asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the tenders invited for the new air shed at Cardington were advertised for in the public Press; if so, in how many; and in which papers did this advertisement appear?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, and the remaining parts, therefore, do not arise. The usual practice was followed of inviting tenders from firms on an approved list of contractors in each branch of the engineering and building trade.

dustrial or agricultural, compared with persons employed in transportation, in selling or marketing goods, in employment under Government or local authorities, and as having no trade or occupation, respectively?

I have been asked to reply. As regards the first part of the question, no information is, so far as I am aware, as yet available. With regard to the second part of the question, as the answer involves a tabular statement, I propose, with the hon. and gallant Member's permission, to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the available information for England and Wales according to the industrial classification and figures of the 1921 Census.

Following is the statement:

asked the Postmaster-General if his Department has received many complaints in respect of the results of working of the standard instrument in the shape of a breastplate and hand receiver supplied in connection with private exchange equipment; whether he is aware that many subscribers prefer hand-set combinations either in the shape of a swinging transmitter or a combination of the transmitter and receiver in one; whether, when firms can make out a good case for having a hand set they can be supplied, and are supplied; and whether, in the interests of greater telephone efficiency, he will see that genuine complaints are more generally assisted in securing installations of this nature?

So far as can be ascertained, only one complaint of this character has been received at headquarters during the past few years, and I have no reason, therefore, for thinking that many subscribers prefer hand sets for use at their private branch switchboards. The transmission efficiency of the hand set at present available has been proved to be considerably inferior to that of the standard apparatus, and it is therefore only supplied in exceptional cases. An improved type of hand set has recently been produced and is being subjected to experimental tests.

asked the Minister of Health what processes are adopted after the collection of the lymph material from calves for vaccine, and what substances are added to it; and why such substances are added?

The lymph material collected from calves for vaccine is weighed and reduced to an emulsion with a known weight of a diluent consisting of glycerine, distilled water and oil of cloves. The diluent is used to bring the lymph material to a suitable consistency, and to get rid of extraneous bacteria.

asked the Minister of Health whether, seeing that the price of a council house ranges from as low as £300 to £500 and more in various localities, he can explain this difference, making allowance for local conditions and site, sewerage, and water factors?

The prescribed limits of area for subsidy houses range from 550 to 950 superficial feet, and variation in size therefore necessarily account for a large part of the difference in price. In addition to this and the other factors mentioned by the hon. Member, a variation in building costs in different districts, and in standards of accommodation and amenity are contributory factors to the difference in range of prices in various localities, and the matter is, of course, influences by the extent of the demand on the building industry in any area.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the present total pay of all ranks of the Navy, together with the corresponding amount for 1913–14, and the amount the total pay now would be if the 1913–14 rates of pay still prevailed?

The provision in Navy Estimates, 1927, for the total pay (including allowances in the nature of pay and marriage allowance) of all ranks of the Navy is approximately £15,512,000. The corresponding provision for 1913–14 was approximately £8,881,000. If 1913–14 rates still prevailed, the sum required for the present year would be approximately £7,076,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any proposals have been made recently by the Russian Government with regard to reopening trade relationships; and, if so, when and what were the nature of these proposals, and what reply, if any, was given?

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any representations have been made to his Department by any foreign nations in respect of the treatment of their countries' affairs in British produced films?

I have received in the past three years four or five representations about foreign-made films shown in this country; and also some unofficial inquiries, based on newspaper reports in regard to one film reported to be in preparation by a British company; but I have had no representations about any existing film made by a British company.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men and women have applied for extended benefit since 1st January, 1927; how many claims were allowed; and how many were disallowed?

During the nine months ended 10th October, 1927, 2,242,622 applications for extended benefit by men and 253,419 by women have been considered by local Employment Committees in Great Britain. Of these numbers 1,893,505 applications by men and 160,410 by women were recommended for allowance, and 349,117 applications by men and 93,009 by women were recommended for disallowance. I am unable to state the number of separate individuals included in these figures.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons who have passed through a course of training at the Government instructional centres, indicating the number allocated to each of the six trades; the actual period of training associated with each of the trades referred to; and what standard of proficiency was considered to be sufficient before these trainees were turned out?

