asked the Secretary for Mines if any colliery company has plant for low-temperature carbonisation; and whether he can state the quantity of coal so treated and the results?

No Sir, I do not know of any.

asked the Secretary for Mines if any proposals have been submitted to the companies engaged in the production of coal, in the 13 mining districts of Great Britain, by the Board of Trade having for their object greater economy and more efficient working in coal getting?

No Sir, the primary concern of the Mines Department is with the safety of the persons engaged in the industry; but the hon. Member will probably agree that, to a very large extent, efficiency in matters of safety and economic efficiency go hand in hand.

asked the Minister of Transport, if he is aware that many trucks of coal which left the pit-heads in South Yorkshire and the Midlands on 7th January have now taken over seven weeks in transit and have not yet been delivered; and what representations or action he has taken with the railway companies to facilitate delivery of coal both for domestic and factory use?

I am aware generally that in certain districts coal traffic has been delayed in transit, and I am in communication with the railway companies concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the London and North Eastern Railway Company are unable to accept for delivery at Waltham Cross coal from South Wales; that at one colliery 200 tons of anthracite coal have been on the sidings since 1st February; that this congestion is leading to short time being worked by the miners; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this state of affairs?

I am aware that there has recently been some difficulty in the acceptance by the London and North Eastern Railway of coal traffic from South Wales, and I am in communication with the company on the matter generally and will bring the specific complaint made by the hon. and gallant Member to their notice.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will consider taking action to prevent the dangerous practice of motor vehicles passing other vehicles on the blind side at places where refuges are placed in the centre of the carriageway for the use of persons crossing the road?

I have the matter under consideration as regards the London Traffic Area Where I have special powers of regulation. In general, the motorists would in any case lay himself open to proceedings. if his action was dangerous in the particular circumstances of the case.

asked the Minister of Transport the number of accidents at level crossings across railways for the last five years, if possible, with the number and nature of casualties in each accident?

NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS involving personal injury at Railway Level Crossings during the years, 1922 to 1926, together with the total number of Casualties resulting therefrom.
Year.		Public Road Crossings.			Private and Footpath Crossings.			Total.
		Number of Accidents.	Killed.	Injured.	Number of Accidents.	Killed.	Injured,	Number of Accidents.	Killed.	Injured.
1922	…	30	21*	15	40	31	10	70	52*	25
1923	…	41	19	22	31	23	8	72	42	30
1924	…	31	15	26	29	24	10	60	39	36
1925	…	33	23†	24†	41	32	11	74	55†	35†
1926	…	29	24‡	31‡	41	35	9	70	59‡	40‡
* Including 6 persons killed at a crossing on the Swansea Harbour Trustees' line.
† Including 9 persons killed and 6 injured in accident at Fenny Stratford.
† Including 9 persons killed and 6 injured in accident at Naworth.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is prepared to consider the desirability of making it a condition that in cases where grants are given for the improvement of main roads an allocation shall also, wherever practicable, be made for the provision of footpaths?

Officers of my Department encourage the provision of footpaths, in connection with schemes for the improvement of roads, in all cases where such provision is desirable and practicable. Grants are made in the ordinary course towards the cost of their construction.

asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been drawn to the electrocution of an engine driver named Edward Brown at Sutton Railway Station; if he can state the full particulars with reference to this accident; and if an inquiry will be held with regard to same?

The accident to which the hon. and gallant Member refers has been reported to me by the Southern Railway Company, and I have ordered an inquiry to be held into the circumstances.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is yet able to institute his promised inquiry into the

The following statement gives the information desired:basis of the cost-of-living statistics; and, if not, when he proposes to take such action?

My right hon. Friend is at the moment in consultation with the interests concerned in this matter. I am not yet able to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Labour when the Report of the delegation to inquire into industrial conditions in America will be issued; and what is the cause of the delay?

