asked the secretary of State for the Colonies if a copy of the despatch of the Governor of Kenya on the subject of research into native welfare and a proposed loan in relation thereto can be made available, or if he can supply information therefrom?

I would invite reference to my reply to the hon. Member for Cambridge University on the 24th of November. In the despatch in question the Governor indicated certain directions in which he considered that research should be undertaken. As his suggestions are under consideration, it would be premature for me to make any, detailed statement.

also asked the Secretary of State for tile Colonies if he can amplify the proposals for research in the Report of the East African Guaranteed Loan Committee [Cmd. 2701], based on the further information referred to in paragraph 104 of that Report?

The proposals of the local East African Governments for expenditure on research from the proposed £10,000,000 loan are not yet complete. As the question is one which affects all the Governments jointly, it has been arranged that local discussion and consultation should take place between them with a view to joint proposals being submitted.

further asked whether a director of the Amani Institute has been appointed, and, if not, what steps are being taken to re-organise the institute?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 22nd November to a similar question by the hon. Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Ramsden).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has yet decided the future status of the port of Kilindini, and, if not, whether he hopes to be able to do so in the near future?

As a purely provisional measure, and without prejudice to the final settlement, I have approved of the port being controlled as a railway service under the Transport Order in Council until the end of next year. I have informed the Governor of Kenya that I definitely do not propose to leave the port as a railway service, and that I reserve my opinion as to what other arrangements should be adopted for its future control.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he is aware of the effect which the absence of a reciprocal arrangement between Great Britain and the Union for the avoidance of double Death Duties has upon investments in South Africa; whether the double Death Duty is in existence in other Dominions; and whether the British Government will take steps in conjunction with the Union Government to find a means to abolish this double tax?

Section 20 of the Finance Act, 1894, provides for the making of arrangements for the avoidance of a double charge to Death Duties within the British Empire, and such arrangements have been made under the section in some 40 eases. The question of making a similar arrangement with the Union of South Africa has been under consideration, but it has not as yet been found possible to make such an arrangement within the terms of the section referred to.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that a report of a recent flying accident appeared in the Press, stating, without mentioning names, that two persons had been killed; and whether, in view of the unnecessary anxiety thus caused to the relatives and friends of many flying officers, he can take steps to ensure that a prompt official account of such accidents shall be published, stating the names of the casualties?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and I appreciate most fully the grave undesirability of the publication of the news of fatalities of this kind before the names can be stated. It should not, however, be forgotten that there are two obligations of humanity in this matter. One is, certainly, to avoid the painful anxiety which may be caused to a wide circle of relatives of many officers and men; but there is also that of sparing the feelings of the bereaved family. It is with the latter obligation in view that the Air Ministry have arranged not to issue a communique for 24 hours, in order to render it reasonably certain that the relatives will first have received the telegram notifying the casualty, even if they are away from home at the time.Of these two objects, the first is defeated if the news is published in the Press without names, and the second if it is published too rapidly with the names. News in one form or the other is, however, likely to reach the Press in less than 24 hours, at any rate, in the case of -home accidents.It is obvious that there is here a certain conflict between the claims of humanity and of journalistic enterprise, and I do not claim to pronounce dogmatically how it ought to be Resolved. But I may point out that the object which my Department has, and ought to have, in view can only be fully achieved by the newspapers themselves withholding publication until the official communique is received. I do not know whether, in this quite limited sphere, the Press could agree to a self-denying ordinance. If it were possible, the officers and men of the Air Force and their relatives would, I am sure, he very grateful, and the general public would, I think, be content to wait a few hours for the news.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware of the recommendation of the Indian Taxation Inquiry Committee that the Super-tax on companies should be converted into a Corporation Tax; and whether, in view of the effect such a change would have on companies operating in India who are registered in the United Kingdom, he will consider making representations to the Indian Government?

A copy of my hon. Friend's question is being sent to the Government of India, who, I am satisfied, realise the consideration involved.

asked the Minister of Pensions for what reason he has withdrawn the alternative pension awarded in 1919 to Mr. H. J. Ames, of Colville House, Talbot Road, North Kensington, and enjoyed by him until 1924, Mr. Ames being a disabled and pensioned man who has proved in the prescribed manner his pre-War earnings and shown that his present earnings, together with his pension, are together less than his previous earnings plus 60 per cent.?

It is a primary condition of the grant or continuance of alternative pension that there shall have been a reduction in the man's earning capacity on account of the disablement for which the man is pensioned. This condition is no longer fulfilled in the case of Mr. Ames, as experience of his capacity in his post-War employment has shown that his War disability does not prevent him from carrying out clerical duties similar to those which he performed before the War.

asked the Postmaster-General for how long the existing agreement with the Canadian Marconi Company will prevent the lowering of telegraph rates to Canada below the present cable rates; if the Beam system is a monopoly; and, if so, what company owns the rights?

