asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will state, from the Returns made to his Department, the gross income of the Richard Platt Foundation, in the Parish of Aldenham, Herts, for the year 1924, and the respective amounts allocated for that year to Aldenham Grammar School, Watford Grammar Schools, North London Collegiate, Aldenham Elementary Endowment, and the Trust for Alms people?

The information asked for is as follows:

	£	s.	d.
Gross inome of the Richard Platt Foundation (excluding the Almshouse Charity, which is a separate charity) for the year 1924	8,305	15	5
Amounts allocated in 1924 for:
(a) Aldenham Grammar School	4,860	12	3
(b) Watford Grammar Schools	518	17	0
(c) North London Collegiate School	600	0	0
(d) Aldenham Elementary Schools	350	0	0

The Almshouse Charity is a separate non-educational charity. The amount of its income for the same period was, I understand, £267.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the allega- tion of an inefficient standard of elementary education provided by the inconveniently-situated Platt Charity Schools, in the large parish of Aldenham, Harts, and to the consequent strong demand for a central elementary school under the management of the local education authority; and whether he will call for a report on the matter?

I have received no representations upon this subject, but I will make inquiries. The provision of a new council school is, of course, a matter for the consideration of the local authority in the first instance.

asked the President of the Board of Education what proposals of the Durham County Education Authority to build new elementary and secondary schools he proposes to disallow, in view of the Board's economy proposals and the schools he proposes to delay to a future date?

I am inviting this authority to discuss their revised estimates with me. In general, subject to the usual procedure for approval in each case, the Board do not propose to disallow or postpone new projects falling within the categories specially allowed for in Memorandum No. 44, in particular those relating to the replacement of black listed schools which appear to form the bulk of the Durham proposals. The Board's decision on other projects must, as a rule, depend upon knowledge of authorities' full programmes for the years 1927–30, in which years the cost of new projects will mainly fall, and I hope, therefore, that authorities will send their full programmes to the Board in the very near future.

asked the Minister of Health how many single women under 30 years of age and over 30, respectively, are now paying contributions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act?

On the basis of the figures used in the Government Actuary's Report on the Bill, the number of spinsters in Great Britain under the age of 30, in respect of whom contributions under the Contributory Pensions Act are being paid, is about 2,600,000. The corresponding number of aged 30 and over is approximately 950,000.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he is aware that the official survey of 1923–24 showed that in some unions plank beds were provided for men and women in the casual wards; whether there are still any unions which make this provision, and the names and counties of such unions; and what steps, if any, he is taking to secure better provision;(2) whether he is aware that the official survey of 1923–24 showed that in some unions no night clothes were provided for men and in some none were provided for women in the casual wards; whether there are still any unions in which either of these deficiencies occur; will he state the names and counties of such unions and what steps, if any, he is taking to ensure that these deficiencies shall be supplied; and will he inquire what methods, if any, are adopted by the guardians of each of their unions for drying and disinfecting the men's and women's own clothing if night clothes are not provided?

I am sending the hon. Member the statements of names for which he asks, basing those statements upon a return obtained last autumn. I have not complete information of improvements which have been effected since the date of that return, but constant pressure is being applied by my officers to secure necessary improvements. I will make the inquiries which the hon. Member suggests.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that at a debate of the Hinckley Board of Guardians the statement was made by the master that the rooms inhabited by the tramps were verminous, and men's shirts, after they were washed, were in the same condition, and that he could do nothing more at present; that the board discussed the purchase of a cale-factor and a disinfector, and the prospect of obtaining a loan from the Ministry for such purchase; and whether he will grant the loan and spread over the time for repayment as long as possible, so as to encourage these and other guardians to take vigorous steps to prevent the spread of vermin?

Plans for the provision of improved casual accommodation in this union are at present under consideration, and sanction has been given to the raising of a loan for 10 years for the purpose referred to in the second part of the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the trade or occupation in which the highest number of bankruptcies occurred during the years 1974, 1922, 1923, 1924 and 1925?

Bankruptcies of grocers were the most numerous in 1914, and those of farmers in the other years named.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give estimates of the excess of imports over exports in 1924 and 1925; and to what extent the excess was balanced by invisible exports of services in each case?

An article on this question appeared in the "Board of Trade Journal" for 21st January, of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the latest available returns of bales of cotton produced within the Empire and imported into England by the two cotton-growing organisations working with the assistance of the Colonial Office and by the organisations working independently with the good offices of the Foreign Office; and is he prepared to take steps towards the co-ordination of cotton-growing activities under one Department.

The total quantity of raw cotton, excluding linters, imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year 1925 and registered as consigned from countries within the British Empire (except British India) amounted to 251,750 bales of 400 lbs. It is not possible to indicate the proportions of these imports which were financed or otherwise controlled by the various organisations engaged in promoting the production of cotton within the Empire; but I may point out that the Empire Cotton Growing Corporation does not import any cotton, and the amount imported directly by the British Cotton Crowing Association is no measure of the activities of that body. As regards the second part of the question, I would remind my hon. Friend that both the Departments which he mentions are represented on the Executive Committee of the Empire Cotton Growing Corporation and work in close co-operation with that organisation. I do not think any further measure of co-ordination is requisite.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of re-exports of lace from this country during the six months between July and December, 1925, and the corresponding six months of 1924; and what arrangements, if any, are made for transhipment and re-export of lace under bond?

