asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he proposes to publish, and, if so, in what form, the recent official announcement on the method of administering the Boxer indemnity, a précis of which has appeared in the Press?

The Press notice referred to reproduces for publication in this country a statement which the British Boxer Indemnity Delegation has been authorised to publish at once in China. The delegation are engaged in completing their investigations in China and in preparing the report which will embody their detailed proposals. A further announcement will be published when this report has been received by the Advisory Committee in London and when any recommendations which the latter may base thereon have been considered by His Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the amount of money invested in Chinese railways by British investors And the railway loans on which the payment of interest and sinking fund has been kept up to date; whether he has received any representations, and, if so, what; as to the depreciation of the security for these loans; and whether he will call for an official report on the whole subject from the British representatives in China?

The outstanding amount of the Chinese railway loans issued on the British market is about £12,000,000. A proportion of this is no doubt in foreign hands, while there are known to be large British holdings in Chinese railway loans of non-British issue. There is, however, no means of ascertaining the extent of these holdings, so that the total of the British investments cannot be given, but it is almost certainly much in excess of the sum quoted above. I regret that I cannot, in the short time available and with due regard for accuracy, provide a complete list of the railway loans which have continued to be paid up to date, but I will send my hon. Friend a statement at an early date. His Majesty's Government and His Majesty's Legation at Peking have been approached from time to time by the British interests concerned in regard to the widespread interruption of railway communication and consequent depreciation of the security for the loans, and representations have been made to the Chinese Government; but so long as civil wars continue it is difficult to see how the position can be remedied. His Majesty's Minister, who is in close touch with the situation, keeps His Majesty's Government informed of new developments as they occur, and I do not think there is any need to call for a comprehensive report.

Will the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs endeavour to take some steps to preserve the interests of the British bond holders and British investors in Chinese securities?

Is it not a fact that the security for these loans in the shape of rolling stock and permanent way is fast disappearing?

It is perfectly true that the security is really the railways themselves and during the continuance of the civil wars it is extremely difficult to deal with the situation. Certainly the point raised by my hon. Friend will be borne in mind.

Is not one of the reasons given by those with investments abroad for getting high dividends, the fact that they risk their capital by investing it abroad; and why should they not take that risk alone without involving us?

Are these railway loans guaranteed by the Chinese Republic?

I think I ought to have notice of that question.

( by Private Notice ) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information as to the seizure of the salt gabelle at Tientsin; whether these revenues are being administered according to the inter national agreements of 1913, and if not what steps he proposes to take to ensure the collection of the tax?

Fuller reports which have now been received from His Majesty's Minister are to the effect that the military authorities at Tientsin are compelling the salt merchants to pay duties direct to them instead of to the Salt Administration. Though no official confirmation has yet been received it is feared that the reports this morning to the effect that the legally constituted administration at Tientsin has actually been displaced by military officers may be true. The action of these officers is a flagrant breach of the Loan Agreement. Protests and representations have so far been unavailing, largely owing to the fact that no Central Government has as yet been re-constituted in Peking. His Majesty's Government are considering what further steps can be taken to ensure respect for international agreements. The fact that there is a reserve in the group banks which may be drawn upon for the service of the loans involved fortunately gives us time to concert the most appropriate measures to be adopted to meet the crisis, and instructions are being sent to His Majesty's Minister at Peking with a view to the protection of the legitimate interests of British subjects.

Will the hon. Gentleman cause very strong instructions to be sent in view of the very great loss to British prestige in the Far East?

I think adequate instructions have been sent.

When the hon. Gentleman refers to the reserve in the banks where the revenue is banked, is the reference to English banks or Chinese?

To English banks.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British Embassy is being moved from Washington this summer; if so, what is the estimated cost; what was the cost of the move last year; and whether- any Departments of the United States Government or Embassies or Legations leave Washington during the summer months?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The maximum charge to public funds will be £1,100. Last year the cost was £1,050. The Departments of the United States Government do not leave Washington during the summer months, but I understand that several foreign Embassies and Legations do so.

