asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that a number of prison officers at Parkhurst and elsewhere are being compelled to retire from the Service at the age of 55 years; and if he will state the Act of Parliament under which this policy is directed?

Under the Superannuation (Prison Officers) Act, 1919, subordinate prison officers are able to retire with a pension at the age of 55. This privilege carries with it the corresponding liability to be called on to retire by the head of the Department at any time after reaching the pensionable age of 55. The case of each subordinate officer is accordingly reviewed by the Prison Commissioners when he reaches the age of 55 and periodically thereafter, and a decision is taken as to whether, in the interests of the Service, the officer's services should be continued.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been directed to the verdict of the coroner's jury on the deaths by burning of Mr. and Mrs. Rook and their infant child at a fire at No. 6, Borough Road, on 2nd October this year; and whether he will consider the advisability of amending the Coroners Bill by making the provisions of the City of London Fire Inquest Act applicable to the whole country, with a view to the adoption of methods of more efficient fire protection?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The second part of the question appears not to arise, for it is already the duty of coroners everywhere in England and Wales to hold inquests on bodies of persons killed by fires. As regards suggestions that coroners generally should be empowered, as in the City of London, to hold inquiries concerning non-fatal fires, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply, which appears in the Debates issued to-day, to a question asked by the hon. Member for Central Southwark (Colonel Day).

asked the Home Secretary (1) whether he proposes to publish the Report of the inquiry on the Dolgarrog disaster;

(2) whether the charges of poor materials and indifferent construction of the Dolgarrog dams have been reported upon in the report submitted by Messrs. Alexander Gibb and Partners; and, if so, what action he proposes to take in the matter?

I do not think there would be sufficient demand for copies of the report in question to justify printing it at Government expense, but I have placed a copy in the House of Commons Library so that it may be accessible to hon. Members. I have communicated with the companies controlling the dams and am assured that they are carrying out immediately the various works necessary to satisfy the requirements of the firm of engineers who made the report. I am informed also that this firm has been engaged by the companies to supervise the work as it proceeds and certify to its satisfactory execution.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has offered the University of London a sum of money in order to provide for the headquarters of the University at South Kensington the additional accommodation which is so urgently needed; and, if so, the amount of the sum?

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given on the 9th November by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington, South (Sir W. Davison).

asked the President of the Board of Education the total amount of money that has been expended, either from the Exchequer or local rates, for education at the Welwyn Garden City?

An elementary school for over 400 children to serve the area of Welwyn Garden City has been provided at a total cost, including the site, of about £11,000, and extensions are now being built to provide for about 400 more children, at a total estimated cost of about £17,000. I cannot separate the expenditure incurred by the county council in maintaining this school from their total expenditure on elementary education, which, including loan charges, amounts to about 237s. per child.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs if he can state the net figures (balance outwards) of British migrants to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, from 1st from January last to the latest date available; and the corresponding figures for the same period of 1923, 1924, and 1925?

The net balances outward of British migrants

Balance Outward to 1923.* 1924. 1925. 1926. British North America … … 61,877 43,407 21,525 32,786 Australia … … 18,070 17,691 17,156 23,369 New Zealand … … 2,727 4,263 6,168 8,148 * The figures for 1923 unavoidably include some of the migrants from and to the Irish Free State.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of his statement that at the end of June 41 definite applications under the White Paper relating to the safeguarding of industries had been received by his Department, and that of them 21 had been rejected as not disclosing a prima facie case for reference to the Committee, while two were withdrawn, he can give the names of the 23 industries referred to?

No, Sir. As I have frequently stated, I think it is in the interests of British industry that we should continue to conform to the policy followed under the previous Act, and decline to disclose the industries which may have made application in accordance with the White Paper, and have failed to establish a prima facie case.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has received a resolution passed at a meeting of the Trecynon and District Free Church Council, Aberdare, calling his attention to the distress prevailing in that district as the result of the present coal crisis, and urging the Government to take immediate steps to alleviate this by authorising the guardians to supply, by way of relief, boots and clothing to the families affected; and what action the Government propose taking in the matter?

from the United Kingdom to British North America, Australia, and New Zealand, during the eight months January to August, 1926, and the corresponding net figures for the same period of 1923, 1924 and 1925, were as follow:

My right hon. Friend has received the resolution referred to by the hon. Member. Since the beginning of the coal stoppage this union has borrowed sums amounting to £297,000, of which £272,000 has been advanced on the recommendation of the Goschen Committee, and a further advance of £30,000 has been promised to enable the guardians to meet their expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in what districts the payment of out-relief to miners' wives and, children has been stopped; whether he is aware that there is serious privation in many districts; and whether he will take immediate steps to communicate with the authorities in those areas which have ceased to pay out-relief, with a view to a resumption of such payments?

