asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any progress is being made with a revision of the antiquated classification of diseases from which members of the mercantile marine die, so as to reveal the diseases to which this section of the nation is specially liable and from which they need to be further protected?

The classification of the causes of death of persons employed on British merchant vessels has been referred by the Board of Trade to the Permanent Consultative Committee on Official Statistics. The Board anticipate that the Report of that Committee will be received shortly, and I shall be glad to send a copy of it to the hon. Member when it reaches me.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the conditions prevailing on the steamship "Waimana," a cargo boat which has been converted for the purpose of carrying passengers to New Zealand; whether he is aware that the lavatory accommodation was only one lavatory for each 100 people; that there were only nine baths on the boat, five of which were allotted to the women; that there was no privacy, the baths being ultimately screened with tarpaulins after complaints being made of the passing to and fro of the members of the crew on their ordinary duties; and whether he will have immediate action taken to ensure that the conditions on ships conveying emigrants from this country shall comply with ordinary conditions of decency and sanitation and that the food shall be adequate and of good quality.

As stated in reply to the hon. Member for Southwark Central on 29th March, the "Waimana," which was built under passenger survey for the purpose of carrying emigrants, was thoroughly surveyed before clearance on her present voyage and complied fully with the Regulations. The lavatory accommodation was about three times that stated in the question, namely, 26 for 853 persons. There were nine baths, five of which were for women. The complaints as to want of privacy are not understood, but if the hon. Member will furnish me with any particulars he may have, the matter will be investigated on the vessel's return.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many home-trade seamen there are;(2)how many foreign-going seamen there are; and for how many weeks in the year they are employed?

I am unable to state the number of seamen employed in the home and foreign trades at any one time, or for how many weeks in the year they are employed, but the following statement shows the number of persons forming the first crews of vessels employed at any time during the year 1924 in these trades:

(1)	In the home trade (i.e.,) vessels trading or going within the following limits, namely, the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, the Irish Free State, the Channel Islands and the Continent of Europe between the River Elbe and Brest, but excluding vessels employed on rivers and those not going beyond partially smooth water limits	= 26,550
(2)	In the foreign trade (vessels trading or going beyond the above limits)	=202,319
(3)	Partly in the home and partly in the foreign trade	= 5,448

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of arsenic were imported into the United Kingdom from Japan, France and Portugal during the months of January, February, and March, 1926?

During the months January to March, 1926, the registered imports of arsenic included 674 tons consigned from Portugal and 10 tons from Japan. No imports consigned from France were registered during this period.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he will state the total imports and exports of iron and steel; and the manufactures of each commodity for each of the years 1920 to 1925, respectively?

I would refer the hon. Member to Tables 11, 12 and 13 of Vol. I of the Annual Statement of Trade of the United Kingdom for 1924, and to the December, 1925, issue of the Monthly Accounts relating to the Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom, in which he will find all the published figures for the years in question.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office, what is the average difference in price per lb. of meat purchased for Army purposes at Home which is the product of Home and overseas producers respectively; and what is the average price paid by the War Office for meat for consumption at Home during the last five years?

Owing to considerations of price, practically all the meat purchased by the War Department is frozen. Fresh beef is being supplied only at two small stations at which, on account of their position, frozen meat is not obtainable. At those stations the price is about 120 per cent. above that paid for frozen beef elsewhere, but the comparison, owing to the difference in quantities supplied, is hardly a fair one. The actual average price paid for frozen meat at all home stations during the last five years is not readily ascertainable, but the following figures are believed to be approximately accurate:

		Beef.		Mutton.
		Per lb.		Per lb.
		d.		d.
1922	…	4·044	…	6·513
1923	…	4·427	…	6·988
1924	…	4·486	…	6·572
1925	…	4·997	…	7·371
1926	…	5·032	…	6·228

Average for the five years:—
Beef	…	…	4·637d.
Mutton	…	…	6·863d.
Only beef is now bought

asked the Postmaster-General, whether he can state the number of turf commission agents who are compelled to pay a deposit of£5 for each telephone installed for business purposes.

No special record is kept of the deposits lodged by any particular class of subscriber. Telephone deposits are based in each case on the estimated quarterly user.

asked the Postmaster-General, if he can state how many wrong number calls were recorded at the Victoria exchange daring the current week?

There is no record of the total number of wrong connections made at the Victoria exchange during the week in question. Observations taken, however, at intervals during that week showed that the figure was 3'5 per cent. of the total number of calls under observation.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that extensions and alterations to telephones in the southern sections of England, especially the Brighton district, take three or four months to complete; and if he can give the reason of this delay and inconvenience to the public?