The aggregate values of the re-exports of lace which were registered during the six months July to December, 1924, and the corresponding period of the year 1925 were as follow:

				£
1924	…	…	…	1,060,267
1925	…	…	…	94,458

As explained by the President of the Board of Trade on the 22nd December list in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. Short), the figures of imports and of re-exports include, for the period prior to the imposition of the duty, goods in transit on through bills of lading. Since the imposition of the duty, such transit goods have been, for the most part, transhipped under bond. It has long been the practice to exclude goods transhipped under Fond from the general figures of imports and re-exports. So far as information is available, it appears that transhipments of lace and lace goods under bond in recent months account for the major part of the decreases in recorded imports and re-exports of such goods. As regards the second part of the question lace and lace goods imported into this country for transhipment to other countries may under standing Customs Regulations go forward for exportation under bond without payment of duty.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the outstanding liabilities of shipowners in respect of reparation vessels sold to them by the Government; what arrangement exists for the payment of these accounts; and what are the names of the firms involved?

The outstanding liabilities of shipowners in respect of reparation vessels purchased by them amount to £1,240,820, payable in annual instalments aggregating at present £235,000, plus interest. There are five shipping firms involved. It is not usual to publish particulars of transactions of this kind without the purchaser's permission.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Department dealing with ex-enemy property in this country is nearing the completion of its work; whether its abolition may soon he looked for; and whether lie will give figures showing its annual cost of administration expressed in terms of percentage of the proceeds of the sales or disposals otherwise of enemy property?

The Department will be terminated as soon as its work on behalf of British claimants is concluded, but it is not possible at present 1.o indicate a date. Its cost is under one and seven-eighths per cent, of the sum realised for those claimants.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if he will consider the possibilities of increasing the size of the House by extending the Chamber over the court yard and the Inner Lobby, so that adequate seating accommodation may be provided for Members?

This matter has been frequently considered, but it is not thought desirable to carry out the extensive alterations suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the fact that cabaret performances which are not distinguishable from variety entertainments are now being given on a wholesale scale in London; and whether, in view of the fact that they pay no Entertainments Duty, he will consider bringing them under the Regulations which in this respect apply to all other entertainments?

I have been asked to reply to this question. I am advised that, although cabaret performances may be similar to variety entertainments given in theatres, the conditions under which they are given are such

The following table sets out by financial years the expenditure from public finds falling under the description of subsidies and bounties to industry from let April, 1919, to 31st March, 1925. Various War subsidies in respect of Iron, Steel and Coke were in force down to 30th April, 1919, but are not included in the table. The cost of these subsidies for the four months January, 1919, to April, 1919, inclusive, was £6,456,277.
—		1919–20	1920–21	1921–22	1922–23	1923–24	1924–25
		£	£	£	£	£	£
Hebridean Steamers	…	—	26,744	25,547	14,442	15,018	11,078
Dye Industry	…	237,811	190,910	135,919	3,647	3,500	2,875
Flax Industry (Ireland)	…	—	27,000	6,000	—	—	—
Empire Cotton Association	…	—	10,000	978,715	—	—	—
Flax Society, Limited	…	—	278,000	—	—	—	—
British Italian Corporation	…	126,257	117,342	121,292	106,030	—	—
Coal Subvention	…	—	—	7,048,630	—	113	—
Corn Production Acts	…	—	—	18,159,372	6,022	351	—
Light Horse Breeding	…	24,903	29,450	30,188	20,639	31,862	28,120
Sugar Beet	…	—	—	—	—	—	492,040
Motor Transport (War Office)	…	—	—	—	—	320	7,152
Cunard Steamship Company	…	90,000	90,000	90,000	90,000	90,000	90,000
Civil Aviation	…	—	—	75,625	181,752	125,258	138,511
		478,971	769,446	26,671,288	422,532	266,522	769,776

that they are not legally liable to Entertainments Duty.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that under the Provision of Pensions (Increase) Act no allowances are given for dependent relatives other than wives; and whether he will consider the possibility of so modifying the Act as to give some relief of this kind to unmarried pensioners with dependants?

would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer which I gave on the 1st March to the hon. Member for the Western Islands Division of Inverness and Ross and Cromarty (Mr. Livingstone).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will issue a statement showing the total expenditure of public money in the form of subsidies to industry since 31st December, 1918.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 25th February, 1926, Col. 717, Vol. 192], supplied the following table:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is able to issue a statement showing the expenditure of public money in the year 1925–26 in the form of State grants or subsidies?

The estimated total of Grant Services for the year 1925–26 (including education, housing, health, police, local taxation, beet sugar subsidy and all Irish Services) is shown in the Tables relating to National Expenditure (Command Paper 2613) issued in connection with the Economy Bill, as, £90,309,000. These figures, as the Tables show, relate to the original Estimates. Supplementary Estimates include further sums for Grant Services and subsidies (including the coal mining industry subvention, the British Empire Exhibition guarantee, and other Services) amounting to £22,797,000.