asked the Minister of Agriculture how many applications for land for small holdings to county councils and county borough councils in Wales are still awaiting decision?

The number of applicants for small holdings in the Welsh counties and county boroughs who had not been provided with small holdings on the 31st March,. 1926, was 1,774. Of these, 1,140 had been approved, while 634 were awaiting interview or standing over. Of the 1,140 approved applicants, 290 were ex-service men who applied before 1st December, 1920, and were therefore entitled to preference, while the remaining 850 were either ex-service men who applied after that date, or civilians.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many acres of land have been acquired since the 31st December, 1924, by county councils and county borough councils in Wales for the provision of small holdings; and how many applicants have been furnished with holdings since that date?

The area acquired by county councils in Wales for the provision of small holdings during the period from 1st January, 1925, to 31st March, 1926, was 333 acres, the number of holdings provided thereon being 20. The returns received by the Ministry show that the total number of applicants provided with holdings during the same period was 113.

asked the Minister of Health the number of men and women who are now in receipt of old age pensions as a result of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, and the number who are now drawing increased pensions as a result of the same Act.

On the latest figures available for England, Scotland and Wales, 20,460 new old age pensions have been awarded, and 7,680 have been increased to Ws, a week, as a result of the Contributory Pensions Act, 1925. It is not at present possible to show separately the awards to men and to women.

asked the Minister of Health the total number of claims for widows' pensions up to the end of June, and the number of claims rejected?

The total number of claims for widows' pensions received for England, Scotland and Wales to the end of June was 200,465: 41,933 claims were rejected, and, in addition, 2,740 were withdrawn.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in connection with the abolition of the means test under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, the words "continuously insured" are treated as meaning that the person in question must have been insured since 29th April, 1925, to the date on which he attained 70 years of age, or whether persons who were 70 before 29th April, 1925, will benefit by the removal of the means test if they were paying National Health Insurance at the time they attained this age?

The position is as stated in the latter part of the question.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will investigate the circumstances attending the refusal of full pension to Mrs. Blackwell, 7, Henniker Road, E.15, Case No. 3,286?

An appeal has been made to the Minister by the pension officer against the decision given on the 3rd ultimo by the West Ham Local Pension Committee, allowing Mrs. M. A. Blackwell a pension of 4s. a week as from the 21st May last, the ground of the appeal being that no proof has been given that the claimant has attained the age of 70. The appeal will be investigated by my Department, and if it appear that the claimant has reached the statutory age for an old age pension I will carefully consider the question of the rate of pension to which she is entitled.

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the resolution passed by the Conference of the Rural District Council's Association regarding the withholding of Government grants without explanation to the local authorities concerned; and will he state What action is being taken in this regard?

I am informed that no such resolution was passed by the Conference of the Rural District Councils' Association, and I know of no complaints that Government grants are withheld without explanation.

asked the Minister of Health the aggregate loan indebtedness of all the local authorities in this country, indicating by aggregate totals how the different sums of money have been borrowed and on what security?

The outstanding loan debt for capital purposes of all local authorities in England and Wales on the 31st March, 1924, amounted to £820,262,540. The sum of £61,822,041 was standing to the credit of sinking funds towards the repayment of so much of that loan debt as was repayable by means of sinking funds. The returns received by my Department do not afford sufficient details to enable me to give the precise information asked for in the last part of the question, but I may say that nearly the whole of the loans raised by local authorities have been borrowed on the security of their rates and other revenues.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the cost of a patient resident in a Poor Law institution in the Parish of Willesden is 49s. per week and that the guardians of the Parish of Willesden require relatives of persons chargeable in these institutions to pay this amount; and if he will state how this charge is made up, in order that the public may understand the difference in the cost of maintenance of a person on outdoor relief and the cost of maintenance in an institution?

I am making inquiries, and will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health how many women clerical officer posts in his Department have been filled recently by the promotion of writing assistants, members of the typing grades, and the appointment of open recruits, candidates in limited competitions for temporary women, and transfers from other Departments, respectively, during the years 1923, 1924, 1925, and 1926?

The following table shows the manner in which women clerical officers' posts in this Department have been filled during the years 1923–1926:

Manner in which filled. 1923. 1924. 1925. 1926. By promotion from writing assistant — 13 — 14 By promotion from typing grades — 3 — — By open competitive examination 1 — 46 3 By competitive examination limited to temporary clerks — — 3 — By transfer 3 4 30 2

In addition, 10 writing assistants and three shorthand typists have recently been put on trial for clerical duties, and the promotion to the clerical class of such of these as successfully complete the test will be made in due course.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether His Majesty's Office of Works treats night-watchmen supplied by the Corps of Commissionaires under contract as being under the sole and complete control of His Majesty's Office of Works and as being workmen, within the meaning of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906, whose service constitutes employment under the conditions laid down in the Superannuation Act, 1887, for gratuity and pension?