Any works involving new buildings or underground cables necessarily take some time, but if the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any cases he has in mind, I will have inquiry made.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the inconvenience caused visitors to Hampton Court owing to the closing of the post office there, and will he state when this office is likely to he reopened?

Arrangements have been made for the Hampton Court Post Office to be reopened on the 1st of June.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he can state the estimated revenue which will be collected from all the Customs Duties known as McKenna Duties in a full year; of all the duties comprised in Part I of the Safeguarding of Industries Act, as modified by the Government proposals now before Parliament in a full year; of all the duties imposed and proposed under Part II of the same Act; of the duties on silk and artificial silk imposed last year, Customs and Excise shown separately; of the difference in rate of Customs Duty between manufactured and raw tobacco; and the total of all revenue estimated to be collected in a full year from all these duties of Customs?

The estimates for a full year are as follows:

	£
McKenna Duties	2,850,000
Key Industry Duties under Part I of Safeguarding of Industries Act, 1921, as extended by Budget proposals	510,000
Silk and Artificial Silk Duties:
Customs	5,500,000
Excise	1,000,000
Total	9,860,000

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, in view of the resignation of the Special Grants Committee, he will consider the desirability of transferring the duties and functions of the Committee to the area War Pensions Committees?

This Committee is a statutory body, and fresh appointments have already been made by me to fill the vacancies that occurred. The course suggested by the hon. Member is not, therefore, practicable even if it were desirable, as I pointed out in the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Barrow-in-Furness on the 10th December last.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the subsidy on each 7 cwts. of molasses produced as the result of refining a ton of beet sugar; the amount realised by the sale of such 7 cwts. of molasses in the open market; and the reason for State assistance in this connection?

The question assumes that 7 cwt. of molasses are the result of refining a ton of beet sugar. This cannot be assumed, because the rate of extraction of sugar varies at, each factory, and at two of the factories raw sugar is produced and not white sugar. In addition to variations in the weight of molasses per ton of sugar, there are variations in sweetening matter, to which different rates of subsidy and Excise Duty are applicable. On molasses of 70 per cent, and over of sweetening matter, the rate of subsidy is 12s. 4'7d. per cwt., and the rate of Excise Duty 4s. 8½d. per cwt.: on molasses of 50 to 70 per cent. sweetening matter, the rate of subsidy is 8s. 10·9d. and the Excise Duty 3s. 4⅔d. per cwt.; if not more than 50 per cent. sweetening matter and not less than 45 per cent., the rate of subsidy is 4s. 3·8d. per cwt. and the Excise Duty is 1s. 7½d. per cwt. Quotations for cane molasses are given in trade papers, but are no guide to the prices obtained by the beet sugar factories. These prices have not, so far as my information goes, been less than 1s. 6d. per cwt. in bond. Prior to the grant of a, subsidy, the industry enjoyed remission of Excise Duty on sugar and sugar in molasses. Excise Duty has been re imposed in each case, and a definite rate of subsidy for a period of years substituted.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, having regard to the prevalent waste of liquid manure in this country, he will have steps taken to disseminate information as to the methods employed in Germany and other countries for saving liquid manure?

The Ministry already publishes leaflets, which have a wide circulation, dealing with the use and conservation of liquid manure. I am sending the hon. Member copies for his information.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he can state the number of land settlement schemes now being administered by county councils in England and Wales; if there are any such schemes still under the direct administration of the Ministry of Agriculture; and, if so, how many?

The number of separate schemes of land settlement now being administered by county councils and the councils of county boroughs in England and Wales, including land acquired before, as well as since, the War, is as follows:

County councils	…	4,500
Councils of county boroughs	…	46

Seven schemes are directly administered by my Department, exclusive of two which are being transferred to the respective county councils as from Lady Day last.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether and when he proposes to introduce legislation with regard to land drainage, as outlined in the White Paper on Agricultural Policy issued at the commencement of the present Session?

The legislation with regard to land drainage, referred to in the White Paper on Agricultural Policy, is comprised in the Land Drainage Bill which has passed through all its stages in another place and is awaiting a Second Reading in this House.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware of the fact that Sj. Ambika Prasad Khan, a prisoner under the Bengal Ordinance, is reported to have committed suicide in Alipore gaol; whether an inquiry into the circumstances of his death has been held; and whether the result will be made public?

