asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the freight rate per ton of cotton piece goods between Liverpool and Bombay is 50s. per ton; that the rate between Liverpool and Madras is 61s. 9d. per ton; that the difference is operating against the Lancashire cotton workers; and will he make representations to the Imperial Shipping Committee to consider its remedy and recommend?

I understand that the freight rates are correctly stated. Regarding the last part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to similar questions on the 29th November, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the attention of the Board of Trade has been frequently called of recent years to the need for amended Regulations under Section 5 of the Weights and Measures Act, 1904, for the types of self-indicating pendulum weights (automatic counter scales) at present in use; that on several occasions promises have been made by the Board that such Regulations would be prepared as soon as practicable; and that notwithstanding these promises no Regulations have yet been issued; what progress has so far been made in the preparation of the Regulations; and whether he can give even an approximate date for their publication?

The work referred to in the reply of the President of the Board of Trade on 22nd March last to a similar question by my hon. Friend as having precedence over the revision of the Regulations referred to, is not yet fully disposed of. I am, however, fully aware of the desirability of a revision of the Weights and Measures Regulations, including those specifically mentioned by my hon. Friend, and I hope to be able to initiate the requisite action at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the names of the five airmen pilots who have been given direct commissions to date in 1927, and the date of the "Gazette"?

I will send the hon. and gallant Member copies of the relevant "Gazettes."

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses built in agricultural districts under the Housing Acts, 1919 to 1925; and how many of such houses are occupied by agricultural labourers?

I regret that statistics are not available of the numbers of houses built in agricultural districts or of the occupations of the tenants.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in the interests of public health, he will take measures to give the widest publicity to the high food value of fresh liquid milk for adults as well as children, as compared with machine-skimmed condensed milk?

I should be glad to see an increased consumption of fresh liquid milk, on account of its high nutritional value, and I am assured that a potent factor in bringing this about, is to continue to improve its cleanliness, wholesomeness and general acceptability. A publicity campaign is at present being conducted on the subject, with which I am fully in sympathy, and I may also say that I understand that the Empire Marketing Board have the question of milk publicity under consideration at the present time.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the deleterious effects of so-called port wine being sold in many districts in London; and what action he will take to ensure that this stimulant is only retailed in pure form?

I have seen reports in the Press, and I am having inquiries made into the matter.

asked the Prime Minister if he will state in broad outline the programme by which during the coming year the Empire Marketing Board intends to carry out its policy of a first place for British home producers in the British home market?

I have been asked, as acting-chairman of the Empire Marketing Board, to reply. The policy to which my hon. Friend refers is a cardinal feature in the programme of the Empire Marketing Board, and the Board is actively considering the means to be adopted in 1928 for bringing that feature home to the public. The Board's work, however, embraces so wide a field of scientific research, economic investigation and publicity that I could not within the limits of a Parliamentary answer give any adequate account of the activities which it will direct to this special purpose.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of mines temporarily abandoned in the different mining counties in Scotland to the end of October, 1927, with the number of persons laid idle as a consequence in each county?

The number of mines temporarily abandoned in the different mining counties of Scotland from 1st December, 1926, to 31st October, 1927, and the number of wage-earners employed thereat are as follow: County. Number of pits temporarily abandoned. Number of Wage-earners employed thereat. Argyll 1 28 Ayr 12 1,134 Dumfries 1 8 Edinburgh 1 10 Fife 4 371 Haddixngton 1 297 Lanark 27 1,738 Linlithgow 8 814 Peebles 1 2

The above figures do not agree with the total figure quoted in my answer to the hon. Member for Reading on 29th November, as they include certain pits temporarily abandoned for reasons other than economic.

asked the Secretary for Mines the reason why the Bog and Home Farm Collieries, Larkhall, Lanarkshire, have been abandoned; whether he is aware that there is sufficient coal in the area operated by these collieries to enable them to continue in production for a period of at least 30 years at a rate of output prior to their abandonment; and whether his Department can take any action in the matter to avoid the loss involved to both the locality concerned and the nation?

asked the Secretary for Mines whether, seeing that the proved and estimated coal resources of the county of Renfrew at the beginning of the present century was 165,000,000 tons and that to-day there are no collieries in that county producing coal, he is prepared to state what are the intentions of the Government regarding the matter of seeing that these coal resources are not lost to the community?