What is the reason for this Embassy removing from Washington during the summer months, when the United States Government does not leave the seat of government?

In the first place, it is far more difficult to remove a State Department than to move an Embassy or a Legation, but, in addition to that, Americans are far more used to the climate than are the members of foreign Embassies and Legations. The climate is very trying, and it is owing to considerations of health that this move is made.

Are we to take it that while the American Government continue their deliberations in Washington, our Embassy removes entirely from the seat of government because of the climate? Cannot we get some people who are acclimatised?

Is it not a fact that far better work can be done by Englishmen in the United States, if they are resident in Massachusetts and Maine than if they are in the torrid climate of Washington during the summer months?

Was it not the case before the War that the State Departments did move away from Washington in the summer?

rose—

This is developing into a Debate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply he has made on behalf of His Majesty's Government to the inquiry of the Royal Italian Government regarding our attitude towards the Moroccan situation; and whether he anti- cipates the holding of an international conference to discuss certain matters in Morocco and Tangier?

No inquiry of the nature suggested by the hon. and gallant Member has been made. The reply to the second part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the proposed Treaty between Great Britain, Turkey and Iraq will be published; whether it will be registered with the League of Nations; whether the royalties on oil produced in Iraq to be paid to the Turkish Government refers to the Mosul province only or to the whole of Iraq; and whether the other Governments whose nationals are interested in the oil-drilling rights of the Mosul province have been, or will be, consulted as to this provision of the proposed Treaty?

It is hoped to lay the Treaty as a White Paper, and thereafter to publish it, as soon as the text is received from Constantinople. His Majesty's Government propose to register the Treaty with the League of Nations as soon as it has been ratified by all the parties. With regard to the third part of the question, the share of the Iraq Government's royalties assigned to Turkey for 25 years relates to oil and byproducts produced in the area covered by the Turkish Petroleum Company's concession, that is the whole of Iraq with the exception of the Basra vilayet and of the territories transferred by Persia to Turkey in 1914. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

In consequence of this Agreement, will this country be involved in any more expenditure out there?

No, certainly not.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the status of the Soviet mission in London has been raised to that of an Embassy?

The Soviet Mission is still under a Chargé d'Affaires, who occupies this position, pending the appointment of an Ambassador.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that on the gates of Chesham House there is a notice in English stating that it is an Embassy of the Soviet; and if it is not an Embassy, is such action in accordance with the usual diplomatic courtesy?

Until an Ambassador has been appointed, it is perfectly in order that a Charge d' Affaires should be in charge.

Will my hon. Friend inform the House, in view of the unfriendly attitude of the Soviet Government to this country—

Withdraw!

It is a very friendly attitude.

Questions of that kind ought not to be put without notice.

May I put it another way?

I must see all such questions before they are asked.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the British Naval Mission to Greece sent out in July, 1925, is fulfilling the full period of the time agreed upon, or whether their mission is to terminate earlier than the date agreed upon; if so, how much earlier; and, in the latter case, will he state the reasons?

The officers of the Naval Mission were placed at the disposal of the Greek Government for a period of two years, beginning on the date on which they commenced their appointments, namely, 15th April, 1925. The Greek Government have officially notified that, as a measure of economy, they have decided to terminate the contract as from 26th May, 1926.

May I ask whether His Majesty's Government agree to the determination of this contract before it has run its full time?

There are arrangements in the contract for terminating it in a certain time under notice, and all that I know about it is that the Greek Government consider it necessary, in the interests of economy, to do so.

Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that no other Power is going to send a Naval Mission to take the place of the British Naval Mission in Greece?

I cannot say that, but if the hon. and gallant Gentleman will put down a question, I will try to answer it.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the increase in the number of unemployed persons in the Dunfermline area due to the closing of Rosyth Dockyard, he has yet made any arrangement for increasing the amount of shipbreaking in the dockyard; and, if so, when he expects such work to be available?

