asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of saving to the Exchequer in respect of the cut in the cost-of-living bonus in the Civil Service, which took effect on 1st September last?

The automatic revision of cost-of-living bonus which took place on 1st September last was on an average cost-of-living figure of 70 as compared with 80 at the date of the previous revision. A fall of 10 points in the average cost-of-living figure is estimated to result in a reduction of expenditure on the bonus of permanent staff and the salaries of temporary staff at the rate of approximately £2,740,000 per annum or £1,370,000 over a period of six months. This reduction was anticipated and taken into account when the Estimates for the current financial year were framed.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury: whether the procedure adopted by the Ministry of Pensions of substituting established, officers of the rank of higher executive and above for unestablished officers appointed to the permanent class has been sanctioned in other Departments; and, if so, what is the additional cost likely to fall on public funds during the current financial year?

I understand that the position which has arisen in the Ministry of Pensions is due to the particular circumstances existing in that Department, and that no additional cost is involved in the changes referred to.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that on the creation of the P class for ex-service men in the Civil Service, one condition was that, although any of this class would be liable to transfer to other Departments the terms of payment should remain the same as when they were employed as temporary clerks, and that the salaries of about 20 P men, recently transferred from the Department of Overseas Trade to various tax offices in the London area, have, in the majority of cases, been reduced by amounts varying from 18s. to 25s. per week, he will take steps to remedy this?

I think that my hon. and gallant Friend is under a misapprehension. The agreed conditions of service for this class do not provide for the retention by individuals of the rates of pay of the particular grade in which they may have been serving at the time of selection if posts in that grade cease to be available, or of the rates of pay appropriate to a particular working week, but prescribe that where it is necessary to transfer clerks they shall receive the scales of pay and be subject to the conditions of service of the posts to which they are transferred. In the cases referred to, in which certain clerks employed in the Overseas Trade Department became redundant in that Department, the only posts available for them were posts as grade III clerks conditioned to a 42-hours week.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Government Printing Establishments will be laid upon the Table of the House before the prorogation of Parliament, in view of the fact that the Report. was prepared as long ago as March last; and what is the reason for the delay?

I understand that the Committee were within a short distance of completing their report before the Summer Recess, but that no meeting has been held since. I am not able to state the cause of this further delay, nor when the Report will be laid before the House.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether extensions are being made to His Majesty's Stationery Office, Harrow; and, if so, the date when such extensions are to be completed?

An extension of the Stationery Office Press at Harrow, for which provision was made in the Estimate for Public Buildings, Great Britain, is in progress. It is expected that the work will be completed by the end of March.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department when the balance sheet of the British Empire Exhibition will be published, in view of the fact that the final call on the guarantors has been paid?

I am informed by the liquidators that while a final call of 5s. in the £ has been made, only 2s. 6d. has been actually called up for payment, and it is hoped that no further payment will be necessary. A summary of the liquidators' receipts and payments made up to the 10th November, 1926, being one year after the date of the appointment of the liquidators, was presented to a meeting of the members of the association held on the 25th November last. On completion of the liquidation a further statement of account will be furnished to the members of the association and to the guarantors giving particulars of the liquidators' total receipts and payments.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of strikes and stoppages there have been in this country since the Armistice?

The number of industrial disputes involving a stoppage of work reported to the Ministry of Labour as having begun in Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the period 12th November, 1918, to 30th November, 1926, was 6,629. Very small disputes involving less than 10 work-people or lasting less than one working day are not included in this figure.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is now able to state when the building of the new central post office in Tottenham will be commenced?

It is hoped to commence this building in the early part of the new year.

asked the Postmaster-General the approximate number of postal franking machines of all types and manufacture now in use?