Yes, Sir; an inquiry has been held. So far as I am aware the result has not been published. But the following is the substance of the information which my Noble Friend received from the Government of India. Ambica Charan Khan was detained under Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Act. He was interned on 19th November, 1924, and had been at Alipur Gaol for the last eight and a-half months. In temperament he was normally cheerful and took part in games and amusements with other detenus but appears to have had short and sudden periods of moroseness and, occasionally, imposed a vow of silence on himself. He lived with five other detenus in a room, communicating with another room in which convict attendants, who acted as detenus' servants, lived. On the night of 2nd April, detenu went to bed at 8.30 p.m. About 11 p.m. one of the attendants was roused by a shout and found Ambica Khan with his clothes in flames. The man eluded him and ran through the rooms till attendants managed to seize him and pull off his burning clothes. Ambica was taken to the gaol hospital and everything possible done for his treatment, but he died at eight next morning. Ambica's clothes, and also his body, smelt of kerosine. It is clear that he had emptied oil from his reading lamp over himself and had then deliberately set fire to himself.It is difficult to reach any definite conclusion regarding the cause of this act. In the evening before going to bed Ambica was cheerful. He had never threatened suicide, and his companions can give no reason why he should have killed himself. It is true that on 31st March. when he was allowed to visit his brother in hospital, he was disappointed at only staying a few hours, whereas he had hoped to get seven days' leave. He was also hoping for a transfer to another gaol as the society of his fellow prisoners was not congenial. He had made verbal representations about this but had not made any petition in writing for transfer. In August and September, 1925, he had sent several petitions asking to be allowed to visit his home to see his father. On inquiry it appeared that the father was not seriously ill and permission to visit his home was refused. None of these incidents provides any sufficient motive for his action. There seems to be no doubt that he had occasional short fits of depression and was somewhat eccentric, but there were no symptoms of insanity. The Bengal Government suggest that his misdeeds were weighing on his mind. The Government of India are satisfied that Arnica 'Khan was well treated and well looked after in gaol and that there was nothing in his treatment by the gaol authorities which offers any reasonable explanation for his suicide.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that E. MacVicar, a fishermen in Ardrishaig, has rented from the Ministry a small patch of ground whereon to erect a shed as a curing station paying 10s. a year for the privilege of occupying the ground, or£3 for the total period of 20 years, for which the use of it has been granted to him; that the law costs for a formal lease imposed upon him in connection with the granting to him of the use of the said piece of ground amount to over£7 sterling; arid whether he will find a less costly way of granting facilities for the use of subjects of small extent and value?

I am aware of the case to which my hon. and learned Friend refers. The rent was£2 a year and not les. as he states, but I agree that the legal costs were high in relation to the rent. A formal lease was, however, necessary, and the costs, in the circumstances, were, I am afraid, unavoidable.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether lie is aware of a recent decision of the Court of Session that a statutory small tenant dispossessed of his holding by process of resumption in the Land Court has no claim for compensation for disturbance against the proprietor; and whether the Government will introduce legislation to rectify what appears to be an omission in the Smallholders Act of 1911, Section 32 (15), so that this large class of tenants may have I he same rights for compensation for disturbance as other classes of agricultural tenants?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The point is one which I should be prepared to consider, but I cannot hold out any prospect of legislation in the near future.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give the names of the reformatory and industrial schools which have been closed in each area during 1924 and 1925; and the number of places in each of such schools?

The following is a list, arranged according to areas, of the Schools which have been closed during the years 1924 and 1925. The figures in brackets show the number for which each School was certified:

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the increasing number of motor-ear accidents, which frequently result in the innocent party being unable to obtain financial satisfaction, he will consider the desirability of introducing legislation to compel all motor drivers to insure against third-party risks as a condition precedent to a driving licence being issued to them?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on the 3rd March to the hon. Member for the Wirral Division, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has received representations from local authorities urging that an additional number of roads should be classified in view of the heavier maintenance costs arising out of the increasing number of motor vehicles, and submitting that the grants of 50 per cent. for Class 1 roads and 25 per cent. for Class 2 roads are inadequate, and that, in future, no road, whatever its classification, should receive a grant of less than 50 per cent. of the expenditure upon it by the local authority; and what action, if any, he proposes to take in the matter?

Representations frequently reach me in favour of increasing the mileage of classified roads and greatly extending the scope of Road Fund grants. While I cannot hold out hopes of far-reaching concessions of the character indicated in the question, I may explain that there is a progressive increase in the length of highways benefiting from Road Fund grants, and that this policy of gradual expansion will be pursued.