Under the agreement with the Canadian Marconi Company the rates for telegrams by the AngloCanadian Beam Service may be altered at any time by mutual agreement between the Post Office and the company. When arranging for the opening of the service the Post Office proposed that the rates should be lower than the existing cable rates; but although the company were disposed to agree, they represented that they could not secure the co-operation of the companies which conduct the inland telegraph service in Canada, and the proposal had to be abandoned. The Marconi Company owns the patent rights in certain important parts of the plant used at the Beam stations.

asked the Prime Minister what steps he pro- poses to take with reference to the communication sent from the Government of Northern Ireland with reference to the publicity campaign recently conducted at Belfast by Lieut. E. H. Glendining, late Royal Irish Rifles, against the War Office?

I have been asked to reply. I am not aware of the communication to which the hon. and gallant Member refers.

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware of the extent to which card-sharping is practised on the train services in the Midlands, notably between Rugby and Nottingham; and whether he will call the attention of the railway companies concerned to the need for better supervision?

On making inquiry I am informed that no complaints have been received by the police either from the railway companies or from private individuals, and that the railway police state that cardsharping is not practised more extensively in trains travelling between Nottingham and Rugby than on other lines.

asked the Minister of Transport whether any steps have been taken, or contemplated, with a view to London motor omnibuses adopting four-wheel brakes and pneumatic tyres?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, who is the licensing authority for motor omnibuses in the Metropolitan Police District, fully approves of the fitting of omnibuses with front wheel brakes and pneumatic tyres provided that vehicles so fitted can pass the tests which he imposes to ensure their safety in use; one type of single-deck omnibus has already passed the test and JO of this type are to be tried in actual service. Of these four are already running. There are also a number of single-deck omnibuses in service in the Metropolis with pneumatic tyres but without front wheel brakes; but no satisfactory type of double-deck omnibus, with either pneumatic tyres or front wheel brakes, has yet been submitted for the Commissioner's approval.

asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been drawn to the remarks of Dr. Waldo, the Southwark coroner, at an inquest, held on the 23rd November, on a lad, George Stevens. who met his death in the Borough High Street; and whether any action is contemplated with a view to more adequate protection being afforded pedestrians and light vehicular traffic in that thoroughfare?

The accident to which the hon. and gallant Member refers is stated to have been due to the skidding of the bicycle ridden by the boy. Whether the bicycle skidded on the tram lines or on a metal plate between the lines is not clear, but the fact that the day was wet no doubt contributed to the accident. The question of making the streets safer for pedestrians and vehicular traffic is consistently engaging the attention of my Department, but I am unable to see how accidents due to the skidding of pedal cycles in wet weather can be entirely avoided.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses built for sale and for letting, separately, by private enterprise and by municipalities, separately, in the three years previous to Government subsidies and for each following year, and showing, if possible, the variations in the price of construction?

I regret that the information asked for by the hon. Member is not available.

asked the Minister of Health whether a person 86 years of age, and insured until a few weeks ago for unemployment benefit but, owing to his age, uninsured for National Health Insurance purposes, is treated as entitled to an old age pension without being subject to the means test?

The answer is in the negative, the Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, requiring, as a condition of the waiving of the means test in the case of a man, that he should have been insured under the National Health Insurance scheme when he attained the age of 70.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons who have been granted old age pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act up to and including September, 1926?

The number of persons in England, Wales and Scotland who were granted old age pensions by virtue of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, up to and including 30th September, 1926, is 96,619.

asked the Minister of Health the number of applications for pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, the number granted, and the number declined, up to and including September, 1926?

Up to and including the 30th September, 1926, the figures are as follow:

asked the Minister of Health the number of widows and orphans, under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, who were in that position before 1926 and are receiving pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act; and the number who have been granted pensions this year under the same Act?

Pensions have been awarded to, or in respect of, 130,998 widows and 13,840 orphans of insured persons who died before the commencement of the Act and to, or in respect of, 39,374 widows and 1,310 orphans of insured persons who died after the commencement of the Act.

asked the Minister of Health the present number of recipients of Poor Law relief; and whether there has been an increase or decrease during the past two years?

The total number of persons in receipt of Poor Law relief in England and Wales on the 13th November, 1926, was, approximately, 2,223,000. This number is 1,160,000 greater than the corresponding number on 15th November, 1924. These figures do not include lunatics in county and county borough asylums, casuals and persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only.