Approximately 650.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he proposes to take any action with regard to the communication he has received from the Board of the Derby Union complaining

NUMBER of applications for Extended Benefit considered by the Local Committees at Tonypandy and Treorchy and the results of such applications during the period 9th February, 1926,* to 15th November, 1926.
Period.	Tonypandy.				Treorchy.
	Applications considered.	Applications recommended for		Postponed for a definite period.	Applications considered.	Applications recommended for		Postponed for a definite period.
		Allowance.	Disallowance.			Allowance.	Disallowance.
1926.
9th Feb. to 8th March	954	896	58	—	342	305	37	—
9th March to 12th April.	2,137	2,058	74	5	459	442	17	—
13th April to 10th May.	1,198	1,147	51	—	430	424	6	—
11th May to 14th June.	1,555	1,526	29	—	389	387	2	—
15th June to 12th July.	1,438	1,421	17	—	402	400	2	—
13th July to 9th August.	1,116	1,107	9	—	427	419	8	—
10th August to 13th Sept.	1,680	1,652	28	—	539	522	17	—
14th Sept. to 11th October.	2,215	2,195	20	—	450	442	8	—
12th October to 15th Nov.	3,185	3,139	18	28	556	551	5	—
TOTAL—9th Feb. to 15th Nov.	15,478	15,141	304	33	3,994	3,892	102	—
* Figures prior to 9th February are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of applicants in the Rhondda Valley who have been refused benefit during each month of the pre-

On receipt of the communication referred to by the right hon. Member, inquiries were instituted, but they have not yet been completed.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons that applied for extended benefit in each month of the present year at the Tonypandy and Treorchy Exchanges and the number of cases in which benefit was refused?

The figures are as follow:sent year after a rota committee has recommended that benefit should be granted?

The figures are as follow:Number of applications for extended benefit in the areas of the Pontypridd, Tonypandy and Treorchy Employment Exchanges in which benefit was recommended by the local committees but was subsequently refused during the period 12th January, 1926, to 15th November, 1926.

Period.	Number of applications refused.
1926:
12th January to 8th February	—
9th February to 8th March	14
9th March to 12th April	26
13th April to 10th May	38
11th May to 14th June	15
15th June to 12th July	10
13th July to 9th August	32
10th August to 13th September	45
14th September to 11th October	70
12th October to 15th November	44
Total—
12th January to 15th November	294

The number of applications for extended benefit dealt with by the local employment committees in these areas during the period was 24,826.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland under what Regulation or authority the owners of the "Dunarn Castle" and "Hebrides" are increasing their freights to the Western Highlands?

The owners of the vessels referred to do not require to obtain authority for any revision of their freight rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can state the amount of loans granted to the various parish councils in Scotland, in relief of distress, for the financial year 1925–26, and for the period since the beginning of the present financial year, with the rate of interest chargeable thereon?

Loans amounting to £848,000 were authorised by the Board of Health in the financial year ending 15th May, 1926, including £268,000 from the relief of unemployment Vote. Since 16th May, 1926, loans amounting to £13,100 have been authorised by the Board, and in addition, since August loans amounting to £460,180 have been made from the relief of unemployment Vote to parish councils who have been unable to obtain further overdrafts from banks. The rate of interest on loans from the relief of unemployment Vote was the rate current for loans from Government sources at the time the loan was raised and varied from 4¾ per cent. to 5 per cent. I have no information as to the rate paid for loans from other than Government sources.

asked the Minister of Health if he will make inquiries as to why no mention of vaccination was made on the death certificate of the young man of 19, whose name has been privately given to his Department, who recently died from acute anterior polio-myelitis 14 days after vaccination?

The certification of the cause of death is a matter which rests entirely with the medical practitioner in attendance. Inquiries have, however, been made into the circumstances associated with the death in question, and I am informed that vaccination was not entered on the death certificate because in the opinion of the certifying practitioner vaccination was not a primary, secondary, or contributory cause of death.

asked the Minister of Health whether the two small-pox patients who were removed to the Willesden Isolation Hospital from a nursing home in Brondesbury, on or about 29th October last, had been vaccinated; how long these patients were under medical treatment in London before it was discovered that they were suffering from small-pox; whether it is now possible to say where these persons came from on their arrival in London; and what steps have been taken to trace the origin of the disease?

