asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the isolation and generally unfavourable conditions prevailing at the Singapore naval base, the length of a commission for naval ratings serving at that base could be altered to one year's instead of two years' duration as at present?

It is not considered that the climatic conditions at Singapore are such as to necessitate any reduction of the periods of service at present in force.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that there are as many as 32 chief or electrical artificers awaiting promotion to warrant electrician, some of whom qualified for this rank in 1918; and whether he will explain the recent Admiralty fleet order suspending examinations for the rank of warrant electricians, in view of his statement that promotion from the lower deck has now been resumed in all branches?

Over 30 chief and other electrical artificers are at present fully qualified for promotion to warrant electrician and on the roster for promotion. Promotion to the rank is being made as vacancies occur, but as the number on the roster is amply sufficient to cover any vacancies which arc likely to occur in the near future, it has been thought desirable, as a temporary measure, to suspend the examination for promotion until the number on the roster is reduced.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, with reference to those men employed in the naval armament supply department, Bombay, whether, in view of the fact that the wages of these men are calculated in sterling, but actually paid at the current rate of rupee, which at the present rate of exchange means a loss of 2d. on every 1s. 6d., and seeing that Income Tax is paid on a sterling calculation and these employés consequently pay tax on money they do not receive, the Admiralty can see its way to adopt the course practised by the Army department and pay the wages of these employés at the standard rate of rupee, namely 15 to the £ sterling?

I am looking into the matter, and will send a reply to the hon. Member shortly.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, whether any Report was submitted by Detective-Inspector Vance, during his stay at the Orkneys in June 1916, to the Admiral Commanding the Orkneys and Shetlands regarding the loss of H.M.S. "Hampshire"; whether that Report was submitted to the Admiralty; and whether it has been published.

The Admiral mentioned has no recollection of any report made by Inspector Vance on the loss of the "Hampshire"; and there appears to be no reason why any such report should have been written by this officer, who was sent to the Orkneys on detective duties about the end of 1915. No such report was ever submitted to the Admiralty. In these circumstances, the last part of the Question does not arise.

asked the Postmaster-General, whether he can state the amount of unclaimed deposit money, if any, held by the telephone service from persons who have previously paid same on account for this service?

Figures are not readily available of the amount of deposit money still in the hands of the Post Office, owing to inability to trace the addresses of the ex-subscribers to whom it belongs. During the year ended the 31st December last about £1,640 accumulated in this manner.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the average wholesale prices received by the British producer and the retail prices charged to the consumer for potatoes in the months of October to March, respectively, in the seasons 1924–25 and 1925–26?

I have no information which would enable me to state the average prices received by farmers for the country generally. The average prices realised by farmers for certain classes of potatoes "free on rail" in the Wisbech district, the average wholesale prices in seven large towns in England and Wales, and the average retail prices in the United Kingdom in the months October to March 1924–25 and 1925–26 respectively have been as follow:

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of calves under the age of one year slaughtered for each separate year from 1915 to 1925, inclusive?

There are no means of ascertaining exactly the number of calves slaughtered in Great Britain annually. The following estimates have been made for 1915 to 1924, but the figures must be regarded merely as approximate. No estimate has yet been made for 1925, as the basis of the calculation is under revision:

asked the Minister of Health, what grants local authorities Will be entitled to receive under The Housing Act, 1924, after 1st October next and until new regulations are issued under Section 5 of The Housing Act, 1924?

In the event of an Order varying the amount of grants being made after the 1st October next under Section 5 of the Housing Act, 1924, the Order would contain a provision that houses completed by a certain date would be eligible for grants on the present basis. In respect of houses not completed by that date the Exchequer contribution would be at the new rates determined by the Order.

asked the Minister of Health, what was the number of new dwellings completed in Greater London, K region, during each of the years 1920 to 1925, inclusive, shown under the headings: Dwellings built by local authorities, Dwellings built by trusts and public utility societies, and Dwellings built by private enterprise, not exceeding £30 rateable value, £30 to £70 rateable value, and exceeding £70 rateable value, respectively?

I will send the hon. Member a statement giving such information as is available.

asked the Minister of Health, the names of local authorities, in addition to the Amersham Rural District Council, who employ women for the collection of rents and the management of council houses; and whether he will encourage other councils to appoint women for this work?

I have no information as to what local authorities, other than the Amersham Rural District Council, employ women for the collection of rents and management of its houses, The advantages of the Octavia Hill system of management were specially brought to the notice of local authorities in a Manual issued by the Ministry some time ago, and I will consider the advisability of repeating this suggestion on the next suitable occasion.

asked the Minister of Health, the exact floor area of the 122 non-parlour houses now being erected for the Birmingham city council; what is the maximum rent at which these houses with a floor area of less than 600 square feet are to be let; and in what districts are smaller houses than these being built by local authorities?

The superficial area of the houses to which I assume my noble Friend refers is 572 square feet. I understand that the Birmingham Corporation propose to let them at a rental, inclusive of rates, of 8/11½ a week. As regards the last part of the question, I would remind my noble Friend that, under the Act of 1923, I have no power to pay subsidy in respect of two-storey houses having a superficial area of less than 570 feet, and, so far as I am aware, no such houses have been erected.

asked the Minister of Health the surpluses which, on the introduction of the National Health Insurance scheme in 1911, were anticipated by the Government actuaries?