The Admiralty are about to invite tenders from shipbreaking firms for the purchase of a large block of surplus tonnage, and will offer facilities at Rosyth Dockyard for breaking up a number of the ships.

asked the First Lord of the Admiraty if he will con duct experiments with flour with a per centage of British-grown wheat, with a view to seeing if it is suitable for the requirements of the Navy?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer which I gave to his question of 10th March last on the subject of bread and flour for the Navy (OFFICIAL REPORT, cols. 2264–5). The Admiralty stipulates for a certain type of flour, but imposes no conditions as to the descriptions of wheat to be used in its preparation, as any such conditions are considered to be impracticable. In these circumstances, I am afraid that no useful purpose would be served by experiments such as those suggested.

Has the attention of the hon. Gentleman been called to the experiments now proposed to be carried out by the Army bakeries, and will he regard these experiments with a friendly eye?

Yes, but conditions are not the same in the Navy and the Army.

Is it stipulated that the flour should be first, second, or third grade?

I think the Navy always want the best.

But will they get it?

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many naval invalids, whose cause of invaliding was considered not attributable to service in 1925, appealed to the Board of Admiralty against the decision of the local surveying officers; and in how many instances was the decision reversed as the result of such reinvestigation?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for North Portsmouth (Sir B. Falle) on the 10th February last—[OFFICIAL REPORT, col. 1028].

Did that answer contain the figures?

Yes.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many men are borne on the depot books of each port, and what percentage are on foreign service from each port?

I am making inquiries, and immediately the information is available I shall communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, see- ing that until July, 1922, Article 1915 of K.R. and A1 read age for retirement they shall be pensioned at 55 years of age, and that now warrant officers are compulsorily retired at the age of 50, it is proposed to grant compensation to those who were promoted before July, 1922, when the terms of service were altered to their disadvantage, and who, as a consequence, have the prospect of losing five years' service with attendant emoluments and rights?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my predecessor to the hon. and gallant Member for North Portsmouth (Sir B. Falle) on the 18th June, 1924; of which I am sending him a copy.—[OFFICIAL REPORT, col. 2100.]

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that no less than four ancient buildings have been exported to America during the present year; that the Chantry House, Billericay, is now similarly threatened; and whether, as the Office of Works lack legislative power to interfere with the destruction of ancient buildings capable of being inhabited, steps will be taken by legislation to prevent the continuance of this practice?

The First Commissioner has not exact statistics of the export of such buildings, but he is always prepared to consider, in any case to which his attention is drawn, what action his Department is warranted in taking in the particular circumstances. As has already been indicated to the hon. Member, it is not a question of legislative powers as much as of finance.

The latter part of my question asks whether the Government will introduce legislation to deal with houses which are inhabited and which are ancient, and that part has not been answered.

Legislation would be of no use unless the House were pre- pared to purchase these houses, or, at any rate, to put down a considerable sum of money in order to allow them to be purchased. Legislation must be coupled with finance.

Is the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that there is a considerable number of ancient buildings in the county of Lanark which were condemned as unfit for human habitation in the forties of last century that are still being inhabited, and will he undertake to have them exported to America?

Might we not sell one of our most ancient buildings, the place next door?

Will the hon. and gallant Gentleman receive representations in regard to the action being taken in respect of Chantrey House, Billericay?

My Noble Friend is always prepared to consider any representations that are made to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the cost of conveying the Royal Air Force cricket team from Manston to Eastchurch by means of Royal Air Force aeroplanes?

No special expenditure was involved in the conveyance of the members of the cricket team. The flight was carried out in the normal course of Service training, and the team merely occupied seats which were, in any case, available.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if his attention has been drawn to the accidental release of a smoke-bomb which caused damage to a house at Caterham on the 26th May during practice operations from Kenley Aerodrome; and will he cause such trials to be conducted away from populated districts in future?

