asked the Secretary of State for Air when it is proposed to start the building of the airship R101?

Certain preliminary constructional work on the power cars and internal structures for R101 is now proceeding. The erection of the hull cannot begin until delivery by the contractors of the necessary girders. Work on the contract is in hand, and delivery should commence in the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he purposes to bring forward the question of airship policy for the consideration of the British Dominions at the Imperial Conference in the autumn?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the experiment of a separate Air Service and Air Ministry has been tried in France; and, if so, whether it has been maintained or discontinued?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The second part does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what progress has been made with regard to the recently created Territorial air squadrons?

Four Auxiliary Air Force squadrons have been formed in conjunction with the Territorial Associations of the City of London, the County of London, the City of Glasgow and the City of Edinburgh. Aerodromes, necessary buildings, aircraft and equipment have been provided for these squadrons. City headquarters, including offices, a drill hall, and facilities for technical training have been, or are being, provided for each squadron, and recruiting is in progress.

Could the right hon. Gentleman say whether these squadrons are bombing squadrons or fighting squadrons?

They are bombing squadrons.

asked the Secretary of State for Air (1) if he is in a position to state what is the total cost of the Brennan helicopter, apart from the £50,000 paid to the inventor, in the shape of material and labour borne by the Royal Aircraft establishment at Farnborough;

(2) what has become of the Brennan helicopter; and has the inventor been allowed to take it away or does it remain the property of the Government?

As regards the first question, the sum of £55,000, which I have stated to be the total amount expended on the Brennan helicopter experiments at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, was not all paid to the inventor, but includes £40,000 representing the cost of labour, materials and establishment charges at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, and £7,000 for salaries of the design staff working under Mr. Brennan.

As regards the second question, in view of the decision not to incur further expenditure upon the Brennan helicopter, the damaged machine has been offered to the inventor.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the desirability of permitting smallholders sending parcels of their own produce through the post at half rates, such smallholders availing themselves of this privilege to be registered at the post office nearest to their holdings, and attaching to all parcels posted by them special labels to establish their identity?

The parcel post is already unremunerative, and I very much regret that I cannot, in the existing financial circumstances, recommend the facilities suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend. I may add that there would be considerable administrative difficulties in working a system based on preference to individuals.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will reconsider the proposal to sell the wireless station at Abu Zabal, Egypt, to a private firm seeing that the plant has recently been improved at a considerable expenditure of public money, that since the improvements have been effected the station has shown signs of developing as a commercial asset, and that Government work is transmitted via Abu Zabal to Rhodesia, Iraq, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kualalumpur, and other British settlements in the East, and in view of the commercial possibilities and the strategic value of the station?

The reply is in the negative. The developments to which the hon. Member refers were taken into account when the decision was reached to sell the station.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the post of Director of the Government Labour Office at Bombay is to be combined with that of Director of Information; and, if so, whether he will inform the House of the considerations which influenced the Government in discontinuing the separate post of Director of the Labour Office?

The Government of Bombay have abolished the separate post of Director of the Labour Office. According to the latest Bombay Civil List, the Director of information is acting as Director of the Labour Office in addition. As regards the last part of the question my Noble Friend has no detailed information.

Will the Noble Lord's chief endeavour be to get some information?

It is really a matter wholly to be dealt with by the Bombay Government, actually by statute law and constitutional practice.

I hope he will get the information.

In courtesy to the hon. Member, certainly.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he will inform the House of the considerations which the Government of India had in view in inviting Mr. Narottam Morarji to proceed to Geneva as the employers' delegate to the Eighth International Labour Conference, which he has declined; and why this gentleman was not asked to attend the ninth conference, which is to discuss questions vitally affecting Indian shipping, on which subject Mr. Narottam is specially qualified to speak from personal experience?

