asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what was the object of the Mission undertaken, in his recent visit to India, by the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Sir J. Power) at the request of the Prime Minister; and if any charge was incurred by the revenues of India to meet the cost of the Mission?

Neither my hon Friend the Member for Wimbledon nor any of the other Members of this House who recently visited India with him was entrusted with any Mission by the Prime Minister or by my noble Friend the Secretary of State. The visit was purely private, and no question arose of charging any part of the cost to Indian revenues.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the birth rate and death rate for the province of Bengal during the years 1923 and 1924?

The registered birth rate for 1923 was 29·9 per thousand, and the death rate 25·5 per thousand. Figures for 1924 are not yet available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been drawn to the rise of the liquor revenue in Bihar from 1¼ crores in 1922–23 to 2 crores at present; and whether the Government of India is prepared to take any steps to curtail this increase in the consumption of strong drink?

I cannot reconcile the figures quoted by the hon. Member with those given in the Provincial Excise Reports. In any case an increase of revenue does not necessarily imply an increase in consumption. For example, although the revenue derived from country spirits was about 18¼ lakhs more in 1924– 1925 than in 1922–1923, the consumption was about 120,000 gallons less. As regards the second part of the question, I would remind the hon. Member that excise is a transferred provincial subject for which the Governor acting with his Ministers is responsible to his Legislative Council.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India when the Government of India intend publishing the Report on the gaols of the Punjab submitted by the Lumsden Committee?

The Committee was appointed by the Government of the Punjab. I have no information yet as to the completion of its Report or the probable date of submission to that Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that 4,500,000 acres of agricultural land in Kenya are held by 1,700 Europeans: whether he is aware that no more than 400,000 acres of this land is being cultivated: and whether he will consider the adoption of a new policy whereby all land not brought into cultivation within five years would be forfeited to the State?

The figures given are correct, with the qualification that much of the land alienated is unsuitable for cultivation, and that pastoral development must obviously be regarded as an adequate use of such land. Including pastoral development, a full half of the 4,500,000 acres has already been made use of, and I am not prepared at this early stage of the Colony s development to accept the view that a time limit should be imposed after which all land not brought into cultivation or use for pasturage should be forfeited to the State.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proportion of the £ 15,000,000 which was set apart for assisting emigration schemes has been expended during the past three years; and how many emigrants were assisted during the same period?

The hon. Member's question is, I think, based on a misapprehension. The maximum annual expenditure permissible under the Empire Settlement Act, 1922, is £3,000,000. The amount expended and the number of persons assisted during the last three years are as follow:

	Expenditure.	Persons assisted.
	£
1923–24	423,994	40,980
1924–25	439,051	42,292
1st April, 1925, to 28th February, 1926	384,133	39,039
Total	£1,247,178	122,311

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether Irish civil servants who were transferred from the British to the Irish Free State Govenment are entitled after the end of the transitional period to terms not less favourable than those accorded under Head B of Part I of the Rules of the Eighth Schedule of the 1920 Act; and whether any action is in contemplation with the Free State Government in office after the end of the transitional period to ensure that the rights of transferred civil servants shall not be worse than they were at the date of transfer?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on the 10th instant to a question on this subject addressed to me by the hon. Member for Wigan (Mr. Parkinson). For the reason stated in that reply, tamely, that the rights conferred by Article 10 of the Articles of Agreement are statutory rights, there would not appear to he any necessity for action by His Majesty's Government in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what rents are paid to German authorities for Government House or other public buildings in Jerusalem; and how are such rents brought to account in reference to separations or to other funds?

I have been asked to reply. So far as I am aware, the Palestine Government is not in occupation of any buildings belonging to the German Government. The building on the Mount of Olives, which is at present used as Government House, and certain other buildings in the occupation of the Palestine Government are the property

NOTE.—The values up to and including September, 1924, are based upon 1913 prices, and from October, 1924, on current prices.
—				Year, 1921.	January-December, 1922.	January-September, 1923.	Oct., 1923 to Sept., 1924.	Oct., 1924 to Sept., 1925.
				1,000 Roubles.	1,000 Roubles.	1,000 Roubles.	1,000 Roubles.	1,000 Roubles.
				A. Imports.
Total	…	…	…	232,429	458,360	98,438	200,533	633,311
Of which, from—
United Kingdom	…	…	…	67,326	58,555	23,608	48,796	107,806
France	…	…	…	7,864	6,107	121	2,297	9,079
Italy	…	…	…	80	3,303	635	1,135	5,237
Germany	…	…	…	58,864	128,145	32,668	44,970	101,602
				B. Exports.
Total	…	…	…	20,195	81,621	105,309	339,689	507,844
Of which, to—
United Kingdom	…	…	…	9,344	25,177	17,926	80,368	185,442
France	…	…	…	—	368	487	14,609	22,133
Italy	…	…	…	5	1,352	2,080	15,264	15,433
Germany	…	…	…	1,666	14,749	35,035	66,402	87,005

