asked the Postmaster-General the number of trans-Atlantic telephone calls that have been made since the inauguration of this service; and the proportion of such calls that have been made from England to America and from America to England?

The number of telephone calls made on the trans-Atlantic service since its inauguration is 338, of which 40 per cent. were outgoing from England and 60 per cent. from America.

asked the Postmaster-General why this country is excluded from the Postal Union?

The hon. Member appears to be under some misapprehension. This country has been a member of the Postal Union since its foundation.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the income derived by his Department in respect of the advertisements appearing in the October 1926 issue of the London Telephone Directory?

£27,200, subject to audit.

asked the Postmaster-General if he has received an application from the British Broadcasting Corporation for his permission to grant facilities to this corporation, so that alternative transmission of double programmes can be broadcast either from Daventry or their London stations?

Permission was granted some months ago for experiments in connection with a suggested scheme of regional high power stations, one of the objects of which was to facilitate the broadcasting of alternative programmes. The experiments have not yet been concluded.

asked the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been called to the serious disaster causing the death of six persons and injuring many others by the fall of a chimney stack in Marlow Street, Tradeston, Glasgow; whether he is aware that this chimney stack was known by both the owners of the property and the local authority to be in a dangerous condition; and, if so, is it his intention to take proceedings at law against the owners?

I am making inquiry into the matter referred to, and t shall communicate the result to the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can issue a statement of the income from taxation in Scotland and the amounts spent for Scottish purposes?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Maryhill (Mr. Conner) on 3rd February, 1926, of which I am sending him a copy. Corresponding figures for 1925-6 are not readily available, but it is improbable that they would greatly differ from those of 1924–5.

asked the Minister of Labour the names of places where he has made arrangements for training men and/or women for emigration; the accommodation provided at each place; the numbers trained and emigrated during the calendar year 1926; and the total estimated (approximate) cost of training each person at the respective places?

Two centres have been established for training young employed men for employment on the land overseas, one at Claydon, near Ipswich, for 100 men, and the other at Weeting Park, near Brandon, for 150 men. 291 men were trained and sent overseas during the calendar year 1926. Exclusive of capital charges, the approximate weekly cost of training per head for courses varying in length from four to six months is at present:

Claydon	…	…	…	53s.
Brandon	…	…	…	50s.

No centres for training women migrants have yet been established, but I understand that the Overseas Settlement Department are arranging with the Central Committee on Women's Training and Employment to establish an experimental residential centre for training about 40 women at a time for domestic service in Australia. The cost will be borne equally by the Australian and the British Govern ments under the Overseas Settlement Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he has any figures showing the total approximate number of aeroplanes in the possession of the various Chinese forces?

I am unable to furnish any reliable information in regard' to the approximate number of aircraft in the possession of the various Chinese forces.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of registered unemployed in Hull included in the last available Returns, and the trades under which they were classified?

The following Table shows the number of insured' workpeople recorded as unemployed at Hull on 24th January, 1927, classified according to Industry Groups:

Industry Group.	Numbers Unemployed.
	Men.	Boys.	Women.	Girls.	Total.
Fishing	398	1	—	—	399
Mining	20	—	—	—	20
Non-metalliferous Mining Products	45	2	—	—	47
Brick Tile, etc., Making	13	—	—	—	13
Pottery, Earthenware, etc.	4	—	4	—	8
Glass	12	—	—	—	12
Chemicals, Oils, etc	1,140	6	120	3	1,269
Metal Manufacture	18	1	1	—	20
Engineering, etc.	669	9	1	—	679
Construction and Repair of Vehicles	57	3	1	1	62
Shipbuilding and Ship Repairing	1,758	23	1	—	1,782
Metal Trades	218	2	38	8	266
Textile Trides	23	1	67	9	100
Leather and Leather Goods	56	2	14	4	76
Clothing Trades	64	3	165	17	249
Food, Drink and Tobacco	245	5	213	74	537
Sawmilling, Furniture and Woodwork	192	9	11	3	215
Printing and Paper Trades	77	1	57	8	143
Building and Construction of Works	629	5	1	1	636
Other Manufacturing Industries	11	1	5	—	17
Gas, Water and Electricity Supply Services.	33	—	—	—	33
Shipping Service	605	11	6	—	622
Canal, River, Dock and Harbour Service	3,727	4	3	1	3,735
Other Transport and Communications	636	10	2	—	648
Distributive Trades	470	75	265	39	850
Commerce and Finance	12	2	6	1	21
Miscellaneou Trades and Services	715	9	138	24	886
Totals	11,847	185	1,120	193	13,345

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the strength of the cadet force, and how many of these entered the various branches of His Majesty's forces; what is the strength of the Officers' Training Corps, and how many of these entered the various branches of His Majesty's forces; what is the cost to the nation of cadets and the Officrs' Training Corps; and what capitation grant is given in each case?

