asked the Minister of Labour the most recent figures available to show the number of firms on the King's Roll and the number of ex-service men employed, with the corresponding figures for 1925 and 1926?

The King's Roll relates to the employment of disabled ex-service men. The numbers of enrolled firms in November, 1925, 1926 and 1927, were approximately 28,000, 27,500 and 27,500, respectively. The number of disabled ex-service men employed by enrolled firms at the same dates were approximately 365,000, 375,000 and 380,000, respectively. The number of enrolled firms has remained approximately the same for some time, but there is a considerable turnover in the personnel of enrolled firms, and the tendency has been for the places of small firms who find it necessary to go off the Roll to be taken by larger firms. This factor, together with the increased staffs of some enrolled firms, is reflected in the increased number of disabled ex-service men employed during the last two years.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of employés employed in all Government Departments to the last convenient date, giving the total staff, male and female, and showing what portion of the male staff are ex-service men; and the number of ex-service men on the permanent or temporary staff of those Departments?

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement, which has already been presented to Parliament, relating to the employment of ex-service men in Government Departments on 1st October, 1927 (Command Paper 2983).

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the satisfactory increase in inland telephone trunk traffic shown by the latest figures obtainable, being those of August last, he will take special steps to bring to the notice of the public the additional facilities and improved service now available?

Every effort is being and will continue to be made by means of suitable leaflets and notices to call the attention of the public to the trunk services, including the cheaper facilities in the afternoon and evening.

asked the Postmaster-General what price his Department is paying for the acre of ground in the near neighbourhood of Cadogan Square, Chelsea, purchased from the Hans Place and Cadogan Syndicate (No. 3), Limited; how many industrial tenants are living on the land; whether all or any of them are protected tenants; whether they have received an assurance that they will not be turned out of their homes unless and until alternative accommodation has been provided for them under the Housing Acts; whether these houses are in the meantime in good sanitary condition; and whether this transaction is in any way contingent upon the repeal of the Rent Restriction Act?

I have no knowledge of the syndicate mentioned, but I have entered into a contract to acquire about half an acre of land fronting on Draycott Avenue, Chelsea, for telephone purposes. It would not, however, be in the public interest to disclose the amount of the purchase price. I have agreed to purchase the property in question subject to the existing tenancies of the six cottages, Nos. 3–13, in Green Street, but otherwise with vacant possession. These six cottages are understood to be the only premises on the site which are protected by the Rent Restrictions Acts and, so far as can be foreseen at present, it will be unnecessary to disturb the tenants for some years to come. I have no direct information as to the sanitation of the houses on the site, but I understand that they are generally in inferior condition. I have no knowledge of the arrangements which the vendors are making with the remaining tenants, who are understood to be unprotected.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is in a position to say when the Commission to decide the ownership, etc., of the holy places in Jerusalem is to be appointed and to commence its deliberations; and whether, in the event of the Abyssinian representatives being able to establish the legal title of their claim, they will receive the sympathetic consideration of His Majesty's Government?

No, Sir. I am not in a position to state when a Commission will be set up. The whole question is in abeyance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is in a position to make a statement with reference to the capture by Chinese bandits of Captain Lalor, captain of the steamer "Siangtan," in Chinese waters?

On the 30th November, at about 10 p.m., the British steamer "Siangtan," while at anchor 16½ miles below Ichang, was attacked by 30 armed men in six sampans. Three members of the Chinese crew were killed and several people wounded. The master, Captain Lalor, who received a bad bullet wound in the foot, was taken prisoner by the bandits, who demanded a ransom of 60,000 dollars for his release, threatening to kill him if the terms were not accepted or if offensive action was taken against them. General Yang Sen at Ichang collected a sum of money to pay the ransom, and Captain Lalor was ultimately released at 9 p.m. on the 13th December. I have no information as to the exact amount of the ransom that was ultimately paid. The Rear-Admiral, Yangtse, who was in charge of the measures for Captain Lalor's release, reports that it was effected through the agency of the Reverend Forbes Tocher, whose fearless determination and perseverance under the most difficult conditions were beyond praise. He was loyally supported by two Chinese.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many British citizens have been killed or wounded by mob or military violence, since the troubles at Nanking, in any part of China?