I am sending the hon. Member a list of 27 parish councils which have, according to the information in the possession of the Board of Health, passed resolutions to stop relief. Notwithstanding these resolutions, many of these parish councils have instructed the inspector of poor to give relief, where necessary, to prevent injury to health through destitution, while, in the remaining parishes in the list, the Board have advised the inspector of poor as to his duty to prevent injury to health. So far as the Board are aware the inspectors of poor are acting on this advice and the parish councils concerned are acquiescing. The Board are in close touch with the whole situation, and inquiries are made forthwith into any cases of hardship brought forward. No acute destitution is believed by the Board to exist, but any specific instances which the hon. Member cares to submit will be investigated.

asked the Secretary for Mines, if he is aware that certain public utility undertakings in Lancashire have considerable stocks of coal, whilst industrial undertakings in the same districts are closed for want of fuel and many hundreds of workpeople thus deprived of the means of earning their livelihood; and will he take steps to release these stocks for industrial purposes?

I have full statistics of the stocks of public utility undertakings in Lancashire, and I can assure the hon. Member that they are far from being sufficient to allow of the transfer of any portion of them for industrial purposes.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total cost of all the Royal Commissions and Committees on coal that have sat since the War?

The expenditure borne on the Royal Commissions Vote has been as follows: £ s. d. Coal Industry Commission, 1919 3,291 11 6 Mining Subsidence Commission 3,241 12 7 Coal Industry (1925) Commission 5,885 7 5

The Vote for the Ministry of Labour has borne the following expenditure on Courts of Inquiry under the Industrial Courts Act, 1919: £ Buckmaster Court of Inquiry, April-May, 1924 71 Macmillan Court of Inquiry, June-July, 1925 181

The total of the above items is £12,670. This total excludes the cost of printing the various reports, since in the time available it has not been possible to ascertain the revenue derived from sales which must be set off against the cost of printing.

In addition there have been numerous Departmental Committees and Boards set up by the Home Office, the Mines Department and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, but the cost of these since the War is not readily available and considerable expenditure of time and labour would be involved in procuring the figures.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of men and women on the live registers of unemployed in Dundee; whether he is aware that under the Boot housing scheme some 400 men are absorbed in industry for every 500 houses authorised; and whether he is prepared to consider any proposal under which, through municipal employment upon urgent public utilities and the absorption in industry of numbers of the unemployed at the Employment Exchange, he would be prepared to share the resultant saving to the Unemployment Fund with the local authority, thus diminishing the cost of such services to the ratepayers as well as causing large savings to the Unemployment Fund?

The numbers of men and women on the unemployed live register of the Dundee Employment Exchange were 5,639 and 3,558 respectively at 1st November, 1926. I have no means of checking the figures given in the second part of the question, but I understand that a considerable proportion of the work under the scheme referred to can be carried out by unskilled or semiskilled labour. As regards the last part of the question, I have no power under the Unemployment Insurance Acts to use any portion of the Unemployment Fund in the manner suggested, and I would point out further that houses erected under the "Boot" system, provided they comply with the conditions laid down under the Act, would be eligible for a subsidy from public funds on the same terms as those applicable to other systems.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the abnormal unemployment arising from the coal dispute, he will be prepared to reconsider his circular to local authorities relative to the cutting down of relief works?

I can hold out no hope of a change of policy in this matter.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the Senate in France has been recommended by the Commercial Committee to ratify the Washington Hours Convention, and that in Germany a ratifying Bill is to be introduced into the Reichstag this month; and what steps he proposes to take in order to give effect to the ratification of the flours Convention, which was originated by representatives of the British Government and was further endorsed by the recent London Conference?