In issuing such invitations due regard has to be paid to a variety of considerations, including the provision in the Labour Covenant that employers' delegates shall be chosen in agreement with the industrial organisations, if such exist, which are most representative of employers.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that 17 men belonging to a village near Viramgam, Gujerat, were recently arrested for trying to dissuade three Europeans from shooting birds on a lake in their village, as being contrary to the Vaishnavite religion of the villagers; and will steps be taken to ensure that in future villagers in India may with impunity try to dissuade Europeans from violating their religious scruples as to the sanctity of bird and animal life within their villages?

I have seen an account in an Indian paper of the incident referred to, but have no official information. While I, obviously, can give no general undertaking in the sense asked for, since dissuasion may take unlawful forms, I can assure the hon. Member that the Government always does its best to ensure that religious susceptibilities are reasonably respected.

Has the Noble Lord realised that 17 men were arrested merely for trying to dissuade people from outraging other peoples' religious opinions?

I cannot accept the hon. Member's description as accurate until I have seen the official report. I have seen the account in the Indian newspapers, on which his information is no doubt also based. The Government pays every regard to peoples' religious susceptibilities, but I cannot give the general undertaking for which the hon. Member asks.

Will the Noble Lord try to get information about this question, because it is a fact that 17 men have been arrested, and the House ought to want to know under what conditions they were arrested.

I will endeavour to get the information.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the terms of reference of the Committee appointed to inquire into the possibility of improvements in Indian agriculture include the methods of tenure of agricultural land, and especially the two predominant systems in India known as ryotwari and zemindari?

The terms of reference lay down that it will not be within the scope of the Commission's duties to make recommendations regarding the existing system of land ownership and tenancy or of assessment of land revenue and irrigation charges. This limitation is not, however, intended to preclude the Commission from examining witnesses on these questions with a view to eliciting whether and to what extent the present conditions of agriculture, etc., are affected by them, or from referring to them in its Report as matters directly connected with the main question under inquiry. A copy of a Resolution published by the Government of India regarding the appointment of the Commission will be placed in the Library.

asked the Prime Minister what steps His Majesty's Government propose to take to give effect to the recommendations of the Imperial Economic Committee on the subject of promoting the sale in this country of Empire products?

I have been asked by the Prime Minister to reply to this question. The following decisions have been reached by His Majesty's Government with regard to the recommendations of the Imperial Economic Committee on the subject of the proposed grant for the furtherance of Empire marketing:

(i) As some time will be needed before the more important schemes for the expenditure of the grant mature, it seems unlikely that the full amount could profitably be used in the next financial year; it is therefore intended to set aside the sum of £500,000 in the financial year 1926–27, but it is proposed that the full amount of £1,000,000 should be provided for the year 1927–28.

(ii) The Imperial Economic Committee in their report contemplated that the body to be set up for the ad- ministration of the grant should be responsible to Parliament, and, in order to preserve strictly the principle of Parliamentary responsibility, the Estimate for this service will be brought before Parliament in the form of a special Vote to be administered by the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs. He will be assisted by a Commission or Board, which, in addition to himself as Chairman, will include the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies as Vice-Chairman, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health, Scotland, and members nominated by the Secretary of State in consultation with the Chairman of the Imperial Economic Committee. The Secretary to the new body will be Accounting Officer for the Vote.

The grant will be in the form of a Grant-in-Aid, so that the balance unexpended within the financial year can be carried forward.

The new body will be able to appoint sub-Committees, when necessary, with outside personnel; but it is desired that it should so far as practicable make use of existing Governmental machinery: e.g., that full use should be made of the existing organisations for research.

It will be a direction to the new body that home agricultural produce should be included with imported Empire products in the scope of the grant. I should add that His Majesty's Government have proposed, and the other Governments concerned have agreed, that an additional member should be appointed by His Majesty's Government to the Imperial Economic Committee itself as representative of home agricultural interests.

The form of the proposed organisation for the administration of the Empire Marketing grant, as well as the future of the Imperial Economic Committee itself, will no doubt be fully considered at. the forthcoming Imperial Conference.

Can the right hon. Gentleman assure us that effective steps will be taken to discriminate against or otherwise discourage the importation of Empire products that are produced under unfair conditions of labour?

