asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether there is any conciliation board operating in India, as in Great Britain, for the purpose of dealing with hours, wages and conditions, appertaining to railway servants, in the event of a dispute taking place between the railway authorities and their einployeés?

There are no boards in India corresponding to the Central arid National Wages Boards which operate in this country. The Government of India are now considering, in consultation with Provincial Governments the question of setting up some statutory machinery for the investigation and settlement of industrial disputes.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been drawn to the growing danger to inland navigation by the spread of water hyacinth in East Bengal; and whether any steps are being taken to remove this danger?

According to information received in 1925 the Government of Bengal, in addition to their own investigations and experiments which were still proceeding, had taken steps with a view to dealing with the pest in that province with the co-operation of voluntary associations interested in the matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is in a position to give the House any information with regard to the epidemic of cholera in the Bombay Presidency; and what special measures are being taken to arrest the spread of the disease?

The epidemic appears to have started in the Dharwar district in February last and to have since spread to three other districts. Figures relating to these outbreaks have not yet been received. The measures taken to arrest the spread of the disease are a matter for which the local Government are responsible, but my Noble Friend has no reason to suppose that all possible steps to this end are not being taken.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the latest official figures of cholera cases reported in the district of Belgaum and Dharwar; and how many of these cases have resulted fatally?

Recent official reports on cholera in India indicate that the Dharwar district was freshly infected with cholera on the 26th February last, and that the disease was spreading on 12th March: that the Belgaum district was freshly infected on the 19th March and that on the 26th March the disease was spreading in that district. Figures relating to these outbreaks have not yet been received.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether it is proposed to take any action to carry into effect any, and, if so, which, of the recommendations of the Indian Sandhurst Committee?

My Noble Friend has not yet received the Government of India's views on the Committee's Report. As soon as he has received and examined them, he proposes to remit them with the Report for consideration by the Committee of Imperial Defence, who will advise His Majesty's Government as to the action to be taken with regard to the Committee's recommendations.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been drawn to the case of ex-Bombardier Harry Abell, No. 77860, who enlisted on 12th December, 1915, in the Royal Garrison Artillery, and now resides at Granville Street, Woodville, Burton-on-Trent; whether he is aware that this ex-service man, who was awarded the Croix-de-Guerre, has been unable to follow his employment for two years and has been totally disabled for 12 months. and is now stone blind and permanently confined to bed through illness, although only 37 years of age; that Mr. Abell is a married man with two children depending on him; and that his pension was stopped in April, 1922; and whether he can have the whole case looked into to see if this is a case in which the pension should be re-awarded under the Regulations governing erroneous awards and pension issued under the Dispensing Warrant of 1884?

This case is under consideration and my right hon. Friend will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as he is in a position to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether there are any conciliation boards operating in Singapore, as in Great Britain, for the purpose of dealing with hours, wages, and conditions appertaining to general workers in the event of disputes taking place between employers and their work-people?

I am not aware of the existence of any such boards, but if the hon. Member desires, I will make inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has received a Report from the Governor of Sierra Leone of the discovery of hæmatite in Sierra Leone, and if any Report has been made of the nature, extent, and value of the deposits; if any steps have been taken by the Government to interest British iron and steel manufacturers in their development; and if the Government has any scheme under consideration the object of which is to take full commercial advantage of the discovery?

The answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the last part, the exploitation of the deposits will be left to private enterprise and I understand that a concession for the purpose is now being granted to a commercial firm.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what prospects there are of a scheme being formulatde which will allow suitable families to migrate to Australia as assisted un-nominated migrants?

The only scheme in Australia which provides for un-nominated families without capital is the Western Australian Group Settlement Scheme. Recruiting under this scheme has not yet been fully resumed. Families are, however, accepted from time to time On requisitions from the State Government. Other land Settlement Schemes which are under consideration provide far families with a certain amount of capital.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been drawn to the administration of the Bardney (Lincs.) Kitchings educational charity; and whether he has received any recent Report on the matter?

I am looking into this matter.

asked the President of the. Board of Education what was in 1925–26 the average net expenditure per pupil in secondary schools maintained by authorities and in such secondary schools as were aided by authorities and riot by the Board in 1925–26, together with aid to students at secondary schools and universities; and in how many areas in 1925–26 did such net expenditure per pupil exceed £25?

The answer to the first part of the question is £26 14s., and to the second part, 50. The figure of £26 14s., is not, of course, comparable with the sum of £25 mentioned in Circular 1388. That sum relates only to the additional number of pupils in secondary schools of the types in question on the 1st October, 1927, as compared with the number on the 1st October, 1925. Further, the proportion which the number of additional pupils in such schools bears to the number of additional pupils in all secondary schools is considerably greater than the proportion which the total number of pupils in such schools bore to the total number of pupils in all secondary schools in 1925–26, and this disparity obviously affects the assessment of expenditure on Aid to Students, which covers aid given to pupils in non-maintained as well as in maintained schools. In this connection I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer on this subject which I gave to the hon. Members for Newcastle West (Mr. John Palin) and Durham, East (Mr. Ritson) on the 24th March last, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Minister of Labour whether there are any redundant male executive officers in the Ministry of Labour and, if so, how many; whether any women have been appointed recently to this grade or whether such appointments have been held up pending the absorption of the redundant men; whether any vacancies in this grade have recently been notified; and, if so, whether the posts are to be filled by men or women?

