asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he has received an official Report of the incidents that occurred during the Sivaji celebration at Surat on 3rd May; whether the police fired into the crowd; if so, whether there were any casualties and how many persons were wounded if there were any fatal injuries; and how many arrests were made?

My Noble Friend has received a brief telegram which indicates that it was necessary to open fire on the rioters. Two persons were seriously injured, of whom one died and three others were wounded, but whether these casualties were due to the firing or to the rioting I am unable to say.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether, following the resolution passed in the Burma Legislative Council stating that, in the opinion of that body, the best interests of the Province are likely to be served by State management of the Burma railways on the termination of the present contract in 1928, he has received any recommendation with regard to the question of the future management of these railways from the Government of India?

My Noble Friend is still awaiting the recommendations of the Government of India in regard to the management of the Burma railways after 1928.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Report, with the evidence, of the Commission of Inquiry into the situation in the New Hebrides will be laid before the House; and when, approximately, it is to be expected?

:No decision has been taken as to the publication of the Report. It is not expected that it will reach this country for some weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the archæological importance of the sites of the ancient cities in Iraq, any precautions are observed by the Government of Iraq to guard them against pillage by native dealers in antiquities and other persons undertaking unauthorised excavation?

In accordance with Article 14 of the Anglo-Iraq Treaty of the 10th October, 1922, the Iraq Government have promulgated an Antiquities Law which provides that there shall be no excavations for, dealings in or export of antiquities in Iraq except in accordance with a permit or licence issued by the competent Department of the Iraq Government. The Iraq Government have also recently concluded a provisional agreement with the Government of Syria with a view to the prevention of any illicit traffic in antiquities between Iraq and Syria.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he is aware that in the settlement of claims of Southern Irish loyalists Lord Dunedin recommended that the whole field of losses suffered by Irish loyalists should be considered, and that the Irish Grants Committee have been restricted to losses between 11th July, 1921, and 12th May, 1923; that the official appointed to contest applications submitted is also secretary of the Grants Committee, and is thus present at all private deliberations of the Committee; and can he say why Lord Dunedin's recommendation that the Committee should have the assistance of assessors with practical experience in valuation work has not been complied with?

In reply to the first part of the question, I would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that the terms of reference of the Committee presided over by Lord Dunedin limited the Committee's inquiry to consideration of the question of injury to person or property in Ireland since 11th July, 1921; and that limitation must be presumed to govern, and, I understand did in fact govern the whole of their recommendations. The date, 12th May, 1923, marks the end of what may be called the period of acute disturbance in the Irish Free State; but if my hon. and gallant Friend is aware of any injuries originating after that date of such a kind as would otherwise come within the terms of reference to the Irish Grants Committee, I shall be glad if he will send details to me. The reply to the second part of the question is in the affirmative. In reply to the third part, the Committee, who have Lord Dunedin's Report before them, are, of course, fully aware that it is open to them to ask for the assistance of assessors if they so desire, but they must he the judges of their own needs, and I have not as yet received any such request from them. My hon. and gallant Friend is no doubt aware that one of the members of the Committee, Sir John Oakley, is a president surveyor and a past President of the Surveyors' Institution.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it has been decided to raise the British Legation in Buenos Aires to the rank of an Embassy; and, if so, when the change will be made?

I can only refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hillsborough (Mr. A. V. Alexander) on the 8th March, to which I have, for the moment, nothing to add.

asked the Secretary of State, for Foreign Affairs whether there has been any recent improvement in the conditions relating to the salt gabelle in China, either as regards the collection of the tax or the application of the proceeds in accordance with the conditions of the gabelle?

There has been no change in the position as regards the salt gabelle since I last answered a question on the subject in this House, on the 22nd March last.

asked the Prime Minister whether a decision has been reached as to the Dublin metropolitan pre-War pensioners, as a result of the correspondence which has taken place with the Minister of Finance for the Irish Free State?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on the 11th February, 1926.

asked the President of the Board of Education the net expenditure of local education authorities on special schools, medical inspection and treatment, the provision of meals, the organisation of physical training, evening play centres, and nursery schools, respectively, in the years 1925–26 and 1926–27?

The particulars for 1925–26 are as follow:

asked the President of the Board of Education the net expenditure of local education authorities on books, stationery and apparatus in elementary schools in the years 1924–25, 1925–26 and 1926–27, respectively?

As I explained to the hon. Member in my reply of the 24th February last, the accounts do not show the net, but only the gross expenditure on these items, and they group stationery with books and apparatus with furniture and equipment. The gross expenditure of local authorities in 1924–25 was:

asked the President of the Board of Education whether the provision made by an education committee in its estimates for a grant of £50 towards the funds of an officers' cadet corps in a secondary school is expenditure sanctioned by his Department?