I am aware that the coal referred to in both questions is not now being worked. One of the difficulties of the coal industry at present is to find markets for its output, and if the demand increases sufficiently to provide a profitable market for this coal, I have no doubt that it will be worked without the necessity for Government intervention.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware of any coal companies having gone into liquidation in the different coal-producing counties in Britain during the past five years; and, if so, will he state the number and names of such coal companies in each county, distinguishing between those companies who have gone into liquidation prior to the stoppage of 1926 and since?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Particulars enabling the second part of the question to be answered are not available in the Mines Department, and I am informed that their compilation by the Board of Trade would involve an amount of labour and expense which would not be justified.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of coal mines which were producing coal in the county of Lanark on the 31st October, 1927, and for the corresponding date of the year 1924?

One hundred and fifty-six pits were producing coal in the county of Lanark at the end of October, 1927, as compared with 185 pits at the end of October, 1924.

asked the Secretary for Mines the total wages paid per week to the workers in the coal mines in the county of Lanark on the 31st October, 1927, and the corresponding date of the year 1924?

I regret that the information is not available. Scotland is treated as a whole for the purpose of wages ascertainments.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that in more than one elementary school in London the class-rooms have been remodelled on the basis of 10 square feet of floor space for older children and nine square feet for infants, instead of the 12 square feet for older children and the 10 square feet for younger children required by the Board's building regulations of 1924; and has this departure been sanctioned by the Board?

No, Sir; so far as I am aware, all recent plans for remodelling London elementary schools, with one minor exception, have been on the 12–10 square feet basis, but I must point out that the Regulations referred to applied only to newly-erected premises, and were not, therefore, necessarily aplicable to the remodelling of existing premises.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of elementary schools, both council and non- provided, that are scheduled by his Department as being unsuitable for use and incapable of improvement; and what reductions have been made in the number since the Report issued by his Department in 1925?

679 schools were, placed in the category referred to. Of these, 115 have already been dealt with by closure, replacement or reconstruction, and plans for dealing with 118 others have been approved by the Board.

asked the President of the Board of Education (1) what number of elementary schools exist where there is no water supply at all; whether he will state where these schools are situate; and whether they are council or non-provided schools;

(2) whether there are any elementary schools, council or non-provided, where there is no water laid on for the school children to drink, and where such schools are situated; and whether his Department has mad© any improvements in these matters since the 1925 Report?

I have no particulars which would enable me to give a detailed reply to either question, but if the hon. Member will let me know of any school at which he has reason to believe that there is no adequate water supply, I shall be glad to make inquiries.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether experiments have now been carried out with the new type of trial apparatus which will enable a sunken submarine to make its position known; and what has been the result of these experiments?

Trials have been recently carried out with a new type of apparatus for locating a sunken submarine; they were, however, not satisfactory.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty where each of the vessels now under construction for the Royal Navy is being completed?

