asked the Secretary of State for Air whether it has been decided to commence a series of air-flag flights: and, if so, how many Royal Air Force craft will be utilised for this proposed flight, the approximate date when they will commence, and the cities it is proposed to visit?

I am not quite clear to what flights the hon. Member refers, but arrangements have been made for a formation of four service aircraft to visit Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, Nottingham and Birmingham. These five visits will take place shortly after Easter, and are the maximum number which can be arranged without interference with the normal training programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what types of machines and engines are to be used in the four bombing types of Royal Air Force machines which are to visit provincial centres to give demonstrations in flying?

The type of machine and engine has not yet been settled, but if my hon. and gallant Friend will put down his question again in about a week's time I should hope to be in a position to give him a reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he has received a full report of the accident that happened at the Royal Air Force station at Bircham Newton to a bomber machine when landing, and if he can make a statement to the House; whether either of the four airmen were seriously injured; and if instructions have been given to hold an inquiry into this accident?

I presume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to an accident which occurred on 18th March. The usual court of inquiry has been held, but a full report has not yet been received. One of the four members of the crew was seriously but not dangerously injured.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if the system of short-wave wireless telephony between aircraft in flight and air stations has been successful in eliminating jamming?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for Air (1) whether, seeing that the Persian Government are signatories to the International Air Convention for Civil Flying and have contested the rights of British civil aircraft under that Convention to fly over Persian territory, he will say what steps are being taken to secure an interpretation of the Convention clauses governing this matter;(2) whether the Persian Government have contested the right of erection and maintenance of British civil aerodromes in Persian territory; whether the erection and maintenance of these aerodromes were entered into under agreement with the Persian Government; and, if so, what period of maintenance and use was covered by such agreement;(3), whether the Imperial Airways Company's service between Iraq and India cannot begin on the date anticipated owing to prohibition by the Persian Government; and whether it has been made clear to the Persian Government that the proposed flights over Persian territory are for civil purposes only, and that His Majesty's Government have no intention of departing from international law governing military flights, under which the flight of British belligerent aircraft over Persia is definitely prohibited and the flight of military aircraft in times of peace is subject in every case to the specific permission of the Persian Government?

Negotiations through the normal diplomatic channels are still proceeding, and accordingly I should prefer not to make any statement at this stage.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the number of S.O.S. messages that have been received from vessels within 30 miles of the British coast for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

I have been asked to answer this question. The number of S.O.S. calls received and dealt with by Post Office wireless stations from vessels within 30 miles of the British coast during the year 1926 was 37.

asked the Minister of Transport the figures showing the comparative numbers of motor lorries over three tons in weight licensed for the first quarter of 1927 as against those licensed for the first quarter of 1926; and the amount of tax money received in respect thereof?

The returns of the licensing authorities are not made in such a form as would enable me to answer the hon. Member's question.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether seeing that the Scottish Land Court inspected the estate of Waternish, Skye, and reported that a scheme for small holdings could be advantageously formed thereon and recommended that the estate should be purchased for land settlement, he will say if it is now proposed to carry out that recommendation?

The suggestion by the Land Court was that the Board of Agriculture should purchase not only the land embraced in the proposed schemes of land settlement at Waternish but also the adjoining areas already occupied by small landholders. I am not prepared to expend so large a proportion of the funds at the disposal of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland for land settlement purposes in the purchase of areas already occupied by smallholders.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much saving will be effected after the usual claims for landlord's improvements, etc., have been met by not purchasing the estate of Waternish, Skye?

As I do not know at what price it would have been possible to purchase the estate of Waternish, I should be unable to make the comparison desired by the hon. Member even after the compensation to the landlord has been fixed, which has not yet been done.

asked the Minister of Labour in how many Employment Exchanges juveniles are dealt with in the adult departments; for how long has it been the policy of his Ministry to carry into effect the separation of the juvenile from the adult departments of the exchanges, as recommended by the Committee on Education and Industry; and when this process of separation will be completed?

There are 137 exchanges which have no separate rooms for juveniles, 84 of these being small exchanges where the juvenile register does not exceed 50. Of the remaining 53 early re-housing—which will include separate accommodation for juveniles—is contemplated in 20 cases. It has been the policy of the Ministry for many years to provide separate rooms for juveniles and this work is being proceeded with as rapidly as possible. I cannot give any date for its completion as it is only a part of the general programme of rehousing those exchanges whose present premises are unsatisfactory. I may add that where separate rooms are not available juveniles are usually dealt with, by means of a timing system, separately from the adults.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of permits issued during 1926 under Article 1 (3) (b) of the Aliens Order?

The information desired by the hon. Member will be found in the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Bury on the 3rd March, which is published in the OFFICIAL REPORT, columns 582–583.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why no Report regarding conditions in Great Britain is included in the Health Year Book recently published by the League of Nations?

I have been asked to reply. A comprehensive survey of the health condition of the country is contained in the Annual Reports of the Ministry of Health, and of the Chief Medical Officer and the Registrar-General. My right hon. Friend is not clear that the value of a summary, necessarily much condensed, of the statistics already published would be commensurate with the labour and cost involved in its preparation, but the question will be further considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the percentage of the total workers employed of children under 12 in the Shanghai cotton mills under British control, and those under Japanese, American, and Chinese control?

There are no reliable statistics to be obtained on this subject.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the proposed alteration of the London-Northern Ireland mail service route from Stranraer-Larne to Holyhead-Kingstown will make any difference to either revenue or expenditure in his Department; and, if so, what is the estimated financial effect?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given on this matter on the 29th instant.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether instructions have been issued to Customs officers at Dover to collect silk duty upon the total value of articles containing silk, and not upon the value of the silk content?

The instructions under which Customs officers work at Dover and elsewhere carry out the provisions of the law, under which ad valorem duty is charged upon the whole value of the articles at rates varying according to proportionate value of the silk content. In the case of articles of apparel imported for private use and not for sale, the importer has the option of paying according to weight instead of value.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is in a position to state what is the final arrangement come to in regard to the supply of water to the Didcot and Milton Public Utility Society houses situated at Didcot, and the date when, in consultation with the local authority, it is thought that these houses can have an assured supply?

As soon as the rural district council enlarge their existing connecting mains, the War Department is prepared to supply to the rural district council an additional 20,000 gallons of water a day, which is understood to be sufficient to enable the rural district council to meet the present requirements of the Public Utility Society.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will take steps to expedite the permission of the War Office and the Southern Command for a wayleave being granted across War Office property for the main cable of the Abingdon Electric Supply Company, in order that it may be possible, without undue delay, to ensure that electric light may be available for the houses now under construction at Didcot for workers employed in the Royal Ordnance depot at Didcot; and is he aware that, at a conference which took place in the autumn of last year, it was stated that the War Office would do everything to facilitate the quick provision of the electricity supply once the Electricity Commissioners had decided upon the authorised undertaker of the supply?

The wayleave has been approved in principle and details are now in process of agreement.

asked the Home Secretary if he will consider the remission of the sentences of all miners serving terms of imprisonment arising from the miners' dispute?

I am always prepared to consider special circumstances, but any general remission of sentences is out of the question.

asked the Secretary for Mines what are the sales of British coal to foreign countries, such as Scandinavia, France, and Italy, at the present time; the price of such coal; and how these prices and quantities compare with March, 1926, 1924, 1922, and 1920?

The latest information available relates to the month of February, 1927, and for purposes of

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware that James Doherty, of Ballymoney, in the county of Antrim, enlisted on the 13th November, 1924, and served until he was discharged in Cairo on account of chronic malaria and dysentery; that he then joined the late Royal Irish Constabulary, and was killed in the discharge of his duty near Bundoran, in the county of Donegal; that his father, Hugh Doherty, of Ballymoney, was partially dependent on James Doherty; and, seeing that on the death of James Doherty the father was only allowed the expenses of his son's burial, in view of the partial dependence of Hugh Doherty on his son, can a further sum be alloted to him?

I am aware of the facts of the case, which were carefully considered by the Chief Secretary in 1921. Mr. Doherty was not entitled to any compensation from public funds, and I am afraid I cannot modify the Chief Secretary's decision.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give information as to the number of glost placers and dippers, male and female, employed in the pottery industry for the year 1907, 1914, and 1926 in the following sections of the

The table set out below gives the particulars asked for by the hon. Member for the years 1907 and 1912. No similar returns have been obtained since 1912, and I regret, therefore, that corresponding figures for 1914 and 1926 are not available.The hon. Member might perhaps find it useful to refer to the table which appears each year in the Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories in regard to the medical examinations made by the certifying surgeons under the various codes of Regulations for dangerous trades. This tables gives the total number of the monthly examinations of male and female workers in the pottery industry who are employed in the dipping house and as glost placers, and some estimate can thus be obtained of the total number of persons of both sexes employed in these occupations. The table does not, however, give any separate figures for the different sections of the industry or for particular districts, and does not, of course, furnish any particulars for the leadless and low solubility glaze factories where medical examinations are not required.