I consider the conditions of labour generally in the Empire compare very favourably with similar conditions in any other country. The matter will be kept in view in encouraging Empire produce.

Will the claims of British fisheries be included in this Committee We have heard a great deal about agriculture, but not about fisheries.

I imagine the case of British fisheries, as of Empire fisheries, will be dealt with by the Imperial Economic Committee when they come to that section of their investigations, and upon the recommendations they make the Board may be able to take steps.

Will the House have an opportunity of discussing any of these points, before the meeting of the Imperial Economic Committee?

The Estimates for Dominion Affairs will afford a natural opportunity.

Are we to understand that the £1,000,000 is to be in excess of the £500,000 to which the right hon. Gentleman has referred, or is it to be the total amount?

There is to be £1,000,000 annually. In the first year only £500,000 is to be spent, because there is no likelihood of schemes being ready to ensure sufficient expenditure in the time.

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that the statue of Lord Nelson, erected in Dublin in 1808, is to be pulled down; and whether this statue can be acquired by the nation and re-erected at Portsmouth, from which port he embarked before the battle of Trafalgar?

I have seen a Press report to this effect, but there are no funds at the disposal of the Government for such a purchase.

asked the Prime Minister if his attention has been directed to the paragraph under the heading of pig iron, on page 12 of the Report of the Royal Commission on the Control of the Coal Industry, which indicates the decreased consumption of coal in the steel and iron trade and also in shipbuilding and engineering, and states that it is only to the revival of these heavy industries that the coalmining industry can look for any substantial increase in the home consumption of coal; and whether the Government proposes to take any steps to promote the revival of these heavy industries, including iron and steel?

I am aware of the paragraph referred to. I made a statement on the matter in answer to my bon. Friend the Member for Penrith, on 24th February, and to that I have nothing to add.

Are we to understand from the reply that the paragraph in the report of the Commission has not moved the Government to take action?

We are not proposing to take any action.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the hardship imposed upon some widows under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, whereby a child reaching the age of 14 years at the commencement of the education term the pension of 5s. per week is stopped, although by law the child has to continue at school until the end of the term, which is in some eases one or two months after the child is 14 years of age; and will he issue Regulations enabling the payment of 5s. per week to be continued until the education term is ended in such cases?

A child's allowance under the Act would not be stopped in the circumstances mentioned if it were clear that the child was remaining at school. As, however, a child may, in certain cases, be allowed to leave school before the end of the term in which the age of 14 is reached, inquiries are sometimes necessary before the allowance can be continued after the attainment of the age of 14.

Would the parent have to make application to the registry for the child to continue at the school till the end of the term?

I should like to have notice. In all these cases we endeavour to meet the convenience of the parents, although it is necessary sometimes to make further inquiries. If the hon. Member has a case in mind, I will look into it.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the housing conditions in rural districts, he is prepared to grant financial assistance towards making the many existing ill-conditioned houses more habitable and up to date?

The question of reconditioning houses in rural areas is at present under consideration, but my right hon. Friend is not in a position to make a statement on the subject.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that miners' nystagmus and other diseases to which miners are liable are not included in the Third Schedule of the Workmen's Compensation (Consolidated) Act, 1925; and whether, as Section 44 precludes payment of compensation for any diseases not mentioned in the above Schedule to that Act, he will state what steps he proposes to take to make clear the position of persons contracting these diseases after May next?

I have been asked to reply. The Act of 1925 was a purely consolidating Measure, and the reason why miners' nystagmus, beat knee, beat elbow and beat hand are not specified in the Third Schedule to the Act is that they are not specified in the corresponding Schedule to the Act of 1906. The right to compensation, however, in respect of these diseases remains unaffected. They were brought within the Act of 1906 by Orders made by the Secretary of State under Section 8 of that Act, and it is expressly provided in the 1925 Act that any Orders in force under a previous Act shall continue in force and have effect as if made under the 1925 Act. Subject, therefore, to the provisions of any future Orders, the new Act will apply to these diseases in precisely the same way as the present Acts. The position is quite clear, and I do not think it should be necessary for me to take any special steps in the matter.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of lead and zinc mines on the Home Office list in 1913; how many there are at the present time; and what number of men were employed in these mines on the respective dates?