Yes, Sir; my attention has been drawn to the accident in question, the occurrence of which I very much regret. The accident is at present under investigation, and I am not yet in a position to express a definite opinion, but I may say that the evidence so far available points to the extreme unlikelihood of a recurrence. I do not think that a single isolated case of this kind would justify the dislocation of training and increased expense which would be involved in sending home defence fighter squadrons to carry out their training with dummy bombs at stations other than their own.

asked the Minister of Labour for what reason employés holding shares in Messrs. Sankey and Sons' Pottery Company, Nottingham, now closed down owing to coal shortage, have been refused unemployment benefit?

I think the hon. Member must have been misinformed. According to my information, all the claims made by these employés were allowed.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that on 4th June payment of unemployment insurance benefit was made to non-union men employed at the Consett Coal and Iron Company up to the date of the coal dispute, while members of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers were refused benefit, and the men were requested, when making an application for unemployment benefit at the local Exchange, to testify whether they were, or were not, trade unionists; and if he will take action in the matter?

I am having inquiry made, and will let the hon. Member know the result as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour the latest available figures of unemployment?

At 31st May, 1926, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 1,614,200 persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain, exclusive of persons who ceased work in the coal mining industry on account of the dispute.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will investigate the effect on the price of meat in consequence of the issue of the Order prohibiting the importation of fresh meat from the Continent?

asked the President of the. Board of Trade if he will instruct the Food Council, in view of the Order of the Minister of Agriculture prohibiting the landing in this country of uncured carcases of cattle, sheep and pigs from any Continental country, to study the wholesale and retail sale of fresh meat with the object of avoiding all attempts at profiteering in Great Britain?

The effect of the prohibition on the price of meat will be carefully watched by the Board of Trade, and, if it becomes necessary, I will invite the Food Council to consider what steps should be taken to prevent any undue rise in prices.

Have the Government considered the advisability of putting Section 3, paragraph ( b ) of the Emergency Powers Act into operation?

I do not think we have got so far as that. A preliminary step would be to refer it to the Food Council.

Has the hon. Gentleman the power, if he has the will, to stop these increases of price?

What power have the Food Council got, anyway?

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that any diminution of supplies of foreign meat would be of great benefit to rearers of stock in this country?

The cat out of the bag!

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the Order prohibiting the importation of fresh meat is regarded by Smithfield Market dealers as being too drastic, and that the announcement of this Order at once increased the price of meat; whether, in view of the crisis which has resulted, he will cause the Order to be varied; whether he will issue instructions for one of his departmental veterinary inspectors to supervise the shipment of meat received; and whether he will exclude from the prohibition applying to Belgium the slaughtering establishment at Zeebrugge, in consequence of it being an English-owned concern set up solely for the purpose of handling live cattle imported from Argentina?

I am aware that the issue of the Importation of Carcases (Prohibition) Order was followed by an increase in the price of meat in London. The proportion of the total meat imports affected by the Order is, however, small, and there is no reason why the deficiency should not be made up from other sources within a reasonable time. I know of no crisis which has resulted. The answer to the third part is in the negative. So long as foot-and-mouth disease remains prevalent on the Continent, no system of meat inspection either on the Continent or in this coutry would provide adequate protection against the risk of importing diseased carcases, many of which may be the carcases of animals slaughtered in the incubative stages of the disease before any recognisable lesions have developed. I regret that I cannot exclude the slaughtering establishment at Zeebrugge, inasmuch as, being situated in a country in which foot-and-mouth disease is rife, those premises are subject to the same risk of infection as any other place on the Continent.

May I put the same question that I put before, namely, whether the Government, or the right hon. Gentleman's Department, have considered the desirability of putting Section 3, paragraph ( b ), of the Emergency Powers Act into operation?

I have not considered it, nor do I think it necessary. Pork prices were just as high last December, when there was free importation of foreign meat, and I have no reason to think the present rise in prices is other than temporary, and that it will not be put right by the re-adjustment of supplies.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that meat prices during the last few days jumped up a penny and even two pence a pound, and is he not aware that it means thousands of pounds extracted from the pockets of the meat consumers of this country?