The strength of the Cadet Force on 31st October, 1926, was approximately 2,360 officers and 46,400 other ranks. During the year ending on that, date over 2,100 cadets and ex-cadets are known to have entered His Majesty's forces. The strength of the Junior Division, Officers' Training Corps on 1st October, 1926, was approximately 645 officers and 33,500 cadets. During 1926, 1;100 ex-cadets were appointed to commissions in the Regular Army, the Supplementary Reserve, the Territorial Army and its Reserve of Officers. The estimated annual cost of the Cadet Force, based on its present strength of qualified cadets, is some £15,000, and of the Junior Division, Officers' Training Corps, £80,000. The capitation grants in respect of qualified cadets are 5s. (up to a maximum of 60,000 qualified cadets) in the case of the Cadet Force, and £1 4e. in the case of the Junior Division of the Officers' Training Corps.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that in 1925 as much as £50,000,000 was—expended by 5,000,000 British visitors on foreign holidays; and whether he will consider the desirability and praticability of imposing a substantial tax on this expenditure, thereby encouraging holiday expenditure at home and at the same time gathering revenue?

The hon. Member's suggestion with which I am familiar has been noted.

asked the Secretary for Mines the existing earnings of hewers, timber men, and labourers to-day in the different coal areas under the operation of the respective agreements which they are operating?

No, Sir. I have no means of ascertaining these figures except by a special return from all collieries. The average earnings of all classes of workpeople in coal mines in different districts will be shown in the usual quarterly Statistical Summary, when in due course it is presented to Parliament.

OUTPUT OF COAL FROM MINES IN GREAT BRITAIN.
Note.—The figures do not include coal obtained from outcrop workings, for which particulars are not available.
Week ended			England.	Scotland.	Wales (Including Monmouthshire).	Great Britain.
1926.			Tons.	Tons	Tons.	Tons.
9th January	…	…	3,507,000	526,500	1,026,000	5,059,500
16th January	…	…	3,635,000	776,400	1,049,400	5,460,800
23rd January	…	…	3,638,400	718,500	1,048,400	5,405,300
30th January	…	…	3,663,300	761,300	1,072,900	5,497,500
6th February	…	…	3,629.500	725,300	1,059,300	5,414,100
13th February	…	…	3,581.400	746,500	1,070,900	5,398,800
20th February	…	…	8,681,000	716,400	1,070,200	5,417,600
27th February	…	…	3,569,300	747,600	1,054,800	5,371,700
6th March	…	…	3,547,300	685,100	1,052,700	5,285,100
13th March	…	…	3,487,500	733,100	1,062,500	5,283,100
20th March	…	…	3,583,900	713,800	1,073,200	5 370,900
27th March	…	…	3,572,700	743,100	1,098,100	5,413,900
3rd April	…	…	2,872,700	709,700	1,051,000	4,663,400
10th April	…	…	2,451,900	735,300	509,100	3,696,300
17th April	…	…	3,802,600	699,300	1,107,100	5,609,000
24th April	…	…	3,771,700	757,400	1,131,700	5,660,800
1st May	…	…	3,410,800	683,200	1,003,700	5,097,700
8th May	…	…	6,400	300	2,400	9,100
15th May	…	…	5,700	2,000	1,600	9,300
22nd May	…	…	9,500	500	2,300	12,300
29th May	…	…	10,600	800	3,000	14.400
5th June	…	…	21,300	1,000	5,300	27,600
12th June	…	…	33,500	1,400	5,800	40,700
19th June	…	…	47,800	2,200	5,700	55,700
26th June	…	…	58,500	2,900	7,000	68,400
3rd July	…	…	66,400	3,600	7,500	77,500
10th July	…	…	75,600	4,000	8,100	87,700
17th July	…	…	88,500	5,500	12,700	106,700
24th July	…	…	110,700	6,400	14,700	131,800
31st July	…	…	125.300	9,000	16,800	151,100

asked the Secretary for Mines the numbers of miners working on the last available date in England, Scotland, and Wales, and the number working on 26th April last?