The number of lead and zinc mines in the List of Mines for 1913 was 139, and the number of persons employed at those mines was 3,616. The corresponding figures at the present time are 107 mines and 1,981 persons. At both dates persons engaged in getting other minerals in conjunction with lead and zinc are included.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the closing of these mines throws a, large number of men out of employment?

Yes; I believe that is so.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is yet in a position to state when a Report may be expected from the Departmental Committee now sitting with reference to the Company Acts; and, as the matter is one of urgency to the general public, if he is in a position to expedite the Report?

I understand that the Committee's report will probably be com- pleted at an early date; but I think that in an inquiry of this magnitude there is nothing to be gained by urging the Committee to make a hurried report.

Does the hon. Member recollect the reply which his right hon. Friend gave to me 14 days ago, when he hoped he might be in a position to say something soon? Will the hon. Member expedite the reply?

Fourteen days is not very long. I hope the Report will be out very soon.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, with reference to the recent decision of the Trade Facilities Act Committee to provide a guarantee of £650,000 for the extension of the works of the Appleby Iron Company, the Committee of Research were satisfied that the steel-makers' plant in this country was efficient and well up to date, and that, with that efficient and modern plant, steel could not be produced in this country at the prices which were being quoted by the Continental makers for delivery to our shipbuilding yards; and whether, in these circumstances, he will give an assurance that no further grants under the Act will be made to steel makers in this country?

The Committee of Civil Research is a Committee of the Cabinet, and it would therefore be contrary to established practice to make public its recommendations to the Government. As regards the last part of the question, the Trade Facilities Act. Advisory Committee will continue to deal on their merits with applications for guarantees.

Can the right hon. Member say whether before making the grants the Trade Facilities Committee had before them the conclusions of the Research Committee? If not, why not, and if they had, what consideration contrary to those conclusions led them to refuse the grant?

That is covered by the answer which I have given.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the remarks of the Marylebone magistrate in connection with a summons issued by the Metropolitan Police against a lady, where the magistrate stated that half these motor summonses were perfectly ridiculous; and whether, in view of the fact that her car was left in a well-lighted street and was plainly visible at the time to all other road users without its lights on, he will give instructions that summonses for technical offences of this kind should not be applied for unless the vehicle concerned is a real public danger and not plainly visible to other road users?

I have considered all the circumstances carefully, hut I cannot issue instructions to the police giving them authority to connive at breaches of the law.

Will the hon. and gallant Member see that due consideration is taken of the spirit of the law, instead of the strict letter of the Act?

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that in certain motor parking places in the Metropolitan police area men are given licences by the police to look after ears without any remuneration; that they are given books and vouchers by the police which they are expected to return daily; and whether, if it is proposed to continue the employment of these men, he will arrange that they shall be properly remunerated for their services by those who license them, instead of expecting them to gain a precarious livelihood at the expense of the motoring public?

No, Sir; these attendants are licensed under Section 19 of the Metropolitan Streets Act, 1867, which makes no provision for their payment from police funds.

Does the hon. and gallant Member think that these men should be given licences without payment by the people who license them?

We have no power to alter the Act.

You have powers to license the men.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the grinding-wheel industry could be doubled, to the advantage of all concerned, if a measure of safeguarding were extended to it; that in such an event there would be no increase in prices; and, in view of the fact that at present most of this trade goes to America, can he see his way to bringing in an amending Bill to the Safeguarding of Industries Act to cover such cases as this for the benefit of our unemployed in this country?

I have been asked to reply. I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by the Prime Minister on the 3rd December last, to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer upon what date the Government contract which expires 30th June, 1930, for the purchase of Australian zinc concentrates was made; what is the estimated loss to date; what is the total estimated loss expected on 30th June, 1930; and whether he has considered the effect of this contract on the mines in England and Wales?