More detailed tables have also been prepared from the same returns, but are somewhat lengthy for reproduction in the OFFICIAL REPORT. If my hon. and gallant Friend desires to consult them, however, I would suggest that the most convenient course would be for him to call at the

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will arrange for a Return to be prepared and laid upon the Table giving particulars of the trade done between this country and Russia, and between France, Italy, Germany, and Russia during the period which has passed since the Anglo-Soviet trading agreement was entered into?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 9th March, 1926, Col. 2074], supplied the following statement, showing, according to the official returns of the U.S.S.R., the value of the imports and exports into and from Russia, distinguishing the trade with the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany, during the undermentioned years: Statistical Department of the Board of Trade for this purpose.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the chief articles, with the respective costs, imported from Russia to this country in 1924 and 1925, respectively; and the chief articles, with the respective costs, exported from this country to Russia for the same years?

asked the President of the Board of Trade the imports, exports and re-exports in respect of British trade with Russia last year, showing

Article.	Declared Value.		Article.	Declared Value.
	1924.	1925.		1924.	1925.
Imports into the United Kingdom consigned from Russia:	Th. £.	Th. £.	Exports from the United Kingdom consigned to Russia:	Th. £.	Th. £.
Butter	2,338	2,448	(i) Of United Kingdom produce and manufacture:
Eggs in shell	479	1,278
Salmon, canned	1,239	1,304	Herrings	729	164
Wheat	395	802	Coal	48	59
Barley	490	1,490	Machinery:
Maize	862	206	Prime Movers (not electrical).	9	58
Fur skins, undressed, other than Rabbit and Seal.	1,982	2,643
			Textile	218	323
Manganese Ore	249	244	Lead, pig and sheet	139	36
Flax or Linseed	82	522	Tin: blocks, ingots, bars and slabs.	35	67
Sunflower seed	381	540
Flax, raw	270	407	Cotton yarns	13	633
Flax tow or codilla	238	76	Wool tops	31	205
Wood and timber:			Woollen and worsted yarns (except alpaca and mohair, &c, yarns).	112	294
Hewn, soft	246	384
Sawn, soft	4,887	4,558
Pitprops	465	333	All other articles	2,526	4,327
Sleepers	365	367
Wool, raw, sheep's and lambs'.	52	386	Total British exports	3,860	6,166
Bristle	548	771	(ii) Of imported produce:
Platinum, refined	808	721	Tea	376	1,011
Petroleum, refined:			Cotton, raw (exceptlinters)	4,149	5,294
Lamp oil	205	295	Wool, raw, sheep's and lambs'.	508	295
Motor spirit	800	1,249
Lubricating oil	251	175	Rubber, crude	120	1,762
Skins and furs, unenumerated, dressed, not leather.	532	198	Hides, wet: ox and cow	722	1,341
			Lead, pig and sheet	237	367
All other articles	1,610	3,932	Tin: blocks, ingots, bars and slabs.	251	477
Total imports consigned from Russia.	19,774	25,329	All other articles	849	2,722
			Total exports of imported produce.	7,212	13,269
			Total exports and re-exports consigned to Russia.	11,072	19,435
The figures for 1925 are provisional and subject to final adjustment. Further particulars for 1924 are given on pages 139–145 of Vol. IV of the Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom for 1924. The British exports to Russia in 1925 of which details are not given above are spread over a large number of items of small individual importance.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether, with reference to the trade between Great Britain and Russia, he will state for the years 1920 to

, pursuant to his replies [Official Report, 23rd February, 1926, Col. 343, and 9th March, 1926, Col. 2074, Vol. 192], furnished the folio wing statement:1925, inclusive, the credit balance in favour of Great Britain?

The question is framed apparently under a misappre- hension. In the period from 1920 to 1925 our imports from Russia exceeded in value our exports and re-exports to Russia by about 39 millions sterling. The following statement shows, for each of the years 1920 to 1925, the value of the total imports into the United Kingdom registered as consigned from Russia and of the total exports from the United Kingdom registered as consigned to Russia; together with the excess of imports or of exports.