The view taken by the Board is that the subscriptions of pupils to cadet corps should be fixed at such a figure as to make the corps self-supporting, and that there should be recognised for grant only the payment by the local authority of the whole (or part) of the subscription in cases where pupils who desire to join the corps could not afford to do so without such assistance.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether it is proposed to arrange for the early removal of the Salisbury tax office from the premises now occupied to the alternative premises which it is understood are now available at Churchfields, Salisbury; and whether, in view of the effect on the health of the staff which the continued occupation of the old premises is likely to cause, steps can be taken to expedite the removal?

The alternative premises to which reference is made have not proved acceptable to the Inland Revenue Department, but their suitability is being reconsidered in view of the scarcity of more satisfactory accommodation.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether his attention has been drawn to the increasing nuisance of paper and débris being thrown about in the public parks instead of being placed in the receptacles provided for that purpose; and whether, in view of the decision of a magistrate that the term "depositing rubbish," as used in the Regulations, did not make it an offence to place rubbish in any place other than the proper receptacle, he will consider taking powers to make offenders to be punished?

It is intended to deal with this matter in connection with the preparation of revised Regulations under the powers given by the Act passed in the last Session of Parliament.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether steps can be taken to supervise the indiscriminate plucking of flowers, more especially bluebells, at this time of year in Richmond Park; and whether the large area of the park between Sheen Gate and Sheen Common Gate, of poor agricultural soil, enclosed for the production of foodstuffs during the War, can now be thrown open to the public?

The First Commissioner regrets that it is not possible to take effective steps to prevent the plucking of flowers over such a large area as that of Richmond Park. The enclosed area to which my hon. Friend refers produces good crops of oats used for feeding the horses working in the Park. There is no demand for more space in this section of the Park, and, in view of the economy effected, no good reason is seen for altering the existing arrangement.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men, women, and youths who received unemployment benefit during 1925 and 1926; and the total number of men, women, and youths on the live register during 1925 and 1926?

Statistics of the number of individuals on the live registers, or who receive unemployment

asked the Minister of Health the names of our representatives who attended the International Congress on Hydrophobia which was summoned by the health section of the League of Nations held at Paris, together with the cost to Great Britain?

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries was represented by Dr. W. H. Andrews, the Medical Research Council by Captain S. R. Douglas, and the Ministry of Health by Dr. W. M. Scott. In addition, six representatives attended from British Institutes overseas at which anti-rabic work is specially important. The only expenses entailed to the public funds were travelling and subsistence allowances on the ordinary scale for the three delegates from Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can furnish the following particulars of the small-pox cases removed to hospital from Hendon to Golders Green: the sex and age of each patient; the vaccinal condition of the fatal and non-fatal cases; whether there were any special circumstances connected with the fatal cases that contributed to benefit, in a particular year are not available, but the following table gives for Great Britain (1) the average number of persons on the live registers and (2) the average number of persons with current claims to unemployment benefit on the Monday of each week in the years 1925 and 1926.the fatal result; and whether the infection was originally contracted abroad?

Nine patients, whose homes were in the Urban District of Hendon, were removed to hospital, one male and eight females. One patient was eight days old, and the others were aged 8, 15, 16, 21, 23, 37, 42 and 47 years, respectively. There were five fatal cases, and I am informed that at the time of infection four of these were unvaccinated and one vaccinated. Of the non-fatal cases, two were unvaccinated and two vaccinated at the time of infection. The three vaccinated cases were aged 23, 42 and 47, respectively, and were all vaccinated only in infancy. As regards the last part of the question, I am not aware of any special circumstances. I am informed that the source of infection has not been traced.

(on 18th May, 1927) asked the Minister of Transport whether he will state in detail the items of the commitments of the Road Fund which are mentioned in paragraph 3 of the last Road Fund Report under the several sums of £9,980,000, £10,945,000, £1,852,000, and £2,453,000; will he state what amounts had been paid on account of each of such items in the year ending 31st March, 1927; and what amounts he estimates will be spent on each item in the year ending 31st March, 1928?

The commitments to which the hon. Member refers relate to many hundreds of grants which I cannot specify in detail.It is, moreover, not possible to estimate with accuracy the rate of expenditure

asked the Minister of Transport what steps are taken by his Department for the provision of efficient first-aid on the roads of this country; and is he satisfied, bearing in mind the increase of road accidents due to motor and other traffic, that the provision made is adequate?

I have no powers to provide first-aid outfits on the roads of the country.

asked the Postmaster-General whether it is the intention on each item during the current financial year, but taking the headings of the commitments as at 31st March, 1926, given in paragraph 3 of the last Annual Report on the Road Fund, to which the hon. Member refers, the following estimate can be given of the approximate rate at which those commitments are likely to be met up to 31st March, 1928:of the Government to discuss the matter of broadcasting at the forthcoming Washington Conference; and, if not, whether, seeing that many complaints are received from listeners regarding the interference caused by spark transmitters, he will do his utmost to have the subject of broadcasting placed on the agenda in order to promote the necessary legislation to deal with this nuisance?

The Radiotelegraph Conference to be held at Washington will deal with certain aspects of broadcasting, and various proposals will be considered having for their object the reduction of interference between the broadcasting service and other wireless services.