The imported meat comes largely to London. There are supplies in other parts of the country which, no doubt, are brought in, and my report to-day is that the supplies are good and the prices are weak.

Why should there be an increase in price, when it does not cost dealers anything more for transportation and distribution?

Obviously, the cause is due to shortage of supplies, and that, probably, is only temporary.

The Manchester school of economists!

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that, on account of the congestion and shortage of labour on the Great (Western Railway, passengers holding first-class tickets are compelled to travel third class; that trains arrive late at their destination because there are insufficient hands to deal with the parcels and luggage; and what action he proposes to take with a view to the re-engaging of the men who are now unemployed?

I have been asked to answer this question. I am not aware of the circumstances referred to, but I will make inquiries and let the hon. Member know the result.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that I personally and others have been put to great inconvenience on account of the railway travelling on the Great Western Railway, and that I have been able myself to watch trains being held up owing to shortage of labour; and is he aware that I and scores of others have walked—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech!"]—it affects hon. Members and the strikers as well— on account of insufficient labour to deal with parcels and luggage and passengers; that they employ one or two men where they ought to get a dozen; that trains are two hours and a-half late, and—

That is much too elaborate for a supplementary question.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the sentence of two months' imprisonment passed on three youths at the Heanor Petty Sessions for breaking the window of an omnibus during the recent general strike; in view of the youthfulness of these offenders, their previous character, and the circumstances of the occasion, will he consider reviewing the case with a view to a remission of the sentence; and whether he will say if any circular has been issued by his Department as to the composition of benches of magistrates in the trial of such cases?

As two of the four defendants have appealed, my right hon. Friend cannot go into this case. No such circular as suggested has been issued.

Does the hon. and gallant Gentleman consider that a bench of magistrates consisting of a coal-owner, a colliery manager, an ex-colliery manager and a colliery official is a fitting body to try two or three locked-out miners?

I cannot possibly discuss the constitution of a bench of magistrates. This is a very serious case, as my hon. Friend no doubt knows. An omnibus, containing school children, was stopped, stones were thrown at it, and the four people who were arrested cannot very well be described as youths, seeing that their ages are 17, 24, 23 and 31.

You describe the Prince of Wales as a young man, and he is 32.

They were convicted by the magistrates. Two of them have appealed, and if the hon. Member is not satisfied with the decision given by the magistrates, there will be an opportunity to have the case reviewed on appeal.

I am not discussing the sentence; I only want to correct two errors in the reply. [HON. MEMBERS: "Speech!"] Does the hon. and gallant Gentleman know that two of them are not 34, but 16 years of age, and is he further aware that the sentence is not in dispute, but the composition of the bench of magistrates to try cases of this kind?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any record is kept of the business firms which, since 1921, have applied for the benefits of the Trade Facilities Acts in connection with British-Russian trade; and, if so, can he supply the names of the firms?

There is nothing I can add to the replies given to questions on this subject on the 7th July, 1924, and 12th May, 1925, of which I am sending the hon. Member copies.

Has the right hon. Gentleman's attention been drawn to the tremendous headway Germany is making in regard to all kinds of machinery supplied to Soviet Russia, and does he not think that if better facilities were given it would be a means of increasing the trade of this country?

That is quite different from the question on the Paper as to what requests have been made for loans.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the recent official statement that the Trade Facilities Acts were not extended to Russia because that country had a credit trade balance with this country which was available for the financing of Anglo-Russian trade, he is aware that the purchases of the Russian trading organisations in Great Britain, including exports, re-exports, banking, insurance, and shipping charges and goods purchased on the London market, but shipped direct to Russian ports, for the years 1920–25 amounted to £88,333,207, whereas Russian sales in this country for the same period amounted to only £70,788,366, leaving a balance of £17,544,841 in favour of Great Britain; and whether, in view of the facts, he can now see his way to extend the provisions of the Trade Facilities Acts to Anglo-Russian trade?