I understand that the Commercial Committee of the Senate in France has reported in favour of a Bill which provides for the conditional ratification of the Washington Hours Convention. I am also informed that the German Government contemplates the introduction of legislation designed to carry out the provisions of the Convention, but I do not know when it is to be introduced. With regard to the last part of the Question, my right hon. Friend explained, in reply to a previous question on this subject on the 30th June, that the examination of the results of the London Conference had necessarily to be postponed owing to the pre-occupation of the Government with the industrial situation. I regret to say that the course of events since that date has not so far made it possible to carry the matter any further.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will lay before the House the Report of the delegation sent out by him to the United States to study industrial and labour conditions; and, if so, when it is to be expected?

I am not yet in a position to make a statement with regard to the Report of this delegation which is still pursuing its inquiries.

asked the Postmaster-General whether a postmaster is entitled to refuse for acceptance at his office letters stamped with unused postage stamps of Queen Victoria; and, if so, whether there is any method of obtaining a refund of the facial value of such stamps from the post office, money value having been paid for them in the past?

Postage stamps issued in the reign of Queen Victoria are not available for the prepayment of correspondence. Under arrangements notified at the time in the "London Gazette" and the Press, the last issues of the stamps of this reign were invalidated on the 30th June, 1915; and the public were allowed to exchange them for cash until the end of that year and no longer. The answer to the last part of the question is therefore in the negative.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the possibility of instituting entrance by open competition for the Government wireless and cable services instead of confining entry to these services to boy messengers?

Vacancies for male operators in the Post Office wireless and cable services are not filled directly by boy messengers, but by the transfer of fully qualified telegraphists already employed in other branches of the Post Office service. I consider it desirable to maintain this arrangement. The existing scheme of recruitment to the classes of telegraphist and sorting clerk and telegraphist provides for the holding of open competitions when required, as well as for the selection of boy messengers, and special facilities exist for the admission of qualified ex-service men.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is now in a position to make any statement as to the reduced mail service across the Pentland Firth and as to the resumption of the normal service?

I regret that continuance of a restricted mail service across the Pentland Firth is still necessary, but I have been able to arrange that the days of sailing as from 15th November shall be Monday, Wednesday and Friday as suggested by the hon. Member. The resumption of the normal service is dependent upon the coal situation.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the decision of the French Government to use vacuum cleaners for grooming horses as an economy in personnel; and whether he intends experimenting in this direction?

I had not heard of this decision, but am having inquiry made.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the total cost involved in the naval exhibition of aerial and marine warfare, including the cost of ammunition and other explosives used during the recent visit of Dominion Premiers and friends to the Fleet at sea?

The visit to the Atlantic Fleet of the Dominion Premiers and friends was arranged to give our overseas visitors an opportunity of seeing the Fleet engaged in its ordinary duties at sea. The firing and other exercises were part of those which the Fleet is required to carry out normally in the course of the year, and the fuel, ammunition, etc., expended were specially reserved for the occasion from the annual allowances, and involved no extra cost whatever.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what price the Scottish Board of Agriculture paid for the farm of Eriboll, in Sutherlandshire; and what price has been received for it by the Board on its resale by them?

Eriboll Farm was purchased by the Board of Agriculture for Scotland for the sum of £12,000, and has been sold for the sum of £10,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Board of Agriculture for Scotland has sold the farm of Eriboll, Sutherlandshire; the price at which it was sold; and whether a loss or profit has been made?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I have given to-day on this subject to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Kidd), and of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the cause of delay in the provision of small holdings in the district of Waternish, Skye; and whether he can state any definite date when the holdings will be ready for occupancy?

The schemes prepared by the Board of Agriculture for Scotland in respect of certain lands at Waternish have been referred by me to the Land Court for report in pursuance of Section 9 of the Land Settlement (Scotland) Act, 1919. I understand that the lands have been inspected by two members of the Land Court with a view to the preparation of their report. Pending the receipt and consideration of the Land Court's report I am not in a position to reply to the second part of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the attitude of His Majesty's Government towards the new local surtaxes imposed by the Canton national government?

His Majesty's Government have joined with the other interested Powers in making a formal protest against the levy of these local taxes as a violation of treaty rights.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what Government and to whom the new Minister designate to China, Mr. Miles Lampson, has been accredited?