As far as my information goes, one British subject has been killed by soldiers in China since the date of the Nanking outrage, and at least three by brigands or pirates. There have also been various cases of wounding of British subjects by mob or military violence, but in the absence of full information I cannot give the number.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give full particulars of any raids that have taken place against British vessels on the Yangtse river during the last month; and whether any fatalities have occurred amongst the British officers or crews during these raids?

Full particulars of the raid on steamship "Siangtan" were given in my reply to the hon. Member on the 14th December. A further incident occurred on the 14th December, when about 50 bandits boarded a British tug towing lighters 45 miles below Shasi, demanding a foreigner for ransom. Finding none, they shot the Chinese supercargo through the thigh, looted various property and took the Chinese captain and engineer of the tug as hostages. The tug then cut its tow and fled down the river. His Majesty's Ship "Bee" proceeded in chase and came upon two Chinese tugs which had been seized the previous day by bandits. The bandits, however, escaped into the reeds, but one man was found on one of the tugs with property stolen from the British lighters, and is to be brought to Hankow for trial. There appear to have been no fatalities among the British officers or crew in this raid.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the goods seized under the boycott at Canton have now been returned?

I have not received information of their return, but I am making inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any British capital is invested in the railways in Manchuria; and whether the Peking Government has made any representations against further investments of this nature by foreign Powers in that country?

There is British capital invested in the Chineseowned Peking-Mukden Railway. The South Manchurian Railway Company (Japanese) has on four occasions issued debentures on the London market, the last issue being in 1923. I have no information of any official representations by the Peking authorities to foreign Governments against further investments of this kind.

asked the Minister of Health the total cost of administering the Blind Persons Aid Act, 1920; the amounts actually paid to blind persons under this Act and the total number of blind persons registered; whether any blind persons claiming a pension at 50 years of age have been refused a pension on the grounds of income or earnings or otherwise; and what is the total cost of administering the Blind Persons Act, 1926?

The cost of administering the Blind Persons Act, 1920, in England and Wales falling on the Exchequer and the local authorities amounts at the present time to about £650,000 per annum. This is exclusive of the large amounts spent by voluntary agencies for the purposes of the Act, and of the contributions made by the Exchequer and the local education authorities for the education and training of the blind. It is not possible to state the amounts actually paid to blind persons under the Act. The total number of registered blind persons in England and Wales on the 31st March, 1927, was 46,822. Of these there were 17,232 between the ages of 50 and 70, of whom 14,563 were in receipt of Blind Old Age Pensions. The remaining 2,669 were presumably in receipt of means in excess of those permitted under the Old Age Pension Acts, or did not satisfy some other condition laid down by those Acts for the receipt of a pension. With regard to the last part of the question, I assume that my hon. and gallant Friend is referring to the Wireless Telegraphy (Blind Persons Facilities) Act, 1926. Any question as to the cost of administering that Act should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can now state the result of his communication with the local authority of Cobham, Surrey, regarding the inadequate number of houses built and the rents charged for those which have been completed?

I have carefully considered the representations which have been made to me in regard to the matter referred to by the hon. Member. I understand that the Rural District Council of Epsom have already provided 84 houses in the Parish of Cobham, and it does not appear to me that there are sufficient grounds for declaring that the local authority have failed in their duty in this respect. The determination of the rents which should be charged for the houses is a matter for the local authority.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that he is empowered by Clause 2 (2) of the Town Planning Act, 1925, to refuse to approve any scheme except with such modifications and subject to such conditions as he thinks fit to impose, he will so modify the proposals of the Hendon Rural District Council in respect of Stan-more as to prevent the destruction of the beauties of that village by the erection of shops facing the village green?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on Thursday last to questions by the hon. Members for Blackpool (Sir W. de Frece) and Islington East (Mr. Tasker).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the question of raising a Government housing loan with a view to helping the smaller local authorities to build working-class houses, or of extending the activities of the Public Works Loan Board for that purpose so as to enable small local authorities to borrow on more advantageous terms than they can do at present?