Up to the end of October a total of 2,994 men had passed through a course of training at the day training centres for young unemployed men, to which I assume the hon. Member refers. Of this number 2,856 are known to have secured employment after training as follows:

— Wholly Unemployed. Temporarily Stopped. Men. Boys. Women. Girls. Total. Men. Boys. Women. Girls. Total Cotton 7,682 145 8,987 190 17,004 13,688 591 29,863 1,546 45,688 Woollen 4,254 107 2,970 115 7,446 4,842 62 5,492 236 10,632 Silk 711 19 686 63 1,479 398 6 1,323 91 1,818 Linen 242 17 323 28 610 283 26 1,027 140 1,476 Jute 924 11 1,418 16 2,369 97 2 186 5 290 Hemp 322 28 551 62 963 82 5 368 31 486 Hosiery 340 11 1,458 139 1,948 322 15 1,862 111 2,310 Lace 350 5 133 11 499 408 3 339 23 773 Carpet 268 6 284 15 573 230 — 559 19 808 Other Textiles 547 23 1,017 50 1,637 316 6 675 36 1,033 Total Textiles 15,640 372 17,827 689 34,528 20,666 716 41,694 2,238 65,314

1,543 in building and other works of construction, furniture making, packing case making and other woodworking trades;

416 in engineering and allied trades, including motor and cycle manufacture and repair;

22 in the electrical trades;

293 in road work and railway work;

582 in miscellaneous occupations.

The maximum period of training is limited to six months, but a proportion of the men leave earlier to take up work. The object of the scheme is not to train the men for any specific trade, but to improve their general employability by teaching them the use of simple tools and accustoming them to regular hours and workshop practice and discipline. No question, therefore, arises of fixing a definite standard of proficiency in particular trades.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will furnish for the latest convenient date the number of persons unemployed in the textile industry and the number working short time, showing separately the number of men, women, lads, and girls affected

The following table shows the number of insured workpeople classified as belonging to each of the textile industries in Great Britain recorded as unemployed at 24th October, 1927, distinguishing between those wholly unemployed and those temporarily stopped from the service of their employers:

asked the Minister of Labour the estimated number of insured persons employed in the motor and aircraft industry in July, 1923 and 1924, respectively; and the number of insured persons in that industry unemployed at the same dates, with similar

Industry. July, 1923 July, 1924. Estimated Number Insured Insured Persons Unemployed. Estimated Number Insured. Insured Persons Unemployed. Construction and repair of motor vehicles, cycles and aircraft. 190,430 18,576 201,960 15,969 Silk (including artificial silk) 37,300 2,556 41,490 1,614 Lace 21,220 5,408 20,350 3,803 Musical instrument making 19,520 1,422 19,890 2,278

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent persons whose unemployment benefit is disallowed obtain employment or seek Poor Law relief?

The only available information bearing directly on this point is that obtained from an inquiry made in April, 1926, at certain typical Employment Exchanges in co-operation with the Poor Law authorities in order to ascertain the extent to which persons whose benefit claims were disallowed during a period of one week obtained Poor Law relief within a period of 14 days from the date on which the disallowance was notified. The areas concerned in the inquiry were:

Birmingham, Dudley, Dundee, Gateshead, Greenock, Hackney, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Stratford (West Ham) and Swansea.

1,431 cases were dealt with in the inquiry.

The results showed that of the males whose benefit claims were disallowed, 15.3 per cent, were already in receipt of relief at the date when the disallowance was notified to them. (In 6.1 per cent, the amount of relief was increased within 14 days and in 9.2 per cent, the amount was not increased.) In 13.2 per cent, the individuals were not in receipt of relief when the disallowance of benefit

figures for the silk, lace, and musical instrument industries?

The following table gives for certain industries the estimated number of workpeople in Great Britain insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts at July, 1923 and 1924, and the numbers of such persons recorded as unemployed:

was notified but relief was granted within 14 days; while in the remaining 71.5 per cent., relief was not granted at any time within the 14 day period.

Of those who at some time within the 14 day period referred to above received Poor Law relief 15.5 per cent, had removed their unemployment books before the end of the period and had therefore presumably obtained insured employment; 65.2 per cent, remained on the register at the Employment Exchanges up to the end of the 14 day period; and 19.3 per cent, had ceased to register by the end of the 14 day period but their unemployment books remained lodged at the Exchange. Of those who did not obtain Poor Law relief, 38.6 per cent, had removed their unemployment books on obtaining insured employment by the end of the 14 day period; 35.5 per cent, continued to register at the Employment Exchange; and 25.9 per cent, ceased to register but their unemployment books remained lodged.