Year.		Imports.	Exports (including Re-exports).	Excess of Imports.
		£	£	£
1920	…	33,522,892	16,833,383	16,689,509
1921	…	2,694,674	3,391,290	696,616*
1922	…	8,102,829	4,611,027	3,491,802
1923	…	9,266,100	4,481,126	4,784,974
1924	…	19,773,842	11,072,529	8,701,313
1925	…	25,329,336	19,435,022	5,894,314
*Excess of Exports.

The figures for 1920 relate to trade with Russia and the territories now forming separate States but forming part of Russia prior to the War.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the present position in regard to the suggested changes in the Australian tariff affecting duties on cotton and woollen goods?

:The Australian Tariff Revision Bill is still under consideration in the Australian Legislature. Certain proposed changes in the tariff, including alterations in duties affecting textile goods, have been given effect to by a Validation Act, and became operative 3rd September, 1925. It is reported that further Amendments have been made as from 4th March, 1926. Particulars of the new rates have been published in the" Board of Trade Journal" of 10th September, 1925, 22nd October, 1925, and 11th March, 1926. I have sent copies of these statements to my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in making selections of temporary clerks for appointment to the P class, any weight will be attached by Departments to the question of the association, if any, of which a temporary clerk is a member, or whether this factor will be entirely excluded from the considerations governing selection?

No, Sir. The selection will be made without any reference whatsoever to the question of the association (if any) to which candidates eligible for consideration belong.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he intends to arrange, before the final staffing arrangements of Government Departments are completed, to extend to the temporary typing staff facilities for entry into the permanent Civil Service, similar to those already granted to the temporary shorthand-typing staff, i.e., by means of a limited competitive examination open to all temporary typists up to the age of 40 years, all who pass or qualify to be appointed to the permanent service?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on the 15th March to the hon. Member for Stratford (Mr. Groves).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he intends to arrange, before the final staffing arrangements of Government Departments are completed, to extend to the temporary typing staff facilities for entry into the permanent Civil Service similar to those already granted to the temporary shorthand typing staff, i.e., by means of a limited competitive examination open to all temporary typists up to the age of 40 years, all who pass or qualify to be appointed to the permanent service?

I would refer my right hon. and learned Friend to the reply which I gave on the 15th March to the hon. Member for Stratford (Mr. Groves).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why effect has not been given to the specific recommendation of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service, 1912–14, that the list of Crown appointments should become a homogeneous category of administrative situations of the first rank in the Civil Service?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on the 8th February last.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is making or contemplating making any change in the organisation of the Board of Education; and, if so, what is the character of that change?

Member for Central Newcastle (Mr. Trevelyan), a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether local authorities can prepare their education programmes for the next three years on the understanding that the percentage grant system is to continue?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by me on 18th March to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Oxford (Captain Bourne), a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the President of the Board of Education when the London Education Authority proposes to close the High Street School, Bromley-by-Bow, which many years ago was condemned, and has also lately been condemned as unfit for educational purposes?

The closure of this school depends upon the provision of a new school on the site at Back Alley. Steps are being taken to provide the accommodation necessary for dehousing the tenants at present occupying part, of this site, but I cannot at this stage say by what date the site will have been cleared and the new school completed. I would, however, point out that as a result of the completion, in January last, of the enlargement of the Old Palace School, it has been found possible to reduce from 973 to 802 the number of places which the High Street School is recognised as providing.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will state the exact accommodation for elementary school children in the following districts, and the number of children in each district between the ages of five years and 14 years: Armthorpe, Rossington, Hatfield, Stainforth, Edlington, Askern, and Thorne?

The information asked for is as follows:

District.		Accommodation.	Number on books aged 5–14, on 31st March, 1925.
Armthorpe	…	413	152
Rossington	…	1,597	1,471
Hatfield	…	379	315
Stainforth	…	1,544	703
Edlington	…	1,418	1,558
Askern	…	1,055	1,030
Thorne	…	1,112	951

I may add that additional elementary school accommodation to meet the needs of all these rapidly developing mining areas is either in contemplation or in actual course of provision.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of expenses incurred to date in collecting Great Britain's share of the German reparation payments?

No separate expenses are incurred in collecting Great Britain's share of German reparation receipts. The costs of the Reparation Commission and of the office of the Agent-General for Reparation Payments, which act for all the Allied Governments, represent something less than 1 per cent, of the payments made by Germany.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the success which has attended the experiment made by the Telephone Development Association in advertising in the Press the cost and facilities of telephone service, he contemplates any similar procedure on the part of the Post Office?