The hon. Member, no doubt, has in mind a statement made by the Secretary of the Department of Overseas Trade, on 1st March, in Committee of Supply. The statistics quoted by the hon. Member appear in an article in the "Soviet Union Monthly," a publication issued by the Soviet Union Trade Delegation in London. I am unable to express an opinion as to the accuracy of these calculations. The Customs returns of the United Kingdom relating to the years 1921–25 inclusive show, however, that the imports from the Soviet Union during that period exceeded the exports to the Union by £22,343,893. With regard to the last part of the question, I have nothing to add to the statements made in this House from time to time on behalf of the Government, and more especially to the speech of the President of the Board of Trade on the 10th March last.

Then may I ask whether, as a fact, the figures used in the past by the Board of Trade on the balance of trade do not include any allowance at all for banking, insurance and shipping charges?

I am not able to say about that, but I do know that the figures quoted in the Soviet journal are on a totally different basis from the Customs figures, and for our purpose it is only on our own Customs figures that we can rely.

Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that we always look upon our figures with other countries as regards balancing or not in conjunction with services rendered for banking, insurance, shipping and so on, and if the Government base their arguments as to our trade with Russia on the balance of trade, will they not deal with the matter on the same basis?

That, I think, is quite a wrong assumption of the hon. Gentleman. The refusal to extend trade facilities to Russia is not on that basis. I think it is on an entirely different basis —on account of the Russian attitude to its own liabilities.

Will the hon. Gentleman explain why in any circumstances we, as a capitalist State, should supply capital to Soviet Russia, which has destroyed capital in its own boundaries and is anxious to destroy capital in this country as well?

Ask those Members who have been there, and who know.

asked the Minister of Health what efforts are being made by his Department to secure open spaces and recreation grounds for the inhabitants of Greater London and for the districts immediately adjoining this area?

The initiative in this matter rests with the local authorities. In so far as loans for the acquisition of land are subject to the consent of his Department, my right hon. Friend is willing to consider applications sympathetically, but loans may be delayed in some cases by heavy rates and the present need for economy. I may add that my right hon. Friend has made a practice of urging local authorities to reserve land for open spates in their town planning schemes.

May I ask whether any other authorities show any signs of following the excellent lead of Ealing and Acton?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department for what reason the residence of the Vice-Consul who was appointed for the district of Montenegro has been transferred from Cetinje to Gruz, Ragusa, which is not in Montenegro?

I have been asked to reply. The reason for the change is that from the British commercial and consular point of view, Gruz is of greater importance than Cetinje, and the general work can be done as well from Gruz as from Cetinje.

But did not the Vice-Consul's predecessor do very good work when he was resident at Cetinje?

As a matter of fact, there are very few consular or commercial duties at Cetinje, and the new post includes the whole of the Montenegrin district. Our consular representative at Gruz will be able to tour the outside districts.

asked the Home Secretary whether the Government are considering or will consider the removal of the control of London theatres from the Lord Chamberlain's Office to the London County Council?

Representations have been made to the Home Secretary as to the transfer of the licensing of theatres in the Central London area from the Lord Chamberlain to the London County Council, and my right hon. Friend has replied to these representations that the Government as at present advised are not prepared to support the transfer.

Does not the Government think that this great industry is better under the control, not of a Court Department, but of of a democratically appointed council?

There is a great deal to be said both for and against this position which has been taken up, and I am sure it is not advisable to discuss this by way of question and answer.

By whom have the representations been made?

I must have notice of that question.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the representations now being made to him from certain quarters as to the transfer of the Lord Chamberlain's control of the London theatres to the London County Council, he will, before arriving at any decision, take into consideration the objection of the theatres to any such change and their confidence in the administration of the Lord Chamberlain?

I would refer to the answer I have given to the previous question. My right hon. Friend, in dealing with this subject, has regard to all the relevant considerations, including the views of the theatrical managers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can give figures showing the number of accidents, fatal or otherwise, due to pillion riding on motor cycles during the last three years?