The resources of the Public Works Loan Board are, in the main, reserved for the smaller local authorities. Since 1st April, 1920, they have lent for the purposes of the various Housing Acts £195,000,000, and in the current year about £29,000,000 to the local authorities. The loans are made on terms which represent the actual cost of the operation. In view of these facts, there would appear to be no ground for my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will ascertain what payments have been made to the receiver appointed by the Court in the Glyncorrwg Colliery Company liquidation since June, 1925, up to the last available date?

I have no information which would enable me to answer the question. I would suggest that any inquiries on the subject should be made to the receiver appointed by the Court.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to certain criticisms of the South-East England Electricity Scheme which has recently been submitted under the Electricity Supply Act of last year; and whether he can state the present position of the scheme?

The South-East England Electricity Scheme and the Book of Supplementary Particulars recently published have been prepared by the Electricity Commissioners pursuant to Section 4 of the Electricty (Supply) Act, 1926, and have been transmitted to the Central Electricity Board. The Board, as was their duty, have published the scheme as received from the Commissioners. They are now engaged in investigating the scheme and are discussing in detail, with the parties, the representations which have been made upon it. The whole subject is, therefore, under the consideration of the Board and sub judice.

asked the Minister of Transport what are the wayleave rentals recently awarded in various counties for the construction of electricity lines under the Electricity Act, 1926; whether the prices of 4s. a pole for arable land, 2s. for grass land, 1s. for other land, and 6d. for stays may be taken as an indication of the prime costs of line construction; and how do such prices compare with the estimates made when the Electricity Act was being framed?

Wayleave rentals in connection with electricity lines necessarily depend to some extent on the circumstances of each particular case, but the figures mentioned by my hon. and gallant Friend correspond with or closely approximate to the rentals that have been recently awarded in various parts of the country. Any estimates that may have been made of the wayleave expenses likely to be incurred in connection with main transmission lines would, in view of the different type of supports required to be used for such lines, not be usefully comparable with the figures referred to.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has yet come to any conclusion on the question of research into the names, elections, and politics of pre-Reform Members of Parliament?

I should have been glad to assist the hon. and gallant Member, but I am afraid that the inquiries that would be involved would be both protracted and costly and, as I have no funds at my disposal which could be devoted to such a purpose, I have been unable to do more than bring the whole matter to the notice of the Treasury.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as respresenting the First Commissioner of Works, whether his inspector in the Birmingham area has received complaints regarding the failure of Mr. H. Morgan, shopfitter, to apply the Fair Wages Clause; is he aware that Mr. Morgan arranged personally to pay a qualified painter 1d. per hour less than the standard rate; that some days after a complaint had been made to His Majesty's inspector this workman received back pay of 1d. per hour; and if he will make inquiries to see if the other men employed by this firm on Government work are actually receiving the full rate of wages?

(for The FIRST COMMISSIONER of WORKS): A complaint regarding the employment of a painter at less than the standard rate was received, and an examination of the wages books showed that all the men employed by the firm on work for the Department were paid the appropriate district rates. The contractor states, however, that a mistake had occurred in the actual payment of wages to one man, and the error was adjusted as soon as discovered. He denies that any man was engaged on the lower rate.

asked the Secretary of State for War what are the total num bers in training at the Army vocational training centres; how many of them are officers, non-commissioned offcers, and men; and what is the total accommodation at the training establishments at present under the War Office?