Ship. Where completing. H.M.S. "Kent" H.M. Dockyard, Chatham. H.M.S. "Odin" H.M. Dockyard, Chatham. H.M.S. "Suffolk" H.M. Dockyard, Portsmouth. H.M.S. "London" H.M. Dockyard, Portsmouth. H.M.S. "Dorsetshire" H.M. Dockyard, Portsmouth. H.M.S. "Cornwall" H.M Dockyard, Devonport. H.M.S. "Devonshire" H.M. Dockyard, Devonport. H.M.S. "Berwick" (Contract Built) H.M. Dockyard, Devonport. H.M.S. "Rodney" Undergoing final docking at Portsmouth prior to acceptance from Contractors. (Messrs. Cammell Laird, Birkenhead.) H.M.S. "Cumberland" Vickers, Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness. H.M.S. "Med way" Vickers, Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness. H.M.S. "Resource" Vickers, Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness. H.M.S. "Osiris" Vickers, Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness. H.M.S. "Oswald" Vickers, Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness. H.M.S. "Otus" Vickers, Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness. H.M.S. "Shropshire" Beardmore and Company, Dalmuir, N.B. H.M.S. "Olympus" Beardmore and Company, Dalmuir, N.B. H.M.S. "Orpheus" Beardmore and Company, Dulmuir, N.B. H.M.S. "Sussex" Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Ltd., Hebburn. H.M.S. "Bridgewater" Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Ltd., Hebburn. H.M.S. "Sandwich" Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Ltd., Hebburn. H.M.S. "Norfolk" Fairfield Company, Glasgow. H.M.S. "York" Palmers Company, Jarrow. H.M.S. "Ganuet" Yarrow and Company, at Taikoo Dockyard, Hong Kong. H.M.S. "Seamew" Yarrow and Company, at Taikoo Dockyard, Hong Kong. H.M.S. "Peterel" Yarrow and Company, at Taikoo Dockyard, Hong Kong.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will specify what sums were spent in each of the dockyards in respect of hulls and of main and auxiliary machinery during the years 1924, 1925, and 1926?

The amounts for dockyard labour (Vote 8, Section I), and for materials (Vote 8, Section II), supplied for dockyard work, for hulls and machinery of ships, build-

— Labour. Material. Total. Establishment charges. Total. 1924. £ £ £ £ £ Portsmouth … … 1,256,028 393,771 1,649,799 556,981 2,206,780 Devonport … … 1,294,838 514,501 1,809,339 557,717 2,367,056 Chatham … … 954,843 331,413 1,286,256 434,080 1,720,336 Sheerness … … 207,326 61,843 269,169 99,346 368,515 Malta … … 255,664 108,747 364,411 103,108 467,519 1925. Portsmouth … … 1,359,451 449,341 1,8[...]8,792 589,257 2,398,049 Devonport … … 1,335,602 510,201 1,845,803 540,218 2,386,021 Chatham … … 1,018,778 333,037 1,351,815 452,493 1,804,308 Sheerness … … 228,638 83,781 312,419 108,088 420,507 Malta … … 359,118 148,876 507,994 143,916 651,910

Ships under construction for the Royal Navy are completing at the following yards:

ing and repairing during the years 1924, 1925, and 1926 for the four home yards, Portsmouth, Devonport, Chatham and Sheerness, and for Malta are shown in the following statement. The relevant establishment and incidental expenses are also given.

It would not be possible without a very large amount of clerical labour to differentiate between expenditure on hulls and expenditure on machinery.

— Labour. Material. Total. Establishment charges (approx.). Total 1926. £ £ £ £ £ Portsmouth … … 1,359,744 508,538 1,868,282 591,000 2,459,282 Devonport … … 1,400,928 538,359 1,939,287 562,000 2,501,287 Chatham … … 1,041,011 330,796 1,371,807 438,000 1,809,807 Sheerness … … 230,916 72,371 303,287 99,000 402,287 Malta … … 308,749 116,359 425,108 119,000 544,108

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of persons engaged at the Ad-

— 1914–15. 1927–28. ( a ) Number of staff engaged on pensions duties 25 42 ( b ) Cost of such staff £5,307 £17,000 ( c ) Cost of Naval, Marine and Widows pensions and gratuities, etc. £2,544,780 £7,415,670 ( d ) Percentage cost of staff to pensions, etc., awarded 0.208 0.229 ( e ) Number of staff per £100,000 pension award .982 .566

asked the Attorney-General whether he is aware that messengers taken into employment at the Land Registry since 1920 have been recruited from the ex-service men's class and paid the wages and conditions laid down for messengers, with the exception of the yearly increments; that a claim for these increments has been under discussion since 24th November, 1925, without a settlement being reached; that the society representing the men has never discussed or agreed to the reorganisation scheme of 1923, and that the matter has never been discussed on the Departmental Whitley Council, with the result that the increment claim has never been settled; that a precedent exists in this Department in that pre-War attendants received arrears of increment; and whether he will see that the arrears of increment are granted or, alternatively, agree to the matter being settled by the arbitration court for the Civil Service?