I have been asked to reply. I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer which I gave on the 8th February to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Dulwich (Sir F. Hall), of which I am sending him a copy.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that much of this pillion riding is due to the heavy tax on side cars, and will he represent that to the Chancellor of the Exchequer?

Are there no further figures since last February?

My answer was there were no figures to give.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has received the full amount of the Entertainments Duty on account of the British Empire Exhibition?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the annual charges, etc., per cent. in buying of dollars to pay our external loan to the United States of America?

The dollars required to pay the service of the British debt to the Government of the United States are purchased in the foreign exchange market in the usual way, and (apart from the normal exchange commission) no annual charges are incurred.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the loss incurred upon the production and sale of the Report of the Royal Commission on Coal?

The estimated loss to date is £2,144.

I proposed to put a Private Notice question to the Prime Minister regarding the coal situation as it is left by the breakdown yesterday afternoon. As, however, the right hon. Gentleman is not present, I propose to put the question tomorrow afternoon if that is convenient.

indicated assent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that the only direct tax on non-natives in Kenya Colony is the uniform poll tax of 30s., which in 1923 produced about £25,000 a year as against the £575,000 paid by the natives in direct taxes, and that the services given in exchange benefit the non-native much more than the native, the recommendations of the East Africa Commission with regard to the need of imposing a larger amount of direct taxation on the white settlers will be carried out?

I am awaiting the views of the Governor of Kenya regarding the recommendations to which the hon. Member refers. It should, however, be remem- bered that the receipts from so called direct taxation represent no more than approximately one-quarter of the total revenue, and that, while the greater portion of direct taxation is borne by the native, the greater portion of the indirect taxation falls on the non-native.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give us any idea when those views will be received?

I expect it to be shortly.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will appoint a special committee of qualified persons to consider and report as rapidly as possible on the bridges over the Thames in the London area and the approaches thereto, as to what additional bridges, if any, are required, or will shortly be required, and of these which, in the opinion of the committee is of the greatest urgency and should first be proceeded with; and, pending the Report of such committee, whether representations can be made to the Corporation of the City of London to defer further action with regard to the proposed St. Paul's Bridge?

I do not know whether my hon. Friend has received a letter from the Prime Minister saying he was unable to be present and asking him to postpone this question for a week? A letter was written to him. I am afraid it has not reached him.

No, I have not received the letter. But does the right hon. Gentleman realise the importance of the question being answered today, in view of the fact that the Corporation of the City of London are meeting tomorrow to deal with the question of St. Paul's Bridge, which is a vital point in the question which I have addressed to the Prime Minister?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has received protests signed by all the civil servants of Mauritius against the appointment of the two sons of the Chief Judge to positions in the Civil Service, and to the granting of a scholarship to a third son without any examination; and, if so, what action is he taking in the matter?

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

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the understandings reached at Geneva as to the numbers of British and ex-Allied troops in the Rhine zone, action will be taken to implement this agreement?

Although it is not clear to what occasion the Noble Lord's question refers, I am not aware that any understandings have ever been reached at Geneva as to the numbers of British and ex-Allied troops in the Rhineland. The policy of the ex-Allied Governments in this respect remains as set forth in the Note addressed by the Ambassadors' Conference to the German Ambassador at Paris on the 14th November, 1925, a copy of which has been laid before Parliament (Cd. 2527).

( by Private Notice ) asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been directed to the death of Mrs. Lily Maxwell from septicemia following child-birth and to the comments of the Kingston coroner relating thereto, and whether he proposes to hold an inquiry into the case?

My right hon. Friend's attention has already been called to this case, and an inquiry is now being made by one of the medical officers of his Department.

Will this inquiry be confined to this particular case, or will it include a survey of the whole question of the means of the prevention of this disease?

I think it is an inquiry simply into this one case, which as the hon. Gentleman knows, has rather special circumstances. [An HON. MEMBER: "There have been six deaths!"] We are confining ourselves, at any rate for the moment, to inquiry into this particular case.