My right hon. Friend is informed that both these patients had been vaccinated; the interval between vaccination and attack by small-pox was approximately 26 years in one instance, and 44 years in the other. In one instance the patient. was under medical treatment for 19 days, and in the other for four nays, before a diagnosis of small-pox was made. Both persons had been staying in Paris before their arrival in London, and the first case was presumably infected in France, while the second case was a contact with the first.

asked the Minister of Health whether the vaccination of the young man of 19 who recently died about 14 days after vaccination, and whose name has been given privately to him in a letter, dated the 19th November, from Mr. Arnold Lupton, was performed with Government lymph?

No, Sir.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is able to give the House information as to the extent of the epidemic of smallpox among the Indian community in Natal, in view of the danger of infection in India itself?

My noble Friend has no information on the subject.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he will inform the House of the results of the recent conference of finance members at Delhi; and whether any decision was arrived at with regard to the establishment of an inter-provincial road fund?

My noble Friend the Secretary of State for India has not yet received the Report of the Conference to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he will inform the House whether a proposal by the Government of India for a commission of inquiry was made prior to the substitution of Europeans for Indians in certain offices in the Government of Hyderabad?

No such proposal was made; nor is there any reason why such a proposal should be made as a preliminary to administrative changes of the kind referred to in the question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India (1) whether a State contribution is provided for in the family pension scheme now under the consideration of the Government of India for the All-India Services other than the Indian Civil Service; and, if so, whether this State contribution is to be similar to that granted to the Indian Civil Service Family Pension Fund;(2) whether he is aware that the Indian Police Service is the only police force in the British Empire in which no provision is made for the families of deceased police officers; and whether, in view of the recommendation of such a provision made by three Royal Commissions during the past 20 years, he is in a position to say whether proposals are now being considered to remedy this undesirable state of affairs;(3) whether the services affected by the family pension scheme now under the consideration of the Government of India have been consulted in any way, either officially or through their recognised associations, as to the acceptability or otherwise of the proposals embodied in the scheme; and, if not, whether steps will be taken to ascertain opinion on this subject?

A family pension scheme for European members of the All-India Services, including the Imperial Police Service, is at present under the consideration of the Government of India. The Government of India's views have not yet been received, and I regret that I cannot give any details of it at present. The services affected will be consulted before any scheme is brought into operation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is intended to make any alteration in the leave conditions of officers employed in Nigeria?

No, Sir, but I would recommend to the hon. Member a study of the report of my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State on West Africa, which deals with this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now in a position to state the actual quantity of rubber held in the East on the 31st October last against unused export. rights; whether the amount of rubber Colncides with the unused coupons issued; and, if not, what action will be taken in regard to the excess of unused coupons against which no actual rubber was stored at the end of October?

The figures available show that a proportion of the unused permits outstanding on 31st October in Ceylon and Malaya was held without an equivalent amount of rubber. After giving full consideration to the issues involved and with the concurrence of the Governments concerned, I have come to the conclusion that no interference with the validity of such permits would be justified. On the 31st of October there were outstanding unused permits in Ceylon to an amount representing approximately 15,000 tons of which 7,000 tons were held with rubber. In the Malayan restriction area permits outstanding were of an amount representing 24,839 tons, of which dealers held 6,315 tons with full equivalent of rubber, and producers in the Federated Malay States with properties of over 100 acres held 6,507 tons with 4,129 tons of rubber. Similar information in regard to the smaller producers in the Federated Malay States, and producers generally in the rest of the Malayan restriction area is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, taking six cities each in France, Germany, and Italy of equivalent size to Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow; Cardiff, Newcastle, and Sheffield, he will obtain Reports from His Majesty's representatives abroad as to the municipal rate which exists in each of them as compared with the rate existing in the cities mentioned in this country?

