asked the Minister of Labour whether he will furnish a return showing for the insurance years 1924–25 and 1925–26 the aggregate amounts paid in unemployment benefit and received in contributions from the workers, employers, and the State, respectively?

The following Table gives approximate figures — Insurance Year 1924–25. Insurance Year 1925–26. £ £ Total Benefit 44,570,000 43,660,000 Contributions— Workers 17,340,000 15,790,000 Employers 19,280,000 17,760,000 War Service Departments (for Ex-service Men). 300,000 340,000 Exchequer 13,150,000 13,000,000 50,070,000 46,890,000

In addition to Unemployment Benefit the Unemployment Fund bore charges in respect of administration, interest and compensatory payments in respect of abolition of refunds, etc. The amount of the Exchequer contribution for the insurance year 1925–26 is subject to adjustment.

asked the Home Secretary the number of prisoners who have escaped from His Majesty's Convict Prison, Parkhurst, during each of the last 10 years?

In the years 1915 to 1918 inclusive, no prisoner escaped from Parkhurst Convict Prison. In succeeding years the numbers were: 1919 … … … … 2 1920 … … … … 0 1921 … … … … 1 1922 … (escaped twice) 1 1923 … … … … 0 1924 … … … … 0 1925 … … … … 2 1926 … … … … 2

asked the Minister of Health the amounts owing by the various boards of guardians in the administrative county of London on account of expenditure on outdoor relief?

The total indebtedness in respect of current expenses on the 30th September last in each of the Unions in the administrative county of London in which up to that date an overdraft had been authorised or a loan had been raised for current expenses was as follows: £ Bermondsey … … 70,605 Bethnal Green … … 82,920 Greenwich … … 99,545 Stepney … … 192,008 Woolwich … … 45,123 Poplar … … 551,500

I am unable to allocate this indebtedness between out-door relief and the other current expenditure of the Guardians.

asked the Minister of Health whether the rule under the National Health Insurance scheme that sickness must be notified within three days of its occurrence, and sickness benefit can only be claimed as from the date when notification was made to the society of the insured person, is or can be waived in cases where proper medical evidence is forthcoming as to the date when sickness commenced?

It is essential to the proper administration of sickness benefit that an insured person should send prompt notification of his illness to his society, and it is expressly laid down in Section 13 of the National Health Insurance Act, 1924, that if notice is not given within three days of the commencement of incapacity the title to benefit shall not accrue until the day following that on which notice is given unless the insured person can satisfy his society that he was not reasonably able to give earlier notice. My right hon. Friend cannot undertake to introduce the legislation which would be necessary to give effect to the suggestion of the hon. and gallant Gentleman.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has any information regarding the interference with ordinary wireless receiving which has resulted in Cornwall from the operation of the new beam system of communication with Canada; and whether, if so, he will approach the Marconi Company, with a view to the protection of the interests of owners of private receiving sets?

I am informed that the operation of the Post Office Beam Station at Bodmin does not interfere with broadcast reception in Cornwall, provided that suitable receiving apparatus is used. Some interference has been experienced by persons in Cornwall conducting experiments in transmission and reception on short waves, but I am afraid that this may be unavoidable.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider recommending the payment by His Majesty's Government of the balance of the loss incurred (namely 2s. 6d. in the £) by members of His Majesty's forces as a result of the failure of the M'Grigor Bank?

I regret that I am unable to consider the question of any addition to the grant already made by the Government, the amount of which was determined after full consideration of all the circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will request His Majesty's representatives abroad to furnish particulars of any instance where compulsory voting at Parliamentary and local elections is in force or has been tried, and with what degree of success or otherwise?

I am reluctant to lay upon His Majesty's diplomatic representatives abroad the labour of collecting this information. My hon. and gallant Friend will recollect that in 1922 reports were placed in the Library of the House on the working of systems of compulsory voting in Belgium and the Netherlands, and I have no reason to think that experience elsewhere has furnished very different results.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the total length of service of each man discharged from His Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport, since the beginning of September, 1926?

The following are the particulars of the men under 60 years of age discharged "on reduction" from the 1st September to the 13th November, 1926, at Devonport Dockyard: Length of Service. Number of Men. Less than 1 year … 10 Between 1 and 2 years … 31 Between 2 and 3 years … 29 Between 3 and 4 years … 8 Between 4 and 5 years … 1 Between 5 and 6 years … 1 Between 6 and 7 years … 1 Between 7 and 8 years … 1 Between 8 and 9 years … 3 Between 11 and 12 years … 3 Between 13 and 14 years … 2 Between 14 and 15 years … 1 Between 16 and 17 years … 3

In addition 25 men who had reached the age of 60 years were discharged "on reduction" in the same period; the service of these men men ranged from two years to 31 years. A further 54 men were discharged for other causes (age, infirmity, own request, etc.) with service ranging from less than one year to 41 years.

asked the Attorney-General whether he has received the Report of the departmental committee on costs in Crown cases; whether it is proposed to publish the same; and whether the Government now propose to take action to place the successful litigant in such cases in a position identical with that of successful litigants in other cases?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. With regard to the last part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on Monday last to the hon. Member for Central Southwark (Colonel Day), a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the number of established clerk-shorthand-typists, and established clerk-typists, respectively, employed in county court offices; and what is the number of temporary clerk-shorthand-typists and clerk-typists, respectively, employed in similar offices in London, in intermediate, and. in provincial towns?

I have been asked to reply. No clerk-shorthand-typists, either established or temporary, are employed in County Court offices. The number of established clerk-typists employed in these offices is 30 and the number of temporary clerk-typists 22. Of the temporary clerk-typists six are employed in London, five in intermediate and 11 in provincial towns.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Report of Lord Meston's Committee on Exchequer contributions and grants-in-aid has yet been received; and, if not, whether it is proposed to publish the evidence given to the Committee?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. I understand that the Com mittee proceeded on the assumption that notes of the evidence taken would not be published, and these are not in a form suitable for publication.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount of War debt due to Great Britain from Estonia; and what amount has been paid to the last convenient date?

The debts due by Estonia to this country are (1) a relief debt of £251,000 and (2) a debt for supplies furnished during the Estonian War of Independence which amounts to £917,200. Estonia, in accordance with the terms agreed upon in regard to these debts, has to date repaid £3,859 18s. 3d. of the capital of the relief debt and also interest at 6 per cent. to 31st December, 1924, and at 5 per cent. thereafter on the capital outstanding, and has paid £40,000 in respect of the debt for supplies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can make any statement with regard to the suggestion of various Metropolitan public authorities suggesting that assistance from the motor taxation funds be given, with a view to relieving the charges upon the rates, for the supply of policemen engaged in traffic control?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many cases of foot-and-mouth disease have occurred this month and during October, and in how many of these cases has the origin of the outbreak been traced?

Seven outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease occurred in October last and five have occurred during the present month. The seven outbreaks in October were caused by infection from existing centres of disease in Northamptonshire and Shropshire. Of the five November outbreaks, the two in Middlesex and Buckinghamshire constitute a new centre of disease whose origin has not been ascertained. Three outbreaks in Kent and Sussex were confirmed within four days, and are probably due to some common origin which has not yet been discovered. It is known that they are not directly connected by stock movements. The infection in these three cases probably came from Continental sources, and inquiries are still in progress.