The latest figures refer to 5th February, and are at present provisional. On that date 695,937 miners are recorded as being at work in England, 195,769 in Wales (including Monmouthshire), and 108,593 in Scotland. The corresponding figures for the 26th April, 1926, were 747,458, 234,077, and 124,646 respectively.

asked the Secretary for Mines the output of coal in England, Scotland and Wales in each week from the beginning of 1926 to the latest date available?

The figures are as follow:

Week ended	England.	Scotland.	Wales (including Monmouthshire).	Great Britain.
1926	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.
7th August	109,600	10,100	14,000	133,700
14th August	153,700	13,100	20,600	187,400
21st August	187,100	16,100	22,500	225,700
28th August	226,500	20,500	24,200	271,200
4th September	276,800	27,400	26,700	330,900
11th September	344,100	34,700	30,700	409,500
18th September	411,300	40,300	34,200	485,800
25th September	499,200	47,900	38,800	585,900
2nd October	646,900	58,600	47,700	753,200
9th October	876,400	75,200	57,400	1,009,000
16th October	1,032,500	92,500	58,900	1,183,900
23rd October	1,043,200	110,400	64,600	1,218,200
30th October	1,151,500	140,600	74,900	1,367,000
6th November	1,325,300	166,100	85,400	1,576,800
13th November	1,474,200	204,800	100,400	1,779,400
20th November	1,639,100	255,400	129,800	2,024,300
27th November	1,828,500	330,100	165,400	2,324,000
4th December	2,363,900	497,600	364,600	3,226,100
11th December	3,150,200	588,600	729,100	4,467,900
18th December	3,368,800	608,100	902,000	4,878,900
25th December	3,167,100	657,900	826,500	4,651,500
1927.
1st January	2,553,800	596,000	734,400	3,884,200
8th January	3,530,500	541,400	953,400	5,025,300
15th January	3,536,800	706,600	1,001,300	5,244,700
22nd January	3,513,100	689,600	995.100	5,197,800
29th January	3,516,900	704,400	1,003,800	5,225,100
5th February (provisional).	3,540,878	721,996	1,003,431	5,266,305

asked the Prime Minister if he will allot a day for discussion of Imperial defence as a whole, prior to the introduction of the separate Navy, Army, and Air Force Estimates?

Owing to the shortness of time available before the end of the financial year, I much regret that it is impossible to allocate a day for this discussion.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he anticipates being able to make any grant from the Road Fund this year for the assistance of the scheme drawn up by the Corporation of the City of Kingstonupon-Hull known as the New North Bridge scheme; and if he is aware of the importance of this scheme for the communications of the East Riding of Yorkshire?

A grant of £50,000 has been promised towards the New North Bridge scheme, Kingston-uponHull, the importance of which I fully recognise.

asked the President of the Board of Education average cost per unit of average attendance in elementary schools for the administration of higher education for the years 1922–23, 1924–25, and 1925–26?

The information asked for by the hon. 1k:timber is as follows:

	s.	d.
1922–23	2	6
1924–25	2	8
1925–26 (provisional figure)	2	11

asked the President of the Board of Education the highest, the lowest, and the average cost of administration and other expenditure (elementary) by local taxation authorities for the years 1922–23, 1924–25, and 1925–26?

The expenditure of Local Education Authorities under this head was as follows:—

—		Highest.		Lowest.		Average.
		s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
1922–23	…	68	5	17	11	40	3
1924–25	…	74	2	15	6	43	8
1925–26	…	82	10	18	2	45	9
The figures for 1925–26 are provisional only.

asked the President of the Board of Education what is the number of free places provided in secondary schools; how many of these are occupied; whether any such places have been filled by children who have not passed the necessary examination; and, if so, how many?

On the 1st October, 1926, the total number of free places awarded or offered in grant-aided secondary schools in England and Wales was 142,575. Of this number, 142,523 were occupied on that date. As regards the third and fourth parts of the question, all candidates for admission, whether as fee-paying pupils or free place pupils, are required to pass an entrance test.