I have been asked to reply. The contract for the purchase of Australian zinc concentrates which expires on 30th June, 1930, is dated 9th April, 1913. The net loss from April, 1918, to 31st March, 1925, the date of the last completed accounts, was £1,700,000. The price paid under the contract varies according to the market price of spelter, and for this reason it is not possible to say what will be the total loss on the contract. I have no reason to think that the contract has had any adverse effect upon the mines in the United Kingdom.

In view of the tremendous loss of £1,700,000, lasting over many years, would it not be better if the Australian Government were asked whether some arrangement could be made to cancel the contract, not only because of the loss involved but because of the number of the men thrown out of employment?

I do not think that is possible. This matter has been under the very close consideration of the Government for years, and I do not think that any openings have been forgotten.

Can the hon. Member say who made the contract?

Yes. I think we were committed to the contract, as far as I remember, in 1916, by the Asquith Coalition Government. I think the contract was actually signed by the right hon. Member for Carnarvon Boroughs (Mr. Lloyd George), the right hon. Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Wrath-man), a distinguished Socialist, Dr. Addison, and Mr. McKenna.

Why does the hon. Member say that. Dr. Addison is a. Socialist?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount by which the National Debt has been reduced by surpluses and sinking fund since 1920–21, and the savings in interest during the same period?

Between 1st January, 1920, and 31st March, 1925, the cash applied to the reduction of the National Debt was £736,000,000. Excluding the debt due to the United' States of America, Government, the reduction in the interest charge amounts to £52,000,000 per annum, from £326,000,000 in 192–21 to £274,000,000 in the Budget of 1925–26.

The annual interest due on the United States of America. Government debt in 1920–21 was £57,000,000 as against £28,750,000 provided in the Budget of 1925. The reduction in this latter case was not due wholly to capital repayments but in part to the reduction in the rate of interest effected by the Funding Agreement and in part to improved exchange.

The total reduction in interest charges a thus amounts to approximately £80,000,000 a year

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an approximate statement, in sterling, of the annual charges and percentages for the National Debt services

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that temporary clerks who, as the alternative to dismissal, are offered another appointment which involves a transfer to another town are obliged to pay, out of their own pockets, the expenses of their removal to the new town, and in view of the low wages these officers receive, he can see his way to meet this charge upon them?

As an exceptional arrangement, a contribution towards travelling expenses may be made to temporary clerks who are transferred with their work from one town to another. It is a general rule of the Civil Service not to allow removal expenses where the transfer is made in the interests of the officer concerned, and I should not feel justified in relaxing this rule in the case of temporary clerks who are not transferred with their work, but, as an alternative to the termination of their em- for 1925 in the United States, Germany and Great Britain?

I do not understand what percentage my hon. Friend desires, but as regards the annual charges, I will, with his permission, circulate the answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that civil employers in transferring their servants bear a proportion of the removal expenses? Could not the right hon. Gentleman look into the matter, having regard to the low wages which these people receive, and do something, so that they may receive a proportion of their removal expenses?

I have no knowledge of the facts mentioned by the hon. and gallant Member.

May I tell my right hon. Friend that in the Ordinary course of events that is done?

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if his attention has been called to the far more economical, and yet equally efficient, system of printing the telephone directories in New York as compared with London; and whether he will consider the American method and its applicability to this country?

I am aware of the New York method of setting up telephone directories, and its applicability to the London Telephone Directory has been under consideration for some time.

Are tenders asked from private firms as well as from the. Government Stationery Department?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that a German mission, mainly composed of officers, is being sent to East Africa to pay the native soldiers who served in the War under the German flag; why there is any special need for such a mission; and whether the Colonial Office has sanctioned its activities?

Two ex-officials of the former German Civil Government in Tanganyika, Herren Brandes and Muller, have been permitted to proceed to the Territory in connection with the verification of debts due to natives employed by that Government during the War. The investigations are being conducted under Regulations laid down by His Majesty's Government and accepted by the German Government, and all payments will be made through British officials.

Is there any reason why native soldiers should have preference over the other creditors of Germany?