Night-watchmen are not now supplied to His Majesty's Office of Works by the Corps of Commissionaires under contract.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are normally taken by his Ministry to ensure that local authorities, on whom rests the responsibility for the provision of adequate playing fields, are carrying out the duties imposed on them?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Acton on the 9th ultimo. I may add that the local authorities have statutory powers and not statutory duties in this matter.

asked the Home Secretary by what public authority permission

is given for the holding of motor-cycle races on public highways; and what precautions are taken, when such events are being held, to warn the public that the races are about to take place with resultant danger to pedestrians?

No public authority has power to grant permission for the holding of motor-cycle races on public highways. As a result of complaints received, I issued a Circular last year to chief constables advising them that no facilities for motor races on public highways should he granted and that it was the duty of the police to take the necessary steps to prevent the use of the highway for that purpose.

asked the Home Secretary if he will give the names of the county authorities which are employing women police?

The following is the list: Gloucester, Lancashire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, West Sussex, West Riding of Yorkshire.

asked the Home Secretary the number of articles and parcels left at the Lost Property Office, Scotland Yard, during the last 12 months, together with the number of such articles or parcels returned to claimants; and will he consider the advisability of causing a charge to be made upon the claimants for all lost property claimed at this office?

The number of articles deposited in the course of the 12 months ended 30th ultimo was 165,874, and the number restored to the owners was 67,957. As I stated in reply to another question on Monday, I am considering the suggestion in the last part of the question.

asked the Home Secretary whether birth in Palestine from alien parentage gives the same right to claim at 21 years of age British nationality which persons of similar origin have if born in England or elsewhere in territory under the British Flag; and which are the countries that claim a right to refuse re-entry to their nationals on the ground that they have become undesirable or diseased, or that they have lost identification papers which are made necessary by municipal law apart from international practice?

A person born within His Majesty's Dominions has no need to claim British nationality on reaching the age of 21. On the other hand, a person does not by reason of birth in Palestine acquire British nationality, nor any right to claim it on attaining majority. As regards the second part of the question, it is the accepted practice that a Government cannot refuse to admit to its territory a person whom it recognises as one of its nationals.

asked the Home Secretary the number of aliens convicted of capital offences in this country in 1923, 1924 and 1925, respectively?

One in each of the years 1923 and 1924; none in 1925.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he is now in a position to state why Dr. Stoecker and Mademoiselle Marcelle Lebel, two Communist delegates, who were refused admission to this country by the Home Office in May, 1925, were allowed to appear at the Communist Conference in Glasgow despite the ban?

I have been asked to reply. These aliens were, no doubt, aware that they would be refused admission if identified, and, from inquiries made at the time, I satisfied myself that they managed to enter the United Kingdom for a brief period surreptitiously.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of platinum imported into this country from Russia during the last 12 months?

The value of platinum registered as imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland and consigned from Russia during the 12 months ended 30th June, 1926, was £1,547,328.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the names of the British Broadcasting Commission have yet been decided upon; and whether he will state what are to be their qualifications and also their emoluments?

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement on this subject in the Debate on the Post Office Estimates.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the danger caused by telegraph poles in narrow highways, in particular those in the Lake district, and of the difficulties experienced by road authorities in securing the removal of such telegraph poles to safer positions than they are now in; and what action he is prepared to take in the matter?

Representations are received from time to time from road authorities to the effect that telegraph poles are standing in dangerous positions and where the complaint is well founded the poles are removed. I shall be glad to hear of any case my hon. Friend cares to bring to my notice.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he can give the approximate number of those who attended the Air Force display on Saturday last; and what sum of money was raised for the charities concerned?

I regret that this information is not yet available.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been drawn to the dilapidated condition of the school situated at Cold Knucles, Ryhope, and the complaints of the parents of the children attending the school as to its unsanitary condition, and to the fact that the pupils have to be removed from place to place when rain is falling so as to prevent their getting drenched; and whether he will give permission to the local education authority to at once replace it by building another school?

I assume the school to which the hon. Member refers is the Ryhope Council School. I am aware that the premises of this school are unsatisfactory, though I have received no complaints from parents of children attending it. The school has been placed in Schedule B of the list of schools with defective premises recently issued by my Department to the local authority. I have received no proposal from the authority to replace the school, but, I am prepared to consider any proposals which they may submit in this case as part of their scheme for dealing with the problem of defective school accommodation in their area.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the losses sustained by British investors in French War-time issues as a result of the depreciation of the franc, he will consider making representations to the French Government, on their behalf?

No, Sir. I think this is rather a matter for the French Government.