The total number at present under training at the Army vocational training centres is approximately 670, of whom some 460 are lancecorporals or privates and the remainder soldiers above that rank. No officers receive instruction. There is accommodation at these centres for approximately 1,130 at any one time.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Indian delegates to the Eleventh Session of the International Labour Conference have been appointed, or whether any nominations have yet been received by the Government?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. My Noble Friend has no information regarding the second part.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether in view of Article 389 of the Versailles Peace Treaty, it is the intention of the Government of India to arrange that the employers' and workers' delegates to the International Labour Conference should be accompanied by at least two advisers for each item on the agenda of forthcoming meetings; and whether he has received any representations from delegates at conferences that have already taken place that such advisers were not provided?

As the hon. Member is aware, the provisions of Article 389 of the Treaty of Versailles relating to the appointment of advisers to the employers' and workers' delegates are permissive and not obligatory. My Noble Friend has not received any representations on the subject.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether in view of the general demand for an inquiry into the banking conditions in India and of the resolution calling for such an inquiry adopted by the Indian Legislature, the Government will give an undertaking that a Committee or Commission will be appointed to inquire into this matter and make recommendations as soon as the question of the constitution of the Reserve Bank has been decided?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on the 8th December to a question by the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury).

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Government have received resolutions from public bodies and associations in India with reference to the recent appointment of the Statutory Commission; and whether he can state the number of such resolutions which approve and which disapprove of the Commission, respectively?

My Noble Friend has received messages or resolutions from eight associations in India and three said to be the result of public meetings there. Of these 11 messages, two approved, and the rest disapproved the composition of the Commission.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is now in a position to state the total amount of capital expenditure involved in the construction of the irrigation system in the Lyallpur district of the Punjab; and if he has any information to say how many branch railway lines it is contemplated opening on the Lyallpur-Jaranwala railway, in the North-Western system, which will converge on Lyallpur?

According to the latest figures available, the capital cost up to 31st March, 1926, of the Lower Chenab Canal, the system referred to, amounted to Rs.3,51,57,690. I have no information on the matter dealt with in the latter part of the question.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been directed to those portions of the Report of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee on Street Accidents in Greater London, which refer to the remarkable decrease in the percentage of fatal street accidents amongst children in the Metropolis, credit for which is given to the educative work of teachers and education authorities in co-operation with the National Safety-First Association; and whether, in view of the constant increase in the volume of traffic and the number of street accidents, he will draw the attention of all education authorities to the importance of ensuring that similar work be undertaken throughout the country and to the assistance afforded by the National Safety-First Association?

My right hon. Friend has seen the Report referred to, and he has observed with great satisfaction the successful results of the educative work undertaken by local authorities and teachers in co-operation with the National Safety-First Association. As regards the second part of the question, my right hon. Friend thinks that my hon. Friend's suggestion will be met if he circulates this question and answer to all local education authorities in England and Wales.

asked the President of the Board of Education what sum of money is granted out of public funds, under the control of his Department, to Ruskin College, Oxford; and whether under any and what conditions and, in particular, as to the admission of students?

An annually assessed grant is paid to Ruskin College under the Adult Education Regulations, the amount of such grant for the year ended 31st July last being £370 13s. 4d. As regards the last part of the question, I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to Chapted IV of the Regulations, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the length of the proposed railway in Kenya from Gilgil to Thompson's Falls; for how many miles will it pass through European estates; whether the line is expected to pay at any time in the near future; and, if it does not, whether any annual assessment will be made upon European landholders in view of the new State facilities provided for their farms?

The length of the line is 50 miles, but I have no information as to the number of miles passing through European estates. The results of the economic survey indicate the possibility that the line will begin to pay its way in about five years, and ultimately become a profit-making part of the general railway system; but I cannot

asked the Minister of Agriculture the quantity of fresh herrings exported during the recent fishing season from Yarmouth and Lowestoft, with corresponding figures for 1924, 1925, and 1926.

The following table shows the quantities of herrings, fresh or frozen, exported from the ports of Yarmouth and Lowestoft, registered in the four months August to November, 1924 to 1927, and in the calendar years 1924 to 1926.