The Post Office employs many methods of bringing to the notice of the public generally the facilities offered by the telephone service and the charges therefor. It is not proposed to adopt the procedure suggested by the lion. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General how many members of the typing grades in the Money Order Department have been classified A or above average?

Four have been so classified.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) upon what grounds writing assistants and typists in district messenger's offices, postmasters' offices, provincial stores, and engineering offices, have not yet been classified A, B, and C for promotion purposes; and whether steps will immediately be taken to see that these staffs are classified in the same way as the staffs of London headquarters offices;(2) upon what basis senior writing assistants in district managers' offices have been passed over for promotion in view of the fact that these staffs have not been classified A, B, and C for promotion purposes according to the system in use in other Post Office branches?

The method of selection of writing assistants and typists in provincial offices for promotion is at present under consideration by a Committee of the Post Office Whitley Council. Pending the issue of that Committee's Report, the ordinary promotion procedure is being followed, under which tie head of each office recommends for promotion the officer whom he regards as the best qualified.

asked the Home Secretary the number of widows of Metropolitan police officers and pensioners who are in receipt of the widows' pension, distinguishing between those whose husbands completed from five to 10 years', 10 to 15 years', 15 to 20 years', 20 to 25 years' service, and upwards, respectively; and the number of widows in receipt of pension under 30 years, between 30 and 35, between 35 and 40, between 40 and 45, between 45 and 50, and 51 years of age and upwards, respectively?

The numbers are as follow:

Years' service of late husband.			Number of widows receiving pensions.
Under 5	…	…	8
5 and under 10	…	…	74
10 and under 15	…	…	97
15 and under 20	…	…	114
20 and under 25	…	…	122
25 and upwards	…	…	274
			689
Age of widow.
Under 30	…	…	5
30 and under 35	…	…	35
35 and under 40	…	…	86
40 and under 45	…	…	124
45 and under 51	…	…	138
51 and upwards	…	…	301
			689

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the lack of any statutory provision for many of the widows of pre-September, 1918, pensioners and their known urgent need, he will cause inquiries to be made through the various police forces of the country with the view to ascertaining as near as possible the number of married police pensioners, distinguishing between those who married before retiring from the police and those who married afterwards, and the number, as near as can be ascertained, of widows of pre-September, 1918, police pensioners?

The suggested inquiries would involve very considerable labour which, in all the circumstances, I should not feel justified in asking the police authorities to undertake.

asked the Minister of Transport, whether he is aware that many trains leaving Liverpool Street between 5 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. are so overcrowded that a large number of third-class passengers can only obtain standing room in these compartments and corridors and many have to travel in the guards' vans; and if he will make representations to the London and North Eastern Railway Company with a view to the provision of adequate accommodation?

I am not fully aware of the circumstances referred to, but I will make inquiries and let my hon. Friend know the result.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he proposes to take in reference to the purchase of five independent omnibus companies by the London General Omnibus Company; how it will affect the apportioning of the number of journeys on restricted streets between the various proprietors under Clause 7 of the London Traffic Act; whether he had been notified of the change of proprietorship under Clause 14 of the London Traffic Act; and, if so. when he was notified of the change?

Notice has been given to me in pursuance of Section 14 of the London Traffic Act, 1924, that the London General Omnibus Company have recently acquired a controlling interest in the business of five omnibus companies operating within the London traffic area. The acquisition of control was notified to me in two cases on the 8th February and in the other cases on the 9th March. I understand that the controlled companies retain their separate status and the apportionment of journeys on restricted streets will not be affected.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the introduction of the Electricity (Supply) Bill, he proposes to investigate, from the point of view of cost, the conditions of transmission of power over long distances?

The question of the cost of the transmission of power over long distances entered into, and constituted a part of, the investigation made by the Chairman of the Electricity Commissioners in preparing the memorandum appended to the Report of Lord Weir's Committee.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will authorise the publication of the Merz report, submitted to the Electricity Commissioners in respect of the standardisation of frequency in Great Britain?

The conclusions as to the cost of standardisation of frequency proposed by Messrs. Merz and McLellan are given in paragraph 88 of the Report of the Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Weir, which, is available to hon. Members. I am not proposing to publish the whole detailed Report.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has consulted any experts with regard to the cost of converting all the electric plant in the country from 25 periods into plant of 50 periods; and, if so, whether any estimate is available as to the probable cost of such conversion?