The Report has been signed and will be issued in a few days' time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the Exchequer contributions made each year in respect of housing schemes in Scotland under the Housing, Town Planning, &c, Act, 1919, the Housing (Additional Powers) Act, 1919, the Housing &c, 1923, the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924, and the Housing (Rural Workers) Act, 1926; and show the number of houses in each case for each year in respect of which subsidy was paid?

The figures are as follow:—

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses built under the Housing Acts in the 13 mining districts of Great Britain, showing the number in each district; and whether any special provision has been made for the erection of houses in the mining areas in Kent and in the new colliery districts in the vicinity of Doncaster?

I regret that as housing statistics are not classified in mining areas I am unable to give the information in the form desired by the hon. Member. The following statement, however, shows for England and Wales the numbers of houses which had been completed since 1919 in connection with subsidy schemes under the Housing Acts up to the 1st March, 1927, in the areas of local authorities, where the mining population in 1921 exceeded 20 per cent. of the total population.

Counties in which these areas are situated.	Houses completed with State-Assistance.
Northumberland	5,327
Durham	12,762
Cumberland	1,288
York, West Riding	25,347
Derby	7,675
Leicester	701
Nottingham	7,755
Warwickshire	2,983
Lancashire	5,498
Staffordshire	6,064
Salop	21
Gloucester	312
Somerset	585
Denbigh	1,263
Flint	38
Brecknock	192
Carmarthen	1,373
Glamorgan	6,194
Monmouth	3,609

In addition to these houses numbers have also been erected by private enterprise without subsidy under the Housing Acts. As regards Scotland I would suggest that the hon. Member should address a similar question to my right hon. Friend the Secretary for Scotland.I may add, in reply to the last part of the question that considerable areas of land have been acquired for the erection of houses for miners in the Kent coalfield, and these are to be developed on Garden City lines by a Public Utility Society. Some 1,200 houses are projected, and construction has already commenced. In the Doncaster area a number of the Colliery Companies have made arrangements with the Industrial Housing Association for the erection of houses on some 14 sites. Over 6,500 houses have so far been approved for the grant of loan or subsidy, and some 4,300 subsidy houses have been completed. In addition authority has been given for the erection of over 12,400 houses in connection with the subsidy schemes administered by local authorities in this area, and so far 9,300 of these houses have been completed.

asked the Minister of Health whether the three commissioners appointed to administer the Poor Law in the Bedwellty area are to be paid a salary; if so, how much; and whether any out-of-pocket expenses are to be paid in addition to the salary?

Major W. B. Dixon will receive remuneration at the rate of £800 per annum and Messrs. J. A. Wilson and J. F. Thomas at the rate of £500 each per annum. These rates of remuneration are inclusive of all travelling and subsistence expenses.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Poor Law to the effect that medical relief should be made more readily accessible and of the evidence of a witness, speaking on behalf of the Medical Association (Report, pp. 282–4), to the effect that if doctors attend without an order the rule is that they do not get paid; and whether he can take steps to ensure that, in the case of medical assistance being rendered to any poor person on account of accident or sudden illness, payment should be made to the medical man although no order for relief may have been given by the guardians or the relieving officer?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, but I am not aware that at the present time any difficulty of the kind suggested in the second part has arisen. I should be glad to consider any information my hon. Friend may have on the subject.

asked the Minister of Labour if he has figures showing the number of persons employed in Great Britain in the production of cinematograph films on the last convenient date in March of this year; and the corresponding figures of the same date in 1926 and 1925, respectively?

I regret that the information desired is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many British cinematograph films were exported for exhibition purposes in 1925 and 1926, respectively; and how many feet of film these cinematograph films represented in 1925 and 1926, respectively?

The length of positive cinematograph film, i.e., film containing a picture for exhibition, whether developed or not, manufactured in the United Kingdom and exported from Great Britain and Northern Ireland to all destinations, amounted to 29,395,251 feet in 1925 and to 25,334,476 feet in 1926. The number of separate films represented by these quantities cannot be stated. The figures do not include films temporarily exported, mainly to the Irish Free Stare, for exhibition and return.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Board of Trade have, from time to time during the past 12 months, informed applicants that, owing to pressure of work, they are unable to proceed with the drafting of amended Regulations under Section 5 of the Weights and Measures Act for types of self-indicating pendulum weighers (automatic counter scales) at present in use; and whether he will give directions to the Board to proceed without further delay with this service or, alternatively, whether he is prepared to set up a Committee to deal with these instruments and to revise the 1907 Weights and Measures Regulations, so far as may be necessary?