Mr. Lamp-son's credentials are addressed to the President of the Republic of China. He has been instructed to defer the presentation of his letters until there is a President to whom His Majesty's Government are able to accord recognition, and in the meantime to communicate copies to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Peking and to invite him to recognise him informally as Minister in order to enable him to enter upon his duties provisionally.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any further details in connection with the bombardment of Wanhsien?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given yesterday by my right hon. Friend to the right hon. Member for Platting (Mr. Clynes).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that the amounts due to pre-War creditors of the city of Budapest are being held up; if this payment was agreed to by the International Committee; and if he will make representations in the proper quarter?

I am aware that the Budapest municipality had, until recently, failed to come to an agreement with their foreign creditors for the payment of their pre-War obligations, but in the Press of 10th November it was reported that a partial settlement of these claims has now been reached. Although His Majesty's Government have not been approached on the subject by the British creditors, my right hon. Friend is prepared to request His Majesty's Minister at Budapest to report on the present situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the Mexican Government has not carried out its obligation to British creditors under the agreement of July, 1922; and if he will make representations to the Mexican Government?

The agreement to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers was one between the Mexican Government and an international committee of bankers. It was modified by a further agreement ratified by the President of Mexico on 7th January, this year. The reasons why the Mexican Government desired modification are fully set out in the preamble to the latter agreement and were accepted by the international committee of bankers. No request for diplomatic representations by His Majesty's Government has been received from the British agents of the international committee with whom, if my hon. Friend desires it, I will place him in touch.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what action has been taken with a view to investigating the cases of alleged corruption in the Bombay City Police Force.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the cases noticed in the Annual Report for 1925. I am informed that exhaustive inquiries were made by the Commissioner of Police into all the cases which were brought to his notice and that suitable action was taken against all police officers found guilty—by the Bombay Government in those cases which required their orders and by the Commissioner with the support of the Bombay Government in others.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what action has been taken with a view to dealing with the growing tension with regard to Hindu-Moslem hostility throughout India?

The action which Government has taken and can take may be divided into moral action, on the one hand, and, on the other, legal or executive action. On the moral side, which is by no means the least important, I would refer, in the first place, to the earnest appeal which was made by the Viceroy to the two communities to put away these feelings of hatred and intolerance. I am glad to think that this appeal had considerable effect. In the second place, the local officers of Government have been using all their influence to effect agreement between the different parties and to promote a conciliatory spirit. On two occasions recently, the first in October, 1924, the second in June, 1926, the Government of India have addressed all local Governments with a view to emphasising the importance of these methods.

The legal and executive action takes two main forms. In the first place there are the preventive and regulating orders issued by local officers with a view to preserving the peace and the material precautions which they take by the disposition of police forces and the assistance of the military to ensure that order is maintained, or if a riot breaks out, it is suppressed with the utmost promptitude. In very numerous cases these precautions, which entail a great strain on the local officers, have been completely successful in preventing disorder or quelling it promptly. In the second place, whenever it has seemed desirable, the local Governments have instituted prosecutions against individuals or newspapers stirring up communal feeling, and the law has recently been strengthened so as to facilitate legal action against the distribution of pamphlets of an objectionable character, which do great harm in exciting feelings of hatred between the communities. The executive in Calcutta have been armed with special powers by means of an emergency law, to remove dangerous characters from the city. The Government of India, in fact, have made and will continue to make full use of all their powers, whether of influence or law, to check these manifestations of hostility and to preserve order, and, in spite of the tense state of public feeling, and the outbreaks which it is inevitably liable to produce, they can claim confidently that the general situation is well in hand.