The reports of the Actuaries consulted by the Government in 1911 contain no direct statement as to the surpluses then anticipated, but examination of the Tables appended to the Report of the Actuaries on the scheme as amended in Committee leads to the conclusion that so far as concerns the aggregate of employed contributors in Great Britain a net surplus of about five million pounds was expected to arise in the quinquennial period ending with the year 1922–23, and about five and a half millions in the following quinquennial period. These amounts are related to the contributions and benefits as originally fixed. To give effect to the changes introduced in the year 1920, when both contributions and benefits were increased, the sums named should be increased to about six and a half millions and eight millions respectively.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will obtain statistics dealing with the Reports of various librarians in the large cities to the effect that reading has been increased by wireless?

I understand that, generally speaking, the number of books issued by Public Libraries shows a yearly increase, but I do not think that any statistics could be collected which would indicate how far this increase could be specifically attributed to the use of wireless.

asked the Minister of Health, the number of prosecutions under the clean meat regulations, instituted in the Metropolitan borough of Southwark, to the last convenient date; whether any warnings have been issued by the medical officer of health for the borough; and, if so, with what result.

I am informed that one prosecution for contravention of the Public Health (Meat) Regulations has been instituted by the Metropolitan Borough Council of Southwark. In that case the defendant was ordered to pay £1 1s. costs. A general memorandum has been issued to all meat traders in the borough, and special warning notices have been sent to six traders. I understand that in each of these cases steps have been taken to remedy the defects complained of.

asked the Minister of Health, whether he can state the number of deaths due to influenza in London during January, February, and March, 1926; and what percentage of these deaths were due to old age?

Provisional figures are given hereafter of the total number and age distribution of the deaths certified as due to influenza in the administrative County of London during the thirteen weeks ended 3rd ultimo. No record is available as to the cases, if any, in which old age was also returned on the Certificate as a cause of death:

asked the Minister of Health, whether he can state, on a weekly basis, the number of persons in receipt of out-relief resident in Wednesbury, Handsworth, Oldbury, and West Bromwich, respectively, during 1925 and 1926 up to date?

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a statement which has been supplied to me by the Clerk to the Guardians.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state on a weekly basis the number of unemployed persons who have had their unemployment benefit permanently disallowed in Wednesday, Handsworth, Oldbury, and West Bromwich, respectively, during 1925 and 1926 up to date.

No disallowances of benefit are permanent in the sense that a subsequent application cannot be entertained. There are no statistics available as to the numbers of cases in which disallowances in the districts named has not been followed by renewed application.

asked the Home Secretary if he has arrived at any decision regarding the representations which were made to him concerning Cardiff being declared the capital of Wales; and if he is now in a position to make any statement?

The conclusion to which I have come is that, even if a method could be devised of giving effect to what is suggested, there is no sufficient evidence at present available of a preponderating opinion in Wales in favour of this step. I have informed those who approached me last year on the subject that, in the absence of such evidence, I cannot do anything in the matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India have taken any steps towards carrying into effect the recommendations of the Indian Gaols Committee; if not, whether he will inform the House as to the cause of the delay; and when action is likely to be taken?

Continuous action has been taken to give effect to recommendations of the Indian Gaols Committee 1919–20, as will he readily seen from the published annual reports of the various local Governments. If any one cause can be assigned why more of their recommendations—which were 584 in number—have not been carried into effect, it is to be found in the cost which this would have entailed during a period of financial stringency. With the bettering of the financial position further improvement in the condition of Indian Gaols is likely to be effected.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the additional payments to which teachers in central schools are entitled are now paid to some of such teachers only, and not to all; who decides to which teachers such payments shall be made; and whether such a system of payment is in accordance with the Burnham scale?

The hon. Member is mistaken in suggesting that all teachers in Central Schools are entitled to additional payments over and above the appropriate Burnham scales. It is specifically provided in the second recommendation attached to Lord Burnham's Award on the Salaries of Teachers in Elementary Schools, that no part of the sum to be allocated for the purpose of additional payments shall be applied towards so increasing the salaries of classes of teachers mentioned in the original report as would be tantamount to altering the operation of the standard scales. The responsibility for making additional payments in any particular case rests with the Local Authority.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that dissatisfaction exists among the temporary clerks who sat for the Southborough examination regarding the manner in which the departmental marks were awarded, many men who had been dismissed by their departments as low-efficient having received higher departmental marks than men retained by the same departments; and whether he will consider what steps can be taken to remove such anomalies?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on the 26th April to the hon. Member for Newcastle West (Mr. Palin).

asked the Financial Secretary of the Treasury when he expects the Report from the Committee appointed by the Treasury of 1923, of which the honourable and gallant Member for Burton (Col. Gretton) is chairman, to examine the working of the Stationery Office; and what is the total cost of this Committee to date, including the taking of evidence, printing, stationery, and travelling expenses, and the date when the Committee last met?

I am informed that the draft report is almost finished, and the Chairman is hopeful that the Committee will be meeting very shortly to discuss it. The present emergency may, of course, delay matters. The total cost of the Committee to date, including the taking of evidence, printing, stationery, and travelling expenses, amounts to £991. The Committee last met on the 30th July, 1925.