asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the proportion to the value of the trade in foreign and British hands, respectively, of the fees levied for services to the Falkland whale fishery, and what is the total of the accumulated fund from such fees; is he aware that the fees are very moderate; and is he prepared to increase them or to take other steps that would facilitate the extension of the Depen- dencies Research and Development Fund to extending its inquiries as to the preservation of other large mammals besides whales?

The export duties referred to in the first part of my hon. Friend's question are levied on a sliding scale varying with the price of whale 'oil, and averaged about 3s. 6d. per ton, or, roughly, ½ per cent, on last year's prices. In view of the speculative nature of the industry, it would be imprudent to contemplate any increase of the rates in present circumstances. I have not got the precise proportions of the trade passing through British and foreign hands respectively, but, about two-thirds of the trade is handled by Norwegian firms.The total standing to the credit of the Research and Development Fund on the 31st May, 1926, was £260,000, against which there are heavy outstanding liabilities.As regards the last part of the question, the fund is raised solely for the benefit of the Dependencies whence it is derived. The committee on whose advice it is administered was constituted to study the needs of the particular region, and it is not practicable to extend their scope to work on behalf of other areas or to deal with totally different types of mammals.

asked the Minister of Transport how long he proposes to allow the present road between Lyme Regis and Charmouth to be used; if he is aware that there have been numerous accidents on this road owing to its steep gradient and bad surface; and whether he will take immediate steps to construct the new road which is already planned?

I am aware of the state of the present road, which has been affected by land slides, and my Department has been in consultation for some years with the Dorset County Council regarding a substituted highway, proposed to be constructed by that council with financial assistance from the Road Fund. I am informed that, on grounds of economy, the council have now decided to defer the execution of the project.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of the imports into this country from Russia in 1924 and 1925?

As stated in a reply, which was circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT for 22nd March last, the value of the imports into the United Kingdom, registered as consigned from Russia, was £19,774,000 in 1924, and £25,329,000 in 1925.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the glace kid trade has applied for protection under the Safeguarding of Industries Act; and, if so, on what date?

It has been the invariable practice not to state what industries have or have not applied under the Safeguarding of Industries procedure, except on the appointment of a Committee of Inquiry, and I regret, therefore, that I cannot give the information which my hon. and gallant Friend desires.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has hem drawn to the services of two Japanese warships in rescuing at great risk the crew, of the British steamer "City of Naples," which vessel stranded on a submerged coral-reef off Myakoshima Island on Tuesday, 15th June; and whether His Majesty's Government will make suitable recognition of this deed?

I am informed that the Admiralty have sent a telegram of grateful appreciation of these services to the Japanese Navy and Merchant Service through the British Naval Attaché at Tokio. The full official reports of the rescue have not yet been received, and I am, therefore, not in a position to say whether any further recognition should he accorded.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if he is aware that Garrards House, in Water Street, Lavenham, a very rich half-timber building with carved figures on the door jambs and beautiful ceiling, is about to be removed to America; and whether he will take any steps to prevent tins removal?

I assume the house referred to is in the village of Lavenham. The First Commissioner has learned with great regret that this house is being demolished, but the Department has no evidence that it is to be exported to America. Intervention by the Office of Works under the Ancient Monuments Act would involve purchase or the payment of compensation, for which at present funds are, unfortunately, not available.

asked the Home Secretary-the number of certificates of naturalisation granted, and the number refused, for aliens for each of the 12 months ended the 31st May, 1924, 1925 and 1926?

If the hon. Member will permit me, I will give the annual figures as published for past years. For 1924, there were 933 certificates of naturalisation granted and 127 refused; for 1925, 1,074 certificates were granted and 266 refused. For the first five months of the present year 584 certificates have been granted and 73 refused.

asked the Home Secretary the number of police (England and Wales) and prison officers under special schemes (England and Wales) who are employed under conditions providing for superannuation payments on retirement; and will he give distinguishing particulars, if any, of the pensions which are on a contributory basis?

I do not understand the hon. Member's reference to special schemes. All the 57,168 members of police forces in England and Wales and the 2,069 established male prison officers serve under pensionable conditions; the scheme under the Police Pensions Act, 1921, which applies to the former is contributory, but that under the Prison Officers (Superannuation) Act, 1919, is not.

asked the Minister of Health whether any Regulations have been issued by the Ministry of Health designed to prevent the use of public libraries supported by the rates being used for political meetings, some of which are of a character which is out of accord with the majority opinion of many of the ratepayers?