I am informed that the claim to which the hon. Member refers was made on behalf of certain men who had been serving in

miralty in the administration of pensions now and in 1913–14 and the percentage cost of such administration in 1927–28 and in 1913–14, respectively?

The particulars are as follow:

a temporary capacity in the Land Registry before their appointment as messengers in 1923, and was for payment of arrears of increment in respect of their temporary service. Their case was provided for under the reorganisation scheme of 1923, the terms of which were explained to accredited representatives of the men and accepted by them after discussion by the staff side of the Departmental Whitley Council. This claim has repeatedly been made in the course of the past two or three years and has on each occasion been refused and no reason is shown for granting it now. I understand that the Department is not aware of any case which would serve as a precedent for admitting the claim in question. No claim has been made for arbitration on this matter. Any such claim should, in accordance with the usual procedure, be submitted to the head of the Department.

asked the Home Secretary under what circumstances a Polish subject, named Alexander Fischer, was able to enter and remain in this country after having been rejected by the immigration officer at Swansea; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent a recurrence of similar occurrences?

After being refused leave to land, this alien contrived to escape from the vessel in which he had arrived, and though immediate steps were taken to trace him, he managed to evade arrest until early last month. It is impossible entirely to obviate the risk of such occurrences. But they are rare; the immigration staff and the police are fully alive to the possibilities, and I do not think that any new precautions are necessary or practicable.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will indicate which of the recommendations of the Young Offenders Committee mot requiring legislation he proposes to put into effect in the immediate future?

I regret I can add nothing at present to the answer which I gave on the 16th November to the hon. Member for Finchley (Mr. Cadogan).

asked the Home Secretary seeing that in the Metropolitan Police area motor summonses must be sanctioned by the Commissioners of Police before issue, thus causing delay and extra clerical work at Scotland Yard and in the localities, if he will consider whether the responsibility for the issue of such summonses can be left to the local magistrates?

My hon. Friend is under a misapprehension, the issue of a summons being at the discretion of the magistrate in every case. In certain classes of traffic offences the divisional police have instructions to refer to New Scotland Yard before applying to the magistrate for a summons, but this is required only in the more important cases.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the repeated cases in which motorists refuse to stop at the request of the police, particularly when they are exceeding the speed limit or are fugitives from justice, he will consider the possibility of furnishing country and suburban police stations with the means of stopping such cars whose owners refuse to obey summonses to halt?

This question is being considered by a Committee appointed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what amount of sugar beet was raised in Great Britain during the past four years; how much of this production was used in the manufacture of sugar in this country; how much sugar-beet pulp was exported; and whether it is under consideration by the Government or his Department to prohibit such exportation?

The amount of sugar beet produced in Great Britain during the past four years is as follows: Tons. 1924 183,713 1925 431,184 1926 1,117,071 1927 (estimated) 1,800,000

The whole of this beet was produced for the manufacture' of sugar. The amount of dried beet pulp exported was 4,657 tons in 1925–26 and 36,759 tons in 1926–27. Two large groups of factories have undertaken an extensive propaganda to bring to the attention of farmers the importance of sugar beet pulp as a food for stock with, I understand, the result that largely increased orders have been received for this season's pulp for use in Great Britain. I see no reason, therefore, for the Government to intervene in this matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he can indicate any practical results following upon his Department's recent efforts at agricultural and other shows to prove to farmers the benefits of the improved organised marketing of their produce?