A report was prepared by Messrs. Merz and McLellan, the eminent consulting engineers. The results are given in the report of the Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Weir, which is available to hon. Members.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he can give the approximate acreage of agricultural land that has been taken over during the last 10 years for building purposes, housing, factories, etc.?

I regret that I am not in possession of this information.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether a beginning has yet been made in the valuation of the small holdings acquired under the Land Settlement Facilities Act; by whom this valuation will be made; and whether he has formed any estimate of the loss which is likely to fall upon the Exchequer as a result?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; in reply to the second part, the settlement between councils and the Ministry will be arrived at by agreement, or, in default of agreement, by arbitration. and negotiations with a view to a settlement are being carried out at the present time by representatives of the cow oils and the Ministry respectively. As regards the last part of the question, it is not possible at present to make any statement beyond that given in the Report on Land Settlement which was issued in November last.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can make, any statement as to the progress of the negotiations for the establishment of a system of easy credits to agriculturists?

I am not yet in a position to make any statement on this matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has yet come to any decision as to the possibility of imposing a customs duty on imported malting barley?

I have given careful consideration to the possibility of imposing a customs duty on imported malting barley, but I have not yet discovered a scheme free from serious objections. The best scheme so far devised would be most difficult to administer, and would necessitate cumbersome and vexatious control of all barley used for malting, whether imported or British. To complete the scheme it would also be necessary to place a similar duty on the various substitutes which brewers might use, such as sugar, glucose, rice and maize. Moreover, it is very doubtful whether such a duty would raise the price of British barley, as brewers pay more attention to quality than price in purchasing malt.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, with regard to the representations he has received from agriculturists as to the desirability of the introduction of a measure upon the lines of the Rabbits and Rooks Bill, he can see his way to introduce such a Bill as a Government Measure?

In view of the pressure of legislation of more urgent importance, I fear that it will not be practicable to find time this Session for a Government Bill dealing with the destruction of rabbits and rooks.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of men to whom the sugar-beet industry is giving permanent employment on the land; and the number so employed per 100 acres?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question put to me by the hon. and gallant Member for Bury (Captain Ainsworth) on the 18th instant.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the profits per acre made by farmers growing sugar-beet under the subsidy; and whether any recorded instances have reached his Department showing that some part of such profits has been passed on to the workers on the land over and above the statutory rate of wages paid to agricultural workers in the locality?

I have no precise information as to the wages paid to workers employed in connection with the growing of sugar beet, but I understand that work on the seasonal operations is generally paid for at piece rates which are such as to enable an efficient worker to earn more than the weekly minimum rates fixed under the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act.

asked the Minister of Labour how many extra men have been employed on the land as a result of the sugar-beet subsidy; and whether such men have received the ordinary rate of wages paid locally to agricultural workers?

I have been asked to reply, and as regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Batley and Morley (Mr. Forrest) on the 11th March. As regards the latter part, I have no definite information as to the wages paid to workers employed in connection with the growing of sugar beet, but they are entitled to the ordinary minimum rates which all workers employed in agriculture are required to be paid under the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act. I understand that employment in lifting and topping sugar-beet is generally paid for at piece rates, which yield to an efficient worker wages above the ordinary minimum rates.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many persons are engaged, approximately, in the British fishing industry, ashore and afloat, respectively?

In England and Wales 37,027 persons were engaged in sea fishing in 1924. I have no information as to the number of shore workers. In Scotland 27,141 persons were engaged in sea fishing and 30,761 were employed as shore workers in 1925.

asked the Prime Minister whether, when he has consulted the leaders of the different parties in the House on the desirability of broadcasting the Budget, he will, for the information of the public, make a, statement as to their different views?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I have given this afternoon, in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Camberwell.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that there is a dispute between the workmen of the firm at Boulton and Pauls, Norwich; that there is a large number of workpeople who are not involved in the dispute and who are not entitled to any trade union benefit; if he can state any reasons why the men are not entitled to unemployment pay; if he is aware that some of the fellow workers who are non-unionists are receiving unemployment benefit, and that their claim has never been disputed; and if he will take action in the matter?

I understand that benefit was disallowed by the insurance officer in all cases, and that on appeal the Court of Referees upheld the disallowance except where the men were not members of the union to which the men involved in the dispute belonged. The insurance officer has appealed to the Umpire in regard to the allowance of benefit, and it is open to the union to appeal in the cases of disallowance. My right hon. Friend has no power to intervene.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that Mrs. E. L. Piper, of 181, Henniker Road, E.15, No. 29,128, Serial No. 16,482, who was for six years employed by a brush firm, was stood off on 29th January for slackness, signed on the register at the Stratford Exchange on 30th January, and was refused benefit on the ground that she was not genuinely seeking work; and, as she has been a worker for so many years, will he cause investigation to be made?