An important debate took place in the Legislative Assembly in September last on the police and action of Government in regard to these communal troubles. The Resolution recommending Government to take certain further action was eventually withdrawn after an interesting and frank discussion of the problem, the Assembly in effect realising that there was no specific action they could recommend the Government to take in addition to what it was already doing. The Government, however, made it plain that they would in no way relax their present efforts, and the Viceroy has already stated that he will be at any time prepared to consider the desirability of convening a conference of the leaders on both sides, if he is satisfied that there is some reasonable probability of benefit resulting from it. It was pointed out in the Assembly debates that a conference held at an inopportune moment might do more harm than good, and there was no pressure for immediate action on these lines. I can assure the hon. Member that both the Government of India and the local Governments continue to watch the situation with the utmost care, and will be ready at any time to take such further action as the circumstances may seem to require.

asked the Minister of Transport when it is intended to introduce the new traffic legislation?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on the 9th November to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Duckworth), of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the amount of subsidy paid to each sugar-beet company operating in this country in respect of sugar produced in the season 1925–26; and whether he will give in each case the number of tons produced, indicating how much of the subsidy paid was in respect of sugar and how much in respect of molasses?

The following statement shows for each beet sugar factory in Great Britain the amounts of subsidy paid in respect of sugar and molasses and

Factory. Sugar. Molasses. Total Subsidy paid. Quantity. Subsidy. Quantity. Subsidy. Tons. Cwts. £ s. d. Tons. Cwts. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1. Cantley 17,022 6 331,934 17 0 4,684 17 41,734 7 7 373,669 4 7 2. Kelham 4,432 17 86,224 5 10 1,317 2 11,733 6 2 97,957 12 0 3. Ely 9,620 10 187,599 15 0 3,404 13 29,405 11 6 217,005 6 6 4. Ipswich 2,951 16 57,034 1 2 687 18 3,945 10 0 60,979 11 2 5. Colwick 8,195 9 159,947 12 9 — — 159,947 12 9 6. Kidderminster 3,243 0 63,163 15 2 — — 63,163 15 2 7. Wissington 2,498 14 48,725 2 10 1,084 15 4,663 16 6 53,388 19 4 8. Bury St. Edmunds. 3,807 15 74,251 12 2 2,215 2 19,732 14 3 93,984 6 5 9. Greenock 145 13 2,759 4 7 151 2 1,346 1 3 4,105 5 10 Total 51,918 0 1,011,640 6 6 13,545 9 112,561 7 3 1,124,201 13 9

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the view expressed by agricultural interests to the effect that sugar beet cannot be regarded as a permanent feature of British agriculture unless at the end of the subsidy period some further measure of protection is granted by the State; and whether the new factories now being erected, as the subsidy begins to fall, are receiving any promise, unofficial or official, that this further help will be forthcoming?

I am not aware that, the view referred to has been expressed by responsible agricultural interests. The answer to the latter part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether sanitary inspectors are entitled to inspect and isolate cattle under the Tuberculosis Order of 1925 or under any other Order; and whether he has received any complaints from agricultural interests that sanitary inspectors are adopting this practice?

Sanitary inspectors are sometimes appointed by local authorities as inspectors for the purposes of the Tuberculosis Order of 1925. In such cases they might be empowered to serve

the quantities of sugar and molasses upon which such subsidy was paid during the 1925–26 manufacturing season:

notices on the owner of a suspected animal pending the veterinary examination required by the Order. I have received no complaints from agricultural interests that sanitary inspectors are acting under the Tuberculosis Order as veterinary inspectors, but if my hon. Friend will communicate to me particulars of any case which has been brought to his notice, I shall be pleased to investigate it.

asked the Minister of Health whether any information is available showing the amount of money expended, nationally or locally, in clearing slum areas; and whether, if such information is not now available, he will consider the collecting of it either for a period retrospectively or for the future?

The latest statistics available are those relating to the loans sanctioned to local authorities for the purposes of slum clearance schemes. Since the War loans amounting to £2,023,435 have been sanctioned by my right hon. Friend's Department in connection with such schemes—£389,367 in connection with the acquisition of property and £1,634,068 for rehousing. In addition the London County Council have expended £236,545 for the acquisition of slum property and £608,554 for rehousing and have sanctioned loans to metropolitan borough councils amounting to £42,956 and £24,181 for such purposes respectively. In total these sums represent an expenditure of £2,935,671 on slum clearance.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can give any informa-