The small staff of the Department concerned is fully occupied with the preparation of Regulations under the Sale of Food Act, 1926, and the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Act, 1926, with regard to the marking of pre-packed articles of food and the control of petrol pumps respectively. It is considered that the promulgation of new Regulations for food and petrol should take precedence over the revision of existing Regulations concerning weighing machines. Draft Regulations under the Weights and Measures Act, 1904, will be prepared as soon as practicable, and a Committee set up to consider them.

asked the Minister of Pensions the number of final awards in which additional payments. have been made, under special sanction, in accordance with the provisions of Circular 30, between May, 1924, and 30th June. 1925, 1st July to 31st December, 1925, 1st January to 30th June, 1926, and 1st July to 31st December, 1926?

The number of cases dealt with under the Circular referred to for the precise periods specified are not available, but the total number of additional grants which have been made under special sanction (including cases of secondary disability, re-amputation, change of diagnosis and other cases) in respect of cases belonging to the period ended in the middle of 1925 is somewhat under 1,400 and for the three succeeding half-years is approximately 750, 900 and 750, respectively.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will set up an independent committee of inquiry to review the whole question of final awards?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for West Middlesbrough (Mr. T. Thomson) on the 4th February of last year, indicating the decision of the Government on this suggestion, of which I am sending him a copy. I am not aware of any grounds on which I should be justified in recommending a reconsideration of that decision.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in his forthcoming Budget he will give consideration to the advisability of imposing a tax on posters and advertisements?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies which I gave to the hon. Member for the Gorton Division (Mr. Compton) on the 15th February.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that other ranks of the 47th (2nd London) Division of the Territorial Army nave been warned by their commanding officers that no pay will be issuable during Easter training this year; whether this decision applies generally to other Territorial divisions; and, if so, on what grounds are the men being deprived of their pay?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part in the negative. Attendance at Easter week-end camps is not compulsory. The issue of pay, if authorised for such attendance, has to be met from the fixed sum allotted to the General Officer Commanding of the Command for the training of Territorial troops, and is left to his discretion. I understand that in the case of the 47th Division, the General Officer Commanding considers that there are more pressing calls on the money at his disposal.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of tanks and armoured cars in his Department; and how many are at present under construction?

There are at present 336 tanks and 158 armoured cars in possession of the Department. 199 of the tanks are of war design and many of them would require overhaul before they would be fit for active service. 16 of the armoured cars require complete reconditioning. 16 tanks and five armoured cars are under construction.

asked the Secretary of State for War what orders have been placed by the Department) with the Midland Coal, Coke and Iron Company, Limited, of Apedale, Staffordshire, during the last 10 years, ending 31st December, 1926, and during 1927; the value of such contracts; and if further orders are contemplated?

With regard to the first part of the question, the Midland Coal, Coke and Iron Company, Limited, received a few small contracts for coal in 1922. With regard to the latter part, no orders are at the moment in contemplation.

asked the Postmaster-General how many certificates he has granted during the 12 months ended to the last convenient date to ships wireless operators?

The total number of certificates issued during the 12 months ended the 1st March, 1927, was 760.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he can now give the notifications of diphtheria and the deaths registered from that disease for each of the years 1911 to 1926 in the following towns: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, Kirkcaldy, Perth, Dundee, Inverness, Greenock, Stirling, St. Andrews, Ayr, Oban, Aberdeen, Arbroath, Dunfermline, Forfar, Haddington, Kirkcudbright, Nairn, Peebles, Saltcoats, and Wigtown; and similar figures for scarlet fever?

The information desired is contained in the following statistical table:—