asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the state of the rubber market as a consequence of his decision to appoint a Committee to examine into the rubber restriction scheme, he can give some assurance that no drastic alterations will take place until a reasonable notice has been given by the Government?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I am giving to-day to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Streatham (Sir W. Lane Mitchell).

asked the President of the Board of Education for the information of the House, the names of the members of the Committee of Civil Research which is considering the operation and effects of the existing rubber restriction scheme?

I am advised that it would be contrary to established practice to give the names of members of a Committee constituted in this manner.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will give a list of the schools that have been closed in the area of the Lindsey County Council since the end of 1924, and to what schools in each case the children are being transferred; and if he can give the saving of expense in each case?

The information asked for in the first part of the question is as follows:

Schools closed:

Brattleby.

Cumberworth.

Langton-by-Wragby.

Trusthorpe (Mablethorpe and Sutton).

Schools to which children have been transferred:

Ingham Council.

Scampton Church of England.

Huttoft Council.

Wragby Council.

Sutton-in-the-March Council.

I understand that an appreciable saving of maintenance charges was effected in each case, but I cannot give exact figures.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of classes in England and Wales, at 31st March, 1926, or a more recent date, of 40–49, 50–59, and 60 pupils and over, and the percentage of all children in public elementary schools being taught in classes of 40 and over?

The number of classes in public elementary schools in England and Wales containing over 40 pupils, on 31st March, 1927, was:

I am afraid that it would require the expenditure of an entirely disproportionate amount of time and labour to ascertain what percentage of the total number of children in public elementary schools is being taught in these classes.

asked the Minister of Health the number and the names of the local authorities which have been granted permission to transfer to the 1924 Housing Act houses built under the 1923 Act; the number of houses concerned in each case; and the charges in rent as a result of the transfer?

There is no power to transfer houses built and let under the Housing Act, 1923, to the Housing Act, 1924: the last part of the hon. Member's question, therefore, does not arise. There have been cases in which local authorities have on application being made before the houses were occupied, and on giving the undertakings required by the Act, been granted subsidies under the Act of 1924 in respect of houses which it was originally intended to build for sale under the Act of 1923, but no special record of such cases has been kept.

asked the Minister of Health if instructions have been issued concerning aged persons, paying patients in public institutions, so that they may continue to draw their old age pensions; and, if so, if he will supply a copy of the instructions?

The matter is receiving consideration with a view to the issue of instructions at an early date, and I will communicate with the hon. Member when a decision has been reached.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the pension officers, including the Surveyors of Customs and Excise, have instructions to allow in every case by way of deduction (in their estimates under paragraph ( b ), Sub-section (1), of Section 2 of the Old Age Pension Act, 1911, and in their other calculations of yearly means for the purpose of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1908, of the earnings of a claimant or pensioner, and in the case of a married couple who live together in the same house, of the earnings of the husband or wife of the claimant or pensioner) the contributions paid or payable as an employed person, or as employed persons, by the claimant, pensioner, husband or wife, as the case may be, under the National Health, Pensions and Unemployment Insurance schemes?

The answer, as my hon. Friend is already aware, is in the affirmative.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of duty collected on imported gas mantles for the years 1925, 1926 and 1927, respectively?

The net amount of duty collected on gas mantles under the Safeguarding of Industries (Customs Duties) Act, 1925, for the calendar year 1925 was nil; for 1926, £12,000, and for 1927, £8,300.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of years in which the War Debt would be redeemed if the sum paid in interest on the Debt during the year 1926–27 plus £50,000,000 was maintained each year in future over a long period of years for the payment of interest and cumulative redemption of the debt?

The hon. Member's question cannot be answered with precision, as the future interest charge on the Debt is neither fixed nor precisely calculable.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the actual amount received by the Admiralty from any film companies up to the present date for films made with the use of Admiralty material, and in which the Admiralty are financially interested, giving the particulars in each individual case?

The amount actually received to date is about £8,600. The individual amounts received for each film cannot be given for the reasons stated in my reply of 14th December. [OFFICIAL REPORT, Columns 2300–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for War in how many instances has a fixed sum been paid for the use of War Office materials and troops who have taken part in films; in how many instances have percentages of the profits been paid for their use; and the name of each film in which either of the above arrangements apply?

In the case of five films in which troops and War Department material have been lent, payment to public funds for their use has taken the form of a lump sum payment and in five other cases the basis has been a percentage of profits. It would be contrary to policy to give the information asked for in the last part of the question.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount that has accrued to the Treasury from film companies for each film separately that has been made with the assistance of the Government and with the use of Government material, troops, or naval ratings?

As I stated in reply to the hon. Member for Devonport on 12th and 22nd December last, it would not be in the public interest to give the details of the receipts.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total number of personnel employed at the War Office under the following headings: military, civilian, the total number of military staff em-

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that recruits joining the Royal Artillery stationed at Woolwich are not allowed to leave the barracks until a full walking-out uniform is provided; that in some cases this detention in barracks amounts to as much as five to seven weeks; and will he, in view of the hardship this system involves to young soldiers, consider the possibility of allowing recruits to leave barracks in their civilian clothes until their appropriate uniform is available?