(a) London County Council.—Range of Weekly Nett Rents charged at Council's Housing Estates under the Housing Acts of 1919, 1923 and 1924. — Becontree. Bellingham, 1919 Act. 1919 Act. 1923 Act. 1924 Act. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 2 rooms (flats) 7 9 — 9 0 7 6 — 8 0 7 6 — 12 0 10 0 — 11 3 3 rooms (flats) 8 6 — 10 6 — — — 3 rooms (houses) 9 3 — 12 6 9 6 — 11 0 9 9 — 12 6 13 6 — 14 3 4 rooms (non-parlour) 10 6 — 14 3 10 6 — 14 9 10 3 — 14 6 14 6 — 16 3 4 rooms (parlour) 11 6 — 13 6 10 9 — 13 6 11 3 — 14 0 15 0 — 16 3 5 rooms 12 6 — 16 0 12 9 — 14 3 12 3 — 15 3 16 6 — 17 9 6 rooms 16 6 — 18 0 — — —

— Old Oak, 1919 Act. Norbury, 1919 Act. White Hart Lane. 1919 Act. 1924 Act. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 2 rooms (flats) — — 9 6 — 10 3 9 3 — 9 6 3 rooms (flats) — — 11 0 — 11 9 — 3 rooms (houses) 9 9 — 11 9 9 6 — 15 0 12 6 — 13 6 — 4 rooms (non-parlour) 11 0 — 12 3 11 0 — 15 9 13 6 — 15 0 — 4 rooms (parlour) 12 0 — 14 3 12 3 — 16 6 14 6 — 15 9 — 5 rooms 13 6 — 16 9 17 0 —18 0 15 6 — 16 9 14 3 — 14 9 (flats). 6 rooms — — — —

— Roehampton. Downham, 1924 Act. 1919 Act. 1923 Act. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 2-room flats … … 11 0 — 11 6 — 9 0 — 10 9 3-room flats … … 12 6 — 13 6 — 10 0 — 11 0 4-room flats … … — — 11 6 — 12 0 3 rooms (house) … … 11 6 — 15 6 11 6 — 12 6 10 3 — 13 6 4 rooms (non-parlour) … … 12 6 — 17 0 12 6 — 13 6 11 3 — 14 6 4 rooms (parlour) … … 13 6 — 15 3 13 6 — 15 0 12 3 — 15 3 5 rooms (house) … … 14 6 — 21 3 — 13 0 — 16 9

tion comparising the level of rents charged for houses built under the Housing Acts of 1919, 1923, and 1924, respectively?

The following tables give particulars as to the rents, exclusive of rates charged by (a) the London County Council and (5) by certain metropolitan borough and county borough councils, for houses erected by them under the three Acts in question.

(b) Weekly rents charged by certain Metropolitan Borough and County Borough Councils for houses built by them under the Housing Acts of 1919, 1923 and 1924. Local Authority. 1919 Act Scheme. 1923 Act Scheme. 1924 Act Scheme. Non-parlour Houses. Parlour Houses. Non-parlour Houses. Parlour Houses. Non-parlour Houses. Parlour Houses. No. of Bedrooms 2 3 2 3 4 2 3 2 3 4 2 3 2 3 4 Metropolitan Boroughs: s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Hackney 8 7 — — 14 6 — — — 16 0- 19 6 — — — — — — 19 6 Kensington — — — 16 0 18 6 — — — 19 0 — — — — — — Lambeth 10 0 12 0- — 15 0 — — 15 0- — 18 0 — — — — — — 10 6 12 6 16 0 Poplar 7 4 8 5 — 10 0 11 0 7 10 9 0 — — — 7 10 9 0- — — — 12 11 Wandsworth — 14 0 — 15 6 — — 14 6- — — — — 13 6- — — — 15 0 14 0 County Boroughs: Birmingham — 7 0- 7 0 8 3- 9 6 — 7 9- — 9 0- — — 7 9- — 9 0- — 8 6 10 6 11 3 8 0 10 6 8 0 10 6 Bolton 8 6 9 0 11 0 12 0 11 0- — — — — — 8 6 8 9- — — — 11 6 10 0- 10 6 Bradford 6 4 6 8 — 9 3 10 3 6 4 6 8 — 9 3 10 3 6 4 6 8 — 9 3 10 3 Bristol 7 6 8 6- — 10 0- — — 6 6- — 9 6- — — 7 6 — 8 6 — 9 6 11 6 9 6 11 0 Cardiff — 8 6 — 10 0 — 7 0 8 6 — 10 0 — — 8 6 — 10 0 — Croydon — 12 0- 15 6- l7 0- — 12 0 13 0 — — — 10 6- 12 0 — 12 6- — 13 6 16 0 17 6 12 0 15 0 Kingston-upon-Hall 8 0 9 0- — 10 9- — 8 0 9 0 — 10 9 — — — — 10 5 — 9 6 11 6

