of the Road Board and of local authorities to examine the effect of modern conditions of transport by road and rail of heavy materials, so that proposals may be formulated for the more equitable distribution of the cost of maintaining roads and so reducing the cost of transport by rail?

I have received, and am receiving, many representations on the points referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend, and these considerations will be taken into account in the revision of motor taxation which is now under review. I am not satisfied that it would be desirable at present to set up a Special Commission of Inquiry of the character suggested in the question.

asked the Minister of Transport whether there is any obligation upon a company or a person who operates motor omnibuses to make annual returns to the Ministry of Transport in the same form or a similar form as that required from a local authority that operates such vehicles?

Apart from the returns which the proprietors of omnibuses operating within the London Traffic area are required to make under the provisions of the London Traffic Act, 1924, neither local authorities nor other parties who operate omnibus services are required to make returns to my Department with regard to such services.

asked the Minister of Transport what fees are chargeable by a licensing authority for a licence for a motor omnibus; a licence for a driver of a motor omnibus; a licence for a conductor of a motor omnibus; and whether the same fees are chargeable to a local authority and a company or individual?

No fee is chargeable by a licensing authority in respect of a licence to ply for hire with an omnibus, but the owner is, of course, obliged to obtain an excise licence for a motor hackney carriage under the Finance Act, 1920, the duty varying according to the seating capacity of the vehicle. The driver of a motor omnibus has to pay 5s. for a driving licence under the Motor Car Act, 1903, and in addition he must obtain from the local licensing authority a further licence as driver of an omnibus, for which a fee of Is. is chargeable under the general law. In the Metropolitan police area, however, the fee is 5s. under a special Act. There may be special Acts governing this matter in other areas, of which I have no knowledge. The conductor of a motor omnibus requires a local licence, for which the same fee is chargeable as for the driver, but he does not require the driving licence under the Motor Car Act, 1903. As regards the excise licences for vehicles and the driving licences under the Motor Car Act, 1903, local authorities and other operators are all on the same footing; as regards local licensing fees for drivers and conductors the point does not arise, as these charges are retained by the local authority.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the Ministry of Labour percentage of juvenile unemployed in Sheffield does not represent the true percentage of juvenile unemployed in that town; and whether he will reconsider the decision to pay 75 per cent. only to the cost of the juvenile unemployed training centre in Sheffield, which was based on the Ministry of Labour percentage and not on the actual percentage of juvenile unemployed?

The unemployment percentage referred to in the conditions for this grant was that for insured juveniles as recorded at the Exchanges. The figures are taken on the same basis for all areas, and it would not be possible to adopt a different basis for a particular area; in fact there is no other basis which could be relied on to give accurate results as between one area and another.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men and women have applied for extended benefit since 1st July, 1925; how many claims were allowed; and how many were disallowed?

During the period 14th July, 1925, to 8th February, 1926, 1,719,510 applications for extended benefit from men and 262,060 from women were considered by local employment committees m Great Britain. Of this number, 1,487,104 applications from men and 172,403 from women were recommended for allowance, and 232,406 from men and 89,657 from women were recommended for disallowance.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has received a copy of a resolution passed by the Unemployment Committee of the Association of Municipal Corporations, and confirmed by the Plymouth Town Council, expressing the opinion that it is of great importance that works for the relief of unemployment should continue to be provided by the local authorities of districts in which the extent of unemployment is exceptional; and whether he will state what his attitude towards this resolution is?

I cannot trace the receipt of the resolution mentioned nor of any similar communication from the Plymouth Town Council on the subject. Local authorities in areas where unemployment is exceptional may apply to the Unemployment Grants Committee for State assistance towards the cost of approved works undertaken for the relief of unemployment.

asked the Minister of Labour the figures showing the decrease

NUMBERS recorded as UNEMPLOYED in the COAL MINING INDUSTRY and in all INSURED INDUSTRIES respectively in AUGUST, 1925, and FEBRUARY, 1926. Area. Coal Mining Industry. All Insured Industries. 1925—August. 1926—February. Decrease. 1925—August. 1926—February. Decrease. Wales 80,320 37,476 42,844 127,093 81,339 45,754 Northumberland and Durham. 55,840 35,798 20,042 148,371 127,408 20,963 Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 279,781 118,809 160,972 1,442,966 1,247,823 195,143

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is satisfied that adequate steps are taken to secure the attendance at school of the children of gipsies?

I think that local authorities are doing their best to deal with this difficult problem.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the elementary schools in Portsmouth were closed for two half-days and opened for restricted hours for

in unemployment in the South Wales and North-East Coast mining districts and the United Kingdom as a whole, respectively, since August last up to the latest returns in his possession?

The information is contained in the following table:

another two half-days during the week commencing 28th February to allow teachers to hold a bazaar in aid of their union funds; and whether the Government grant will be paid for the four afternoons in question?

I have no information on this matter. It is within the discretion of the local authority to give directions as to the holidays to be allowed in elementary schools, provided that the number of school meetings in the year does not fall below the minimum required by the Regulations. The Regulations also require that, whenever a school meets but is not open for secular instruction for the requisite minimum period, the attendances of the children shall not be reckoned for the calculation of grant.