Recruits at the Depot, Royal Artillery, at Woolwich, are not allowed to walk out in Woolwich until they have a uniform and have acquired a soldierly bearing, which is generally three or four weeks after joining, though sometimes this period has been exceeded. They are in the meantime allowed on the playing fields on Woolwich Common, and enjoy many other recreational facilities. It is not considered, therefore, that they suffer any hardship. In the interests of good order and military discipline, I regret that it would not be possible to adopt the suggestion contained in the last part of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any negotiations are in contemplation for

ployed of the rank of captain, and higher ranks, respectively, on the 1st January, 1913, and the 1st January, 1928?

The figures included in the 1913–14 and current Estimates, respectively, are as follow:

abrogating or altering the Franco-British Commercial Treaty, under which our West African Colonies are precluded from concluding reciprocal preferential trading arrangements with Canada?

I have been asked to reply to this question. I presume the hon. Member refers to Article IX of the Anglo-French Convention of 1898 which, in practice, prevents the Governments of Nigeria and the Gold Coast from according any preferential treatment to any part of the Empire. As will be seen from an examination of the Article in question, it must remain in force until June, 1929, in any case, and no negotiations on the subject have been initiated.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the intention of the Government to carry out the recommendations of the Committee on the Dating and Sealing of Patents?

The recommendations of the Committee were adverse to any change in the existing practice. It is not proposed that any amendments to the Patents and Designs Acts should be made at the present time, other than those necessary to enable effect to be given to the Industrial Property Convention as amended at The Hague in November, 1925.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value and weight of cotton yarn and cotton woven goods and woollen yarn and woollen woven goods imported into this country for the past three months; and the approximate figures for the importation

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the present difficulties of the brick industry, especially in south-eastern England, owing to the increasing importation of foreign bricks; and whether he has received an application to apply the Safeguarding of Industries Act to this industry?

I have seen statements to the effect indicated in the first part of the question. As regards the second part, the practice consistently followed has been to decline to give information whether an industry has applied for a safeguarding duty unless and until a Committee of Inquiry is appointed.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has received a Re-

of the same commodities for the same period for the years 1924, 1925 and 1926?

The following table shows the total quantities and declared values of cotton yarns and piece-goods, and of woollen and worsted yarns and tissues, imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland, registered in each of the periods specified.

port of the railway accident which occurred on the viaduct which runs over the River Dee, in the Vale of Llangollen, on the 25th January; and whether it is proposed to hold a further inquiry?

I duly received a report of this accident, and I have already ordered an Inquiry to be held into its cause.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Tonbridge, as representing the Charity Commissioners, how many of the direct kindred of the late Henry Smith are at present alive; and how many have received benefit from the fund known as Smith's Charities during the past year?

The Charity Commissioners cannot state how many of the direct kindred of the late Henry Smith are alive. The Com- missioners understand that during the past year 178 Poor Kindred received benefit from Henry Smith's Charity (Kensington Estate).

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Tonbridge, as representing the Charity Commissioners, the names of the trustees of Henry Smith's Charity and their emoluments, if any?

The names of the Trustees of Henry Smith's Charity (Kensington Estate) are as follow:

The Earl of Midleton, K.P.

Lord Ashcombe.

Lord Hylton.

Earl of Lovelace.

W. A. Calvert, Esquire.

G. C. G. Leveson Gower, Esquire.

The Right Honourable Laurence Hardy.

R. M. Howard, Esquire.

Earl Winterton, M.P.

Viscount Goschen.

The Earl of Onslow.

Lieut.-Colonel H. H. Spender-Clay, M.P.

Viscount Gage.

Lord Denman.

The Honourable W. G. H. Jolliffe.

The Honourable R. C. Cubitt.

The Honourable C. W. Biddulph.

Sir Philip Henriques, K.B.E.

Major Sir E. H. Bonham, Bart.

J. Colman, Esquire.

O. E. D'Avigdor Goldsmid, Esquire.

Major G. L. Nevill.

O. W. Nicholson, Esquire, M.P.

The Trustees receive no emoluments.

asked the Home Secretary the number of girls under the age of 20 years that have been reported missing during the six months ended to the last convenient date and the comparable figures for 1926?

Figures are not available for the country generally, but in the Metropolitan Police District during the six months ended 31st December, 1927, 1,117 girls of under 20 years of age were reported as missing, and of this number 1,093 were traced or were reported to have returned. The corresponding figures for the six months ended 31st December, 1926, are 1,077 and 1,054, respectively.

asked the Home Secretary whether further steps are to be taken to enable the proceedings in the case of Lord Terringon to be pursued; and, if not, will he state the reason?

Lord Terrington is reported to be too ill to allow at present of the necessary legal proceedings in France; the application for his extradition meanwhile continues in force.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the names of the 19 sugar beet factories which have been built in Great Britain, all of which are in receipt of the subsidy, and the name of the factory working the desiccation process?

The 19 sugar beet factories which have been working during the present winter are:

Cantley (Norfolk).

Kelham (Nottinghamshire).

Ely (Cambridge).

Ipswich (Suffolk).

King's Lynn (Norfolk).

Colwick (Nottinghamshire).

Spalding (Lincolnshire).

Kidderminster (Worcestershire).

Poppleton (near York).

Felsted (Essex).

Cupar (Fife).

Bury St. Edmunds (Suffolk).

Peterborough (Northampton).

Selby (Yorks.).

Allscott (near Shrewsbury).

Wissington (Norfolk).

Greenock (Renfrewshire).

Bardney (Lincolnshire).

Eynsham (Oxon.).

The Eynsham factory in Oxfordshire is working the desiccation process.