The demonstrations to which my hon. Friend refers were designed to illustrate in a practical way the various suggestions for improved marketing which the Ministry has placed before the farming community. These suggestions are still under consideration by the various interests concerned, and although certain developments can be attributed directly to the influence of the demonstrations, notably in regard to the establishment or contemplated establishment of packing stations for eggs, poultry and fruit, my hon. Friend will appreciate that it is early yet to appraise the results of this effort.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in granting any lease or concession for the working of the phosphate deposits in the Dead Sea, the Government will make it a condition of such lease or concession that the financial control of the undertaking shall always be in British hands?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave yesterday to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Colonel Howard-Bury).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the declarations made by a number of Governments accepting the principles laid down by the Economic Conference at Geneva in May last, His Majesty's Government intends to make any declaration of adhesion or to modify its economic policy in any way in order to bring it into accordance with those principles?

I have been asked to reply. I would refer the hon. Member to the full statement explaining the attitude of His Majesty's Government towards the resolutions of the Conference, which was made by the President of the Board of Trade in the Debate on the Board of Trade Estimates on 20th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the evidence given in the slavery case tried at Karachi on the 10th October last, in which it was proved that slave dealing is at present rife in the Persian Gulf; and what, if any, steps the Government are taking in the matter?

I would ask the hon. Member to refer to the reply of the 23rd November to the hon. Member for Shoreditch (Mr. Thurtle).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will have immediate and full inquiries made into the case of the Grimsby trawler "Escallonia," which was arrested on Saturday, 26th November, taken into Reykjavik, and fined 14,000 Icelandic kroner and her catch and fishing gear confiscated for alleged illegal trawling?

Yes, Sir. I have instructed His Majesty's Consul at Reykjavik to furnish me with a full report on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what position has been reached by the Permanent Court of International Justice in its consideration of the question of the powers of the European Commission of the Danube over the Galatz-Braila sector of the river?

The public hearing of the case has been completed, and the Court is now considering its advisory opinion.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the contents of the note which has recently been sent to the Government of Persia; and what are the relations now existing between His Majesty's Government and the Government of Persia?

Our relations with Persia are friendly, but there are several questions outstanding between us which it would be desirable to get settled in the interests of both countries and of the friendly atmosphere which we desire to maintain. The note to which the hon. Member refers was in reply to an inquiry by the Persian Government as to the attitude of His Majesty's Government towards certain proposed tariff changes, and it dealt with some of the matters to which I have referred.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is in a position to make any statement as to any development in the relationships between this country and Egypt?

No, Sir; I am not yet in a position to make any further statement on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has received any communication from the Egyptian Government intimating its intention to set up a tariff of protective duties; if so, what is the attitude of the British Government; and what measures have they taken to secure British interests?

No, Sir. On the expiry of the Italo-Egyptian Commercial Convention in 1930 the Egyptian Government will be free to revise their tariff policy. For this purpose two tariff experts have recently been engaged, the services of one of whom were secured through the good offices of His Majesty's Government.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that unemployed persons in Llandudno complain that insured persons are deprived of proper representation on the rota committees; that the panel from which these representatives are drawn is not constituted in accordance with the Acts; that the representatives on the panel are seldom called to the meetings, with the result that at these meetings the employers are overwhelmingly represented; that acts of incivility on the part of the officials at the Exchange are frequent; that applicants for extended benefit do not get sufficient notice when they are to appear before the rota committee, and thus are prejudiced in the presentation of their case; and that on the 23rd instant there was no labour representative present on the rota committee, and a request that a workers' representative on the panel should be allowed to sit was refused, with the result that the applicants for benefit declined to appear before the committee; and whether he will cause full inquiry to be made into these complaints and arrange for a further hearing of the applications for benefit refused at the meeting on the 23rd instant?

I am having inquiries made, and will let the hon. Member know the result as soon as possible.