Local Authority. 1919 Act Scheme. 1923 Act Scheme. 1924 Act Scheme. Non-parlour Houses. Parlour Houses. Non-parlour Houses. Parlour Houses. Non-parlour Houses. Parlour Houses. No. of Bedrooms 2 3 2 3 4 2 3 2 3 4 2 3 2 3 4 County Boroughs —contd. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Leeds — 7 3- — 9 3- 11 0- — — — — — 8 5 9 10 — — — 9 0 11 0 12 0 Leicester 7 0 7 6- — 9 6- 12 0- — 8 0 — 10 0 — — 8 6 — 10 0 — 8 9 13 0 12 6 Liverpool 9 9 10 3 11 0 11 6 12 0 — 9 6 — 10 9 — — 9 9 — 11 0 12 0 Manchester 7 0- 9 0- — 11 0- 12 6- 7 0- 9 0- — 11 0- 12 6- 7 0- 9 0- — 11 0- — 8 0 10 0 12 6 15 0 8 0 10 0 12 6 15 0 8 0 12 0 12 6 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 7 6- 9 6 — 11 0 12 3 7 0 8 0- — — 11 0 6 2- 7 8- — — 12 5- 8 0 9 6 9 0 10 10 13 1 Plymouth — 8 3 — 10 0- 12 6 — 8 3- — 10 0- 12 6 — 8 3- — 10 0- 12 6 8 9 10 6 8 9 10 6 8 9 10 6 Portsmouth 8 0 8 3 — 9 6 10 0 — — — — — — 11 0 — 12 6- — 13 6 Salford — 8 6 — 10 6 12 6 8 0 8 6 — — — 8 0 8 6 — — — Sheffield 7 0 8 6 — 10 0 — 7 0 8 6 — 10 0 — 7 0 8 6 — 10 0 — Southampton 9 0- 10 9- — 11 6- 14 6 — — — — — — — — 9 0- — 10 3 11 6 13 2 11 0 Stoke-on-Trent 7 9- 9 0- — l0 0- 12 6- 6 6 — — 9 0 — — 8 6 — — — 8 6 10 0 12 0 13 0 Sunderland — — — — 17 0 — — — — — 8 0 9 0 — — — Swansea — 7 0- — 9 0- — 7 0 8 0- — 10 0 — 8 0 8 6- — 7 9- — 8 6 10 0 8 6 9 6 10 10

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses erected in England, Scotland and Wales to the latest available date, indicating how

— Numbers of houses erected. With State Assistance. Without State Assistance. Total. England (excluding Monmouth) … … … 440,053 272,500* 712,553 Scotland … … … 45,019 8,702† 53,721 Wales (including Monmouth) … … … 26,818 15,700* 42,518 511,890 296,902 808,792 * These figures are only approximate. Returns were not obtained before October, 1922, and the numbers of houses included as erected prior to that date are based on estimates. † In Scotland returns are obtained yearly and figures are not yet available as to the numbers of houses erected since December, 1925, without State assistance between that date and the 1st October, 1926.

asked the Minister of Health the total amount expended on poor relief in England and Wales in the six months ended 30th September, 1926; the amount expended in the corresponding period of 1925; and the amount contributed in each of the two periods to the total expenditure by local rates?

I regret that the information desired is not available and that even for the yearly periods for which this information is collected it cannot be available until some time after the close of the financial year. The amount distributed as out-relief for the six months ended 30th September, 1925, was £7,000,000 and for the six months ended 30th September, 1926, £13,000,000. The total amount expended on poor relief in the financial year 1924–25 was £36,840,000. Of this £31,200,000 was contributed by local rates. In the financial year 1925–26 a sum of £31,400,000 was contributed for poor relief from local rates.

asked the Minister of Health if he has received a resolution from the Tyldesley District Council urging the Ministry of Health to require

many of these have been built with the aid of the subsidy?