I will make inquiries whether the information desired by the hon. and gallant Member can be obtained and presented in a form which would be of any real value. He will appreciate that British and foreign methods of local taxation differ so greatly that it is possible that comparisons would only be misleading.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it was made a condition of the remission by Great Britain of a portion of debts owing to this country by the Portuguese Government that Portugal should effect the complete abolition of slavery in Portuguese Colonies; and whether this condition has been carried out?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The second part, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Home Secretary the number of proceedings that have been instituted for breaches of the Theatrical Employers Registration Act, 1925, and the nature of the penalties inflicted as a result of such prosecutions?

The Home Office has no complete record of prosecutions under the Theatrical Employers Registration Act, 1925, but proceedings against 10 persons for offences under the Act have been brought to its notice. In eight of these cases convictions were recorded and fines inflicted varying from £1 ls. to £10. In the two remaining cases the charges were dismissed.

asked the Home Secretary if he will consider the amendment of the ticket-of-leave licence of John Finley, of Portsmouth, in order that he may again live with his wife?

There is nothing to prevent Finley living with his wife if and when he is again at large upon licence, provided he does not annoy or Molest her, and does not live in or go to Portsmouth.

asked the Home Secretary the number of Parliamentary voters registered on the autumn registers (1926) for England and Wales; and what increase, men and women respectively, is shown over the figures for the autumn registers (1925)?

I find that the returns ac to the autumn 1926 electorate in a number of counties and boroughs are still outstanding. As soon as they are complete, I will send the hon. Member the information he desires.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the remarks of Mr. Justice Swift at the Monmouth Assizes, when he stated that for 30 years he had appreciated the hardship imposed on citizens who were called upon to do the business of the State without any provision towards their expenses of attendance and whether he will consider the problem with a view to introducing legislation?

My attention has been called to the learned Judge's remarks, but as regards the prospect of legislation upon this subject, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Central Southwark (Colonel Day) on the 7th instant.

asked the Home Secretary the number of dogs which have been used for vivisectional experiments at the University College School of Physiology during the past two years; and how many of such dogs have been used for Vivisectional demonstrations before students?

1,147 dogs have been used for experimental purposes at University College during 1925 and 1926. Of this number 21 were used for demonstrations before students. By Section 3 of the Act it is laid down that experiments for this purpose may only be performed if a certificate is given by two of the scientific authorities specified in the Act that the experiments are absolutely necessary for the due instruction of the students with a view to their acquiring physiological knowledge or knowledge which will be useful to them for saving or prolonging life or alleviating suffering. Such experiments are required to be performed under anæsthetics and the animals must he killed before recovering consciousness. All but 28 of the total number of animals were kept under anæstheties during the whole of the experiment and destroyed before recovering from the anæsthetic.

asked the Minister tit' Agriculture (1) the scale of costs applicable to a compulsory redemption of tithe and give the statutory powers under which it is enforced;(2) how many compulsory redemptions of tithe have been completed under the last Act; and what are the respective amounts of costs charged for such redemptions where the redemption money amounts to approximately £5,,£1 10s., £10 and £15respectively?

I am sending my hon. and learned Friend a copy of the scale of fees at present in force as regards cases of compulsory redemption of tithe rentcharge in which the order of redemption is issued on or after the 16th November, 1926. The fees are chargeable under Section 6 of the In-closure, etc., Expenses Act, 1868. These redemptions proceed under certain of the provisions of the Tithe Acts, 1860 and 1878, as the Tithe Act, 1925, merely extended the provisions of the Tithe Act, 1878, in a minor degree.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the present number of owners of agricultural land, excluding mountain land and moor land in this country; and what proportion hold less than 50 acres, from 50 to 100 acres, from 100 to 250 acres, from 250 to 500 acres, from 500 to 1,000 acres, and exceeding 1,000 acres, respectively?

I regret that I have no information as to the number of owners of agricultural land in England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps it is proposed to take to ensure that milk imported from Ireland is as pure and clean as that produced in this country under the new Milk and Dairies Order?

I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health has recently been inquiring into this matter, and he is now informed that no milk is being brought from Ireland into England and Wales.