Mrs. Piper was married on 20th December last and lost her employment on 29th January. In these circumstances, and also because she could produce little evidence of having searched for fresh work, her claim was disallowed by the chief insurance officer and the disallowance was confirmed by the court of referees. Further evidence was subsequently produced on her behalf, as a result of which the court reheard the case and allowed benefit.

asked the Minister of Health if he can state, approximately, how many bricklayers there were in this country in the years 1913 and 1924?

I have been asked to reply. The number of bricklayers in the building trades insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts is estimated at 69,000 at August, 1913, and 56,500 at July, 1924. Both these figures are estimates; an actual count of unemployment books gave a figure of 64,260 for July, 1925. In addition, there are considerable, numbers of bricklayers employed outside the building trades, but statistics of these are not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he can give any details about Government plans for the clearing of shuns in the Metropolitan borough of Southwark?

Schemes for the clearance of insanitary areas are initiated by the local authorities on the representation of the medical officer of health. The only scheme affecting areas in the borough of Southwark which is at present before me is the China Walk, etc., scheme of the London County Council. That council's Tabard Street (Southwark) scheme is nearing completion, and I understand that another area in the borough has been under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses in England approved for subsidy to 31st January, 1926, under the Housing, etc., Act, 1923, and the estimated capital value of the subsidies for these houses; and the number of houses approved for subsidy to 31st January, 1926, under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924, and the estimated capital value of the subsidies for these houses?

The number of houses in England and Wales authorised on 31st January last under the Act of 1923 was 256,588, and under the Act of 1924, 106,090, the capitalised value of the subsidies payable by the Government if the houses are duly completed being £ 19,244,100 and £ 16,408,587 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in addition to the information furnished regarding the work of building societies in the Report of the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, he Can state the number of owner-occupiers of houses in the United Kingdom?

I regret that information as to the total number of owner-occupiers of houses in the United Kingdom is not available.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in the case of a breeding herd which is supplying Grade A (tuberculin-tested) milk, young heifers and bulls which are not in contact with the milking cows have to be tested for tuberculosis?

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the application of the Southwark Borough Council to secure an overdraft of £105,000 to meet the extraordinary expenditure of the guardians has been refused; that the overdraft is necessary in connection with the Poor Law administration; that there is an increase of 2s. 8d. in the rates to cover the guardians' precept of £305,000, although assessments have been raised; that the majority of boards of guardians in large industrial centres have been compelled to increase the Poor Law rate, in consequence of about 200,000 men and women being refused extended unemployment benefit; and if he will take action in the matter?

My right hon. Friend cannot accept an application from the Southwark Borough Council that they should be allowed to borrow in respect of the expenditure of another body, and he has received no application from the Southwark Board of Guardians for sanction to any temporary borrowing in respect of their current expenditure. My right hon. Friend is not aware that there has been any such general increase of the poor rates in large industrial centres as is suggested.

asked the Minister of Health if he is prepared to grant the application of the Camberwell Board of Guardians for a loan in consequence of the guardians requiring £227,000 to carry on for the next six months, an increase of £132,000 compared with the corresponding period last year; and whether he is aware that this increase is caused owing to the large number of unemployed able-bodied men having run out of benefits at the Employment Exchange and consequently having to apply to the guardians for out-door relief, and that a year ago 2,946 able-bodied persons were relieved at a cost of £485 and last week 5,506 persons were being given assistance at a cost to the ratepayers of £1,410, which has resulted in the number of persons receiving relief being nearly doubled and the amount of relief nearly trebled?

My right hon. Friend has not yet received an application from the guardians, and he must not be taken as accepting the suggestion in the latter part of the question.

asked the Minister of Health whether a widow's pension is payable to a widow with dependent children whose husband died while working in Canada in 1914, the widow having returned home immediately after her husband's death with her family of five children, three of whom are still below the age of 16 and attending a day school?

On the facts stated it would appear that the case does not satisfy the condition that the normal occupation of the husband at the time of his death must have been employment in respect of which contributions would have been payable under the Contributory Pensions Act if it, had then been in force, but if the widow makes a formal claim the case will be investigated and the decision announced to her.