The following table shows the approximate numbers of houses completed since the War in England, Scotland and Wales:

boards of guardians to raise money granted by them in relief in cases due to industrial disputes by means of loans repayable over a term of years instead of making immediate calls on overseers of the poor for such money or, in the alternative, to authorise overseers of the poor to raise money called for by the guardians for this purpose by similar means; and what he intends to do in the matter?

My right hon. Friend has received this resolution. In suitable cases he is consenting to abnormal expenditure of guardians being spread over a short period of years.

asked the Minister of Health what action it is proposed to take in regard to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on National Health Insurance.

I cannot at present add anything to the answer given on this subject to the hon. Member for Kirkcaldy (Mr. T. Kennedy) on the 15th July, 1926.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that there is apparently a considerable disparity between the claims for treatment benefit made upon the several approved societies by their members, particularly in the case of dental benefit, which arises from the degree of information on the subject conveyed to the membership by the central offices of the societies; whether all approved societies have carried out the instructions contained in Circular A.S. 253, paragraph 15, issued by the Ministry of Health; and whether he will inquire into the method employed by all approved societies in informing their members of their rights in connection with additional benefits?

The number of claims for dental and other treatment benefits in proportion to membership undoubtedly varies as between the different approved societies, but this may be due to a variety of causes, and I have no evidence that it is to be explained by the failure on the part of some societies to carry out the requirement that they should send notice to all their members of the additional benefits provided. I do not think it necessary to inquire of every society as to the manner in which this requirement was carried out, but if the hon. Member will inform me of any particular case in which he has reason to think that the requirement was neglected, I will have the matter investigated.

asked the Minister of Health whether any, and, if so, what alterations have been made, or are proposed, in the arrangements, recently described by him, for the hearing of appeals by applicants whose claims to pensions by virtue of the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, are rejected by the Minister; whether the proposed précis of the more important cases decided on appeal has yet been published; and, if not, when is it likely to be published?

No alterations have been made, or are at present contemplated, in the arrangements for the hearing of appeals under the Contributory Pensions Act. The work of compiling a précis of the more important decisions is now in hand, but I am not yet in a position to say when the material will be ready for publication.

asked the Minister of Health the total amount of meat purchased by the Metropolitan Asylums Board during the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; and what proportion of this total was home produce?

To obtain precise figures of actual purchases would entail considerable labour in the examination of the books of the 36 institutions under the management of the Board, but the estimated purchases for the year ended 30th June, 1926, were as follows: Stones. Foreign meat … … 118,999 Colonial meat … … 45,664 English meat … … 7,916 172,572

asked the Minister of Health the number of men and women higher clerical officers, respectively; and what is the number of male clerical officers in his Department who are classified as A, or above average for promotion purposes?

The number of higher clerical officers, men and women, now serving in my Department, is 207 and 41 respectively; the number of male clerical officers who are classified as A, or above average for promotion purposes, is 30.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the grounds upon which so large a number of women clerical officer posts are being filled by young girls straight from school, while there exist in the various Departments more than enough writing assistants and typists who have been classified as specially suitable for promotion to fill all existing vacancies?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on the 4th August last to the hon. Member for Islington South (Mr. Cluse). The normal method of recruitment, to the clerical class is by open competition.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the suggestion put forward on behalf of the tailors and garment workers of this country that unemployment would be relieved by the better distribution of clothing contracts over the whole of the year; how many Departments order their own clothing; and how co-ordination could be secured amongst these Departments to ensure action on the lines suggested by the workers specified.

The desirability of so arranging contracts for tailoring work as to relieve the seasonal unemployment in the trade has been brought to the notice of the purchasing Departments from time to time both by the Tailors and Garment Workers' Union and the Ministry of Labour. The procedure adopted by the Admiralty for the supply of uniform clothing enables the work to be spread over the year. The amount of the contracts placed with the trade for Army and Air Force uniforms are inconsiderable, but the possibility of spreading them so as to relieve unemployment during the trade's slack months is engaging the attention of the War Office and the Air Ministry. The purchase of standard patterns for the civil Departments is concentrated in the General Post Office, which already distributes over the whole year deliveries of uniform clothing. The small purchases of other Departments would not have any appreciable effect on the seasonal unemployment in the trade.