Taking the whole of the males included in the inquiry together, whether Poor Law relief was granted or not, the inquiry showed that 32.1 per cent, had removed their unemployment books on obtaining employment in an insured trade by the end of the 14 day period; 43.9 per cent, of the males whose benefit claims were disallowed were continuing to register at the Exchanges at the end of the 14 day period; and 24 per cent, had ceased to register but their books remained lodged.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give figures for the latest convenient period showing real wages in the principal

Index Numbers of comparative real Wages in various Cities at 1st July, 1927. (Base: London, 1st July, 1927 = 100) City. Index Numbers based on Quantities of Food Consumption in General average Index Numbers based on food only. General average Index Numbers with allowance for rent. Belgium and France. Central European Countries. Great Britain. Southern European Countries. Scandinavian Countries. Oversea Countries. London 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Amsterdam 89 85 82 87 95 88 87 87 Berlin 61 70 64 65 76 70 67 62 Brussels 49 44 46 47 53 48 48 52 Copenhagen 95 103 103 102 126 110 106 106 Dublin 98 102 105 99 103 103 102 110 Lisbon 32 32 30 30 29 31 31 — Lodz 37 44 37 39 51 44 42 44 Madrid 55 55 51 54 54 54 54 — Milan 49 62 48 52 54 43 52 53 Ottawa 147 156 157 148 170 163 156 154 Paris 55 53 49 52 60 52 53 — Philadelphia 169 166 181 175 197 188 178 178 Prague 45 44 44 47 48 47 46 49 Riga 43 54 45 45 53 50 48 51 Rome* 44 45 38 44 48 43 43 45 Stockholm† 87 86 91 88 106 101 92 90 Tallinn 41 51 39 42 54 48 46 47 Vienna 35 42 38 38 48 43 41 46 Warsaw‡ 34 40 32 35 43 39 37 38 *The figures for Lisbon and Rome are relatively low. This may be accounted for in part by the differences in the items of food consumption in the Southern European countries from those ordinarily consumed in most of the other countries included in the table. † The figures are based on wages in the building, furniture-making and printing industries only For other cities the metal industry is also included. ‡Based on a weighted average wage. For other cities an unweighted average has been used.

It is explained in the "International Labour Review" that the figures are subject to important reservations. In particular the wage and price data for the different cities used as basis for the comparisons are not strictly comparable. Also in the case of certain cities in Southern European countries, the relatively low index numbers of real wages may be accounted for in part by differences in the items of food consumption in such countries as compared with those ordinarily consumed in most

cities of Europe based on United Kingdom dietaries and dietaries of the respective countries, respectively?

The following table, extracted from the "International Labour Review" for October, gives the latest figures compiled by the International Labour Office relating to 1st July, 1927:

of the other countries included in the table. The budgets used in the comparisons do not make adequate allowance for the vegetable consumption in Southern European countries.

Further, the index numbers do not show differences in the general level of real wages, even in the cities included, being based on the wages of a few categories of workers in four industries only and on the prices of a limited number of articles of food. In the second series of general averages given in the table (last column) an allowance is made for rent, but no account is taken of expenditure on furniture, clothing and other items of ordinary consumption. The index numbers, which are not representative of the relation between the general levels of real wages in the capital cities, are still less representative of differences in the levels of real wages in the respective countries. They may serve, however, rough indication of the relative levels of real wages of adult male workers in certain occupations and cities in different countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the Dundee Police headquarters have no provision for the drying of wet uniforms; that there is no witness room; that the cells are badly constructed and ill-lighted, and that the buildings are generally unsuitable for modern police and public requirements; and whether any steps are being taken in this matter before the issuing of an efficiency certificate?

I am aware that the present police accommodation in Dundee is in some respects inadequate, and that the cells in construction and lighting are not up to modern standards. I am in communication with the police authority on the subject.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total yield to the Treasury from Death Duties for the months of this year, giving comparative figures for the years 1925 and 1926?

The total yield to the Exchequer from Death Duties for the seven months of the current financial year (April to October inclusive) was £39,770,000. The corresponding figures for the first seven months of the years 1925-26 and 1926-27 were £34,460,000 and £35,460,000, respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the actual loss to the Revenue in 1925 and 1926 by the lowering of Super-tax in the Finance Act, 1925?

The estimates given at the time of the effect of the changes in taxation made by the Finance Act, 1925, do not call for any revision. It must be borne in mind that the reduction in Super-tax was offset by an equivalent increase in the Estate Duty, so that the Revenue does not suffer any loss in a full year.