asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that certain approved societies in Scotland are offering by advertisement additional treatment benefits under the National Health Insurance Acts to persons immediately on becoming members; and whether, in view of the apparent impotence of the authorities to stop this practice, he will consider the advisability of introducing legislation at an early date to give effect to the recommendation of the Royal Commission for the repeal of Section 26 of the National Health Insurance Act, 1924, under which this practice at present obtains?

I am aware that a particular society in Scotland has been offering by advertisement additional treatment benefits to persons immediately on becoming members, but I understand that, as a result of representations which have been made to it, the society has agreed to discontinue the advertisement. As regards the second part of the question, the recommendation that Section 26 of the National Health Insurance Act, 1924, should be repealed will be considered in conjunction with the other recommendations of the Royal Commission.

asked the Secretary for Scotland how many houses have been completely built in Scottish rural areas in the year 1920 and in each succeeding year with the aid of subsidies under the Housing Act, 1923, under the Housing Act, 1924, and under the Board of Agriculture's scheme for the erection of crofters' houses respectively?

The information asked for in the first part of the question is not available in respect of the Housing, etc., Act, 1923. Under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924, the number of houses completely built in Scottish rural areas as defined by that Act is 32. Six of these houses were completed in 1925, and the remaining 26 in 1926. In reply to the second part of the question, the following statement shows in column 1 the number of crofters' houses erected in the year 1920 and succeeding years with the aid of loans advanced by the Board under Section 9 of the Small Landholders (Scotland) Act, 1911, and under Sections 4 (1) (e) and 5 (4) of the Congested Districts (Scotland) Act, 1897, and in column 2 the number of crofters' houses erected during these years on land schemes carried out throughout the country under the provisions of the Small Landholders (Scotland) Acts, 1886–1919, and the Land Settlement (Scotland) Acts, 1919 and 1921:

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can give the value of imported foodstuffs, as distinct from drink and tobacco, in 1925 and for the first quarter of 1926 as compared with 1913 in declared values and in values estimated at the average values of 1913; and whether the imports of foodstuffs into Ireland in 1913 were so insignificant as not to vitiate the comparison?

The declared values of the imports of foodstuffs not liable to duty on importation into this country, and their estimated values at the prices prevailing in 1913, are shown in the following statement for the periods there specified. The figures cover a few articles of drink, of comparatively small importance in the import trade, but exclude, among dutiable items, both dutiable drinks and tea, coffee, etc.; they are also exclusive of tobacco. Figures covering articles of food alone, but including all articles of food whether dutiable or not, would take some time to prepare. As appears from the table, the imports into the Irish Free State from countries outside the British Isles were smaller in amount than the imports from the Irish Free State into Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the recent periods dealt with. There is no sufficient record of their amount in 1913:

asked the Secretary for Mines what percentages of tonnage were produced at a loss and a profit, respectively, apart from subsidy, in each of the six principal coal-mining

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs the sums expended in 1922, 1923, 1924 and 1925 in connection with assisted passages for migrants; and the number of persons so assisted in each of those years?

The following statement shows the expenditure on assisted passages under the Empire Settlement Act during the years 1922 to 1925, and the number of persons assisted in those years: