asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the British soldiers in Shanghai are being supplied with vegetables grown by Chinese in British Columbia; that many members of the Pemberton Valley Farms' Institute have considerable stores of grade A potatoes in storage, chiefly in Vancouver, which they are finding it hard to dispose of because the market is overstocked; and whether he will give instructions for the supplies for Shanghai to be drawn from the white growers in British Columbia?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Hurd) on 16th March last.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received a protest from the Chinese Nationalist authorities against the bombardment of Nanking; and what reply has been returned by His Majesty's Government to the Chinese Government?

On the 31st of March Mr. Chen handed to Mr. Teichman a statement which said among other things that the Nationalist Government had strongly to protest against the bombardment of Nanking by British and American gunboats. No reply has been returned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has received any further reports with regard to the looting of the native Customs House and Customs club at Wuhu; and whether His Majesty's Ship "Emerald" is still standing by there?

I have no information beyond what was given in the reply returned to the hon. and gallant Member for Central Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) on the 16th of March. His Majesty's Ship "Emerald" has been replaced at Wuhu by His Majesty's Ship "Caradoc."

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether arrangements are in contemplation for the recruitment of non-service technical staff while ex-service men are at present under notice or warning of discharge, and the nature of the duties for which recruitment is being made?

Regulations are in course of preparation under which it is intended to recruit staff to permanent posts in the basic professional grades of assistant civil engineer, assistant mechanical and electrical engineer and assistant surveyor in the Directorate of Works and Buildings. These Regulations will provide for preference to be given to candidates who have served in His Majesty's Forces and an extension of the age limit will be allowed in respect of their service with the Forces. No ex-service man is under notice or warning of discharge as a result of the proposed scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Air which, if any, permanent unestablished grades, other than clerical, have been created in the Air Ministry?

The only permanent non-pensionable grade in the Air Ministry, other than clerical, is that of messenger.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of ex-service men in the Directorates of Works and Buildings and technical development who are now temporarily employed, and who have been so employed for upwards of 12 months, who have not been established; and the reasons why these ex-service officers have not been established?

As regards the first part of the question, the numbers asked for are as follow:

	Higher Staff.	Junior Staff.
Directorate of Works and Buildings:
Headquarters	22	72
Outstations	65	166
Directorate of Technical Development:
Headquarters	10	3
Outstations	11	17

As regards the second part of the question, a scheme of establishment was recently introduced for the higher staff of the Directorate of Works and Buildings, and those who are now temporarily employed (as shown above) are men, who, except in a few cases, are borne in posts which are not expected to be permanent, and who either declined establishment or were not regarded as suitable for established appointments. The question of establishing members of the junior staff has been complicated by revisions of gradings and scales of pay, some of which have only recently been settled. It is, however, in contemplation to arrange a scheme of establishment for these grades as soon as certain questions at present outstanding have been settled. The scheme will of course only apply to such posts as are expected to be permanent. As regards the higher staff of the Directorate of Technical Development, 28 ex-service men have recently received established appointments, but it is necessary to maintain a margin of unestablished posts to provide for a possible reduction of work. The junior staff temporarily employed have either been rejected for establishment on account of age or ill-health or are employed in posts which have not been approved on a permanent basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the four clerks who receive an allowance of £.375 for translations work overtime in making the translations; and, if so, what is the average payment per hour for overtime?

The translation work is performed out of office hours, and the remuneration is paid on the basis of fixed annual rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the temporary clerk at a salary of £969 in the News Department is a qualified journalist; and what are the duties of this official and the three other temporary clerks in the News Department?

The answer to the first part of this question is in the affirmative. This official and two other temporary officers, who are also journalists, are engaged on the compilation of the British Official Wireless News Service. Of the four other temporary clerks engaged in the general work of the News Department, three are experienced journalists.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the facilities granted to established men who wish to take their pensions before they are normally due can be made retrospective?

No, Sir; the suggestion is not practicable.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether similar facilities for taking their discharges, which are now being allowed to established men, will be granted to hired men in His Majesty's dockyards, so that those who wish to may take their gratuities although they may not have done the full qualifying period of service?

Under the Superannuation Acts gratuities may be awarded to hired men discharged on reduction only when the reckonable service amounts to at least seven years.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how the £250,000 contributed by Hong Kong, stated to have been expended on Singapore, has been spent?

The expenditure on the Singapore naval base, towards which the Hong Kong contribution has been allocated, is for dredging and shore works in connection with the floating dock, and for borings, anti-malarial measures, temporary water supply and housing, road and railway to the site and other preliminary works in connection with the naval base.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that certain difficulties of interpretation arose in his Department in the autumn of 1026 in connection with an agreement as to the smarting pay of ex-temporary writing assistants in district managers' offices; that the staff association concerned sought an interview with the appropriate officers of the Department on the ease before the end of 1926, and that no appointment has yet been made; and whether he will take steps to see that no further delay occurs?

I am having inquiry made into this matter, and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many of the local education authorities, who adopted school-feeding during 1926, fed the children, under the Education Act, for five days per week, for six days per week, and for seven days, respectively?

The information desired is not yet available, but I shall be in a position to furnish it when the annual returns for the year ended the 31st March, 1927, have been received.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he proposes to consult with representatives of Poor Law guardians in necessitous areas before introducing any new unemployment insurance legislation based on the Blanesburgh Report?

No, Sir. It will be open to these representatives to express their views when the Bill is published.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of insured persons signing the register of the Employment Exchanges in Great Britain and, approximately, the number of persons employable who are not signing at Labour Exchanges?

At 21st March, 1927, there were 1,020,118 insured persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain. There were in addition 58,412 uninsured persons on the registers. There are no statistics regarding the number of employable persons not attending at the Exchanges.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the total membership of British trade unions at the end of 1926 and, for comparison, the total membership at the end of 1925?

The membership of British trade unions at the end of 1926 is not yet available. At the end of 1925 the total membership of trade unions, having their headquarters in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was, approximately, 5,522,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the cost to His Majesty's Government of the lactose factory at Haslington, near Crewe, the date on which it was sold, and the sale price; whether it was sold by public auction or otherwise; and the loss incurred to the Exchequer by the sale?

The total cost of the experimental factory at Haslington, which was established to investigate the problem of the utilisation of whey, was £43,600, including maintenance charges of £12,700 during the period 1918–26; it was sold by public tender for £3,000, as from 1st March, 1926. The cost of the experiment to the Exchequer was therefore £40,600. An account of the work done at the factory, and of the solution which was obtained of the problem before it, has been published by the Ministry in a monograph of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the £38,000 allocated in the Estimates for 1927 for relief in Turkey and Germany during the War will cover the final payments to be made to the United States Government in respect of expenditure incurred by representatives of that Government on behalf of British subjects during the War period; and the total disbursements made under this head?

The examination of the accounts presented by the United States Government is not yet completed, but it is hoped that the amount of £38,000 provided in the Estimates for 1927–8 will cover the final payments to be made. The total amount already charged in respect of relief expenditure by the United States Government on behalf of British subjects is £500,928 for Turkey and £152,209 for Germany.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the imposition of an export duty on spirits with a view to increasing revenue?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave on the 27th July last to a similar question put by the hon. and gallant Member for the Brentford Division (Colonel Grant-Morden).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider making the same concession, as regards rebate of tax, to home timber merchants owning steam tractors used for haulage of timber and fitted throughout with rubber tyres, as has been made to travelling showmen?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the desirability of introducing legislation to obtain from the Bank of England published statements of assets and liabilities of as full a character as those published by the federal reserve banks in the United States of America?

I do not think that a form of statement which may be convenient in America is necessarily suitable in this country.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amounts expended on Government printing executed in the Government Stationery Department for 1913 and the past four years and the ratio of these amounts in regard to the printing placed with outside printing firms?

The figures are as follow:

asked the Home Secretary whether the Committee inquiring into the working of the Shop Hours Acts has been appointed as a result of representations to the Home Office that the hours of opening at present laid down should be extended in certain instances; and, if so, from what societies such representations were received?

The Committee was not appointed as a result of any particular representations but in view of the prolonged public controversy in Parliament and elsewhere over the continuance of the War-time restrictions, and the desirability of arriving at a final settlement.

asked the Secretary for Mines in how many counties the employers in the coal-mining industry have organised for the purpose of scientific research, and the amount spent during the last year for which figures are available?

The colliery owners have a national research association, and many of them are associated also with the research work of the Institution of Mining Engineers. Locally, there is a Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Research Association, and in this and other coalfields some of the colliery owners, individually and through their associations, co-operate in research work carried on at the universities and by the local Institutions of Mining Engineers. I have no information as to the amount spent.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will consider the desirability of issuing life pensions to all men who have been in receipt of disability pensions, conditional, for seven years or more at their current rate of assessment?

A final award, whether of life pension or other form of compensation, is made wherever the case is determined medically to be suitable for it. To make such awards on the lines suggested by the hon. Member without further medical consideration of the individual cases would not be in the best interests of many of the pensioners.

asked the Minister of Health the number of widows', children's and orphans' pensions, respectively, in payment at 31st March, 1927; the number of applications for widows', children's and orphans' pensions, respectively, up to 31st March, 1927; the amount paid in widows', children's and orphans' pensions respectively, up to 31st March, 1927; the estimated number of insured persons under the Widows', orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925; the number of applications for widows', children's and orphans' pensions disallowed during the period under review, giving the principal reasons for disallowment; the number of widows in receipt of pensions whose widowhood commenced before 4th January, 1926; the number of children and orphans, respectively, in respect of whom allowances are paid and whose qualifications were previous to 4th January, 1926; the number of appeals against the decision of the Ministry of Health by applicants for or recipients of old age pensions, widows' pensions, children's allowances and orphans' pensions, respectively, stating the number of successful appeals, respectively; the number of voluntary contributors, men and women, respectively, stating how many of these became -voluntary contributors during 1926; the cost of administration of pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, by the Post Office and Ministry of Health, respectively; the number of staff employed by the Ministry of Health on work resultant from the operation of the Act, stating the increase of staff as a result of the introduction of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, and the cost thereof; the number of pensioners of whose death notice has reached the Ministry of Health, giving the numbers, respectively, of widows, children, orphans and aged persons; and the number of pensioners under the Widows', Orphans and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act who are in receipt of outdoor relief and institutional relief, respectively, and the amount so expended?

The hon. and learned Member will find the most recent statistical information relating to the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, in replies made on 24th February to the hon. Member for Leigh (Mr. Tinker) and the hon. Member for Penistone (Mr. Rennie Smith) on 10th February, to the hon. Member for Moscley (Mr. Hannon) on 3th December, 1926, to the hon. Member for King's Norton (Mr. Dennison) and the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mr. T. Henderson), and on 2nd December, 1926, to the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. Short). The above information supplies answers to some parts of his question. The preparation of answers to other parts of his question would involve an expenditure of time and labour which I do not consider that I should be justified in throwing on the Insurance Division of the Ministry in present conditions of pressure. I propose to include a full report of the working of the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, in the next Annual Report of the Ministry of Health.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has received any representations urging the Government to take action in connection with the different prices charged to various county councils for cement; and what steps does he propose to take in the matter?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer which I gave on the 31st ultimo to the similar question asked by the hon. Member for Bedwellty (Mr. C. Edwards) and of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the disfigurement of the English countryside by the erection of petrol pumps in excess of the needs of motor users, he will suggest action to the local authorities with a view to this form of annoyance being abated?

I fully sympathise with the hon. Member's objection to any disfigurement of the English countryside, hut I do not think that any Government Department or local authorities generally have power to prevent the erection of petrol pumps on private property on the ground of disfigurement. So far as concerns their erection on land dedicated to the highway, my views are contained in a circular which I caused to be sent to all highway authorities some time ago. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of this circular.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will have inquiries made as to the conditions under which the textile goods imported into this country are manufactured; and, in the event of the inquiry proving that the goods are produced on a lower standard than that prevailing in Britain, if he will introduce legislation prohibiting the import of goods into this country from countries where the standard is lower than that of the textile trades of Britain?

Inferior conditions of employment of labour, whether as respects remuneration or hours of employment, in the production of goods imported into this country, can be one of the grounds for an application in accordance with the Safeguarding of Industries procedure by the home industry producing similar goods. Three sections of the textile industry—lace, worsted and hosiery—have made applications which have been referred to committees, and this particular matter has been considered and reported upon by the committee in each case. I do not think a general inquiry would serve any very useful purpose. I would remind the hon. Member that His Majesty's Government are precluded in most cases from enforcing either prohibitions or discriminatory duties against the products of particular countries, in view of the provisions of commercial treaties which guarantee mutual most-favoured-nation treatment in both matters.