No, Sir. The Public Libraries Acts do not confer on me any power to impose such a Regulation. The management of a public library is a matter for the responsible local authority.

asked the hon. Member for Monmouth, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the total acreage which has now been planted under the Forestry Commission; and what is the cost per acre of planting?

The total area which has now been planted in Great Britain by the Forestry Commission is 71,051 acres. The average cost of planting during the six seasons 1920–25 was £8 5s. per acre, including preparing the ground, draining, fencing, plants and planting, beating up and weeding, but not supervision. The accounts for the 1926 season will be made up at the end of the forest year in September next.

asked the hon. Member for Monmouth, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the estimated acreage to he planted for 1926 by the Forestry Commission?

The Forestry Commission's planting programme for next season starting in October, 1926, is 22,600 acres.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what has been the total sum paid by the Slough Trading Company for the acquisition of that property; what was the original estimate of the Disposal Board of the value of the property and what it contained; and what was the sum that the Slough Trading Company originally agreed to pay when it entered into possession of the property?

I presume my hon. and gallant Friend refers to the depot property at Slough, which was sold with all surplus stocks of mechanical transport at home and abroad to the company, under an agreement made on the 9th April, 1920. For the depot property the company actually paid to the Government a total of £1,983,899 3s. and are due to pay a further sum of £81,438 15s. by 16 half-yearly instalments, the first of which becomes payable on the 31st December next.The total cost of the depot property to the Government was, approximately, £2,500,000, and the amount which the Slough Trading Company originally agreed to pay for that property was £3,350,000. As regard the circumstances under which the lesser sum was accepted from the company, would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to paragraph 61 of the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General on the Civil Service Appropriation Accounts for 1924–25, from which it will be observed that a valuation by an independent valuer of the depot property as between a willing seller and a willing purchaser was made as at 31st December, 1924, and amounted to £508,585.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the pamphlet issued by His Majesty's Stationery Office containing a Report of the Budget speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer was paid for out of public funds; whether the postage of the same to various people was paid from the same funds; and, if so, on what Vote will these charges appear?

The reply to the first and second parts of the question is in the affirmative. The cost of the printing and paper (£18 10s.) is borne on the Vote for Stationery and Printing, and the cost of postage is borne by the Post Office. I may add that these arrangements have obtained for many years.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of civil servants at present employed by the Government who were in receipt of Civil Service pensions, military pensions, naval pensions, and police pensions, respectively?

Section 20 of the Superannuation Act, 1834, provides for the suspension or abatement of a pension awarded under the Superannuation Acts in the event of a retired civil servant in receipt of a pension under these Acts being re-employed in an office in a Public Department. As regards the other

—		31st March, 1925.	31st March, 1926.
		£	£
Income Tax	…	33,645,000	25,500,000
Super-tax	…	25,000,000	23,383,000
Excess Profits Duty (including Munitions Levy)	…	131,063,000	112,500,000
Corporation Profits Tax	…	14,587,000	11,962,000

These figures are provisional estimates, which are subject to revision, and the figures given for Excess Profits Duty bear no relation to the amount of duty to be ultimately collected, which will fall far short of the amounts in assessment.

asked the President of the Board of Education the approximate average age on retirement of teachers in receipt of pensions, and the average duration of such pensions?

The average age at retirement of teachers in receipt of pensions under the Teachers (Superannuation) Acts, 1918–25, is about 63 in the case of men and about 62 in the case of women. Information is not available as to the average duration of such pensions. Figures relating to the earlier Acts would

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the estimated amount of arrears of direct taxation outstanding on the 31st May, 1925, and 1926, respectively?

I regret that I am unable, without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour, to give any estimate of the arrears of direct taxation outstanding at the 31st May. The following are the latest estimates of the amounts of Income Tax and Super-tax due to be paid, but not paid, and of the gross arrears of Excess Profits Duty and Corporation Profits Tax outstanding, at the 31st March, 1925 and 1926, respectively:not be comparable, as these Acts applied only to certificated teachers and the pensions for which they provided were not payable before the age of 65 was reached.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount expended on fighting services in England during the financial years 1914–15 and 1925–26; the total amount expended on similar Services by Italy during the corresponding period; and the percentage relation borne by these amounts to the national revenue of the two countries?

The following statement gives such particulars as are readily available, but I am unable to say how far the Italian figures can be treated as comparable to our own.