There are, at the present time, no redundant male junior executive officers in the Ministry of Labour. Since the 1st November, 1924, seven appointments of women officers have been made to this grade (three by promotion and four by examination). Two vacancies for male junior executive officers have recently been announced.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Government adheres to the established practice in regard to filling posts in the permanent. Civil Service that in general they should be filled either by the promotion of existing permanent civil servants or by recruitment by open competitive examination; and whether he will state, in relation to the year 1926 or, if that is not convenient, in relation to the year 1925, the number of permanent Civil Service posts not filled by promotion and filled by open competition and by methods other than open competition, giving an indication as to those methods?

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 14th March, 1927, col. 1659, vol. 203], supplied the following statement:The particulars asked for as to the number of posts filled during 1926, excluding promotions, are as follow:

asked the Minister of Labour how many women have been trained at the South Shields Training Centre; how many obtained employment after training; to what extent the aftercare reports show that the employment was of a permanent nature; and whether the number of places open to women desiring to be trained is equal to the applications for such training in that district?

740 women have received training at the South Shields Home Training Centre since 1923. Complete after-care figures are not available for earlier courses, but reports on seven courses held during 1925–26 show that an average of 72 per cent. of the women trained obtained work, and a special inquiry carried out by the Superintendent in respect of women trained from 1923—April, 1926, showed that 47 per cent. were still in domestic work, and 58 per cent. in employment.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of girls trained at the Chatham Juvenile Centre; the number of the courses given; how many girls obtained employment after training; to what extent the after-care reports show that the employment was of a permanent and satisfactory nature; and how many girls are at present in training?

333 juveniles from 16–18 years of age have received training at the Chatham Home Training Centre since 1923, ten courses having been held. 98 per cent. of the girls trained obtained work on completion of training, and from a special inquiry made by the Juvenile Employment Officer, covering a period of three years, 81 per cent. of the girls trained were shown to be still in domestic work and 86 per cent. in employment. The eleventh course is now in operation, providing accommodation for 30 girls.

asked the Minister of Labour how many women were trained at the Portsmouth Home Training Centre up to the time of its closing in April; 1926; how many obtained employment after leaving; and to what extent the after-care reports show that the employment they obtained was of a permanent nature?

246 women received training at the Portsmouth Home Training Centre from 1923 to April, 1926, of whom 90 per cent. are known to have obtained domestic employment on completion of training. From a special inquiry made by the Superintendent in February, 1926, over a period of three years from 1923, information is available to show that 74 per cent. of the women trained during that period had already held positions in domestic employment for periods varying from six months to two years and upwards, the maximum period possible at the time of inquiry.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of Joint Industrial Councils in existence in 1920 and the number now in active operation, and the industries respectively served by such councils?

In 1920, 76 Joint Industrial Councils and Interim industrial Reconstruction Committees were actively functioning. At the present time there are 53. Following is a list of councils and committees showing those which have ceased to function:

asked the Minister of Transport whether grants can be made from the Road Fund to local authorities for the purpose of fencing open roads running through moorland, where straying sheep are a danger to passing motorists?

It would require very exceptional circumstances to justify a grant from the Road Fund towards the fencing of roads across moorland, but if my hon. and gallant Friend will give me particulars of any such project, contemplated by a local authority, I will look into the case.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will again publish this year the Memorandum on Present and Pre-War Expenditure, published every year except in 1924 since the War, which has been of value in enabling the House to check variations in national expenditure?

As my hon. Friend is aware a separate return of the staffs of public Departments is now issued quarterly. As regards the analysis of expenditure, revised tables showing details of expenditure in 1914 and from 1921 onwards were published last year (Command Paper 2718). This analysis has thus been carried backward, and with each new year it is carried forward by the tables given in the annual Financial Statement (see Table VI of this year's Financial Statement). I think these figures cover in substance the facts to which my hon. Friend refers, and I should he glad to avoid the expense of continuing the issue of a further separate Memorandum in the older, and, as I think, less satisfactory, form.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will state how many of the judges of the High Court in Ireland retired on pension when the Free State was established; whether these judges were retired on ordinary pensions or on full salaries; what is the total amount now payable in respect of these pensions; and whether the whole amount falls on the British taxpayer or is shared by the Free State?

Nine judges of the High Court in Ireland retired as a result of the establishment of the Irish Free State; they received in each case the compensation provided under paragraph (2) of the Second Schedule to the Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1922, namely, pensions equivalent to two-thirds of their salaries, with additional allowances determined as therein prescribed; in two cases the awards, part of which were for limited periods, were equivalent to full salary. The total amount now payable to seven surviving judges is £23,783 6s. 8d. per annum. The awards are charged upon the Consolidated Fund, but a proportion of them, amounting to £17,193 6s. 8d. per annum, is recovered from the Irish Free State Government, in addition to which the sum of £1,353 15s. per annum is recovered from the Government of Northern Ireland.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of permits granted under the Agricultural Wages Act in each year since 1920, allowing farmers to pay less than the standard wage because of some infirmity on the part of the worker concerned?

The Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act only came into operation in August, 1924. The number of permits of exemption granted under the Act during the 12 months ended 30th September, 1925, was 8,848. A further 2,113 permits were granted during the succeeding 12 months and allowing for the continued operation or renewals of those granted in the first year, the total number of permits in operation on the 30th September, 1926, was approximately 10,500.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will make the Order contemplated by Section 2 of the Importation of Animals Act, 1922, and thereby authorise the importation into Britain of non-tubercular Canadian cows and heifers?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on the 7th April to a similar question put to me by the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean (Mr. Purcell).