asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that many of the tin fields within the British Empire are being worked out and that no fresh productive fields have been discovered during recent years; and whether, in view of the economic importance of tin to the Empire, he will take steps to investigate the prospects of finding other sources of supply within British territory?

I am not aware that the more important tin fields of the Colonial Empire are approaching exhaustion; but I think both the Colonial authorities and private enterprise are alive to the importance of further development.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the total exports and values for the years 1925, 1926 and 1927 have fallen heavily below the year 1924; and whether he can state the cause of such fall?

The fall in the declared values of British exports in 1927 compared with 1924 is more than accounted for by the reduction in the prices of the articles exported. Allowing for this reduction, the volume of British exports in 1927 was 2.3 per cent. greater than in 1924.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount of payments for the year ending December, 1927, in respect of customs drawbacks on artificial silk singles yarn made from staple fibre or other waste, artificial silk doubled or twisted thread advanced beyond the stage of singles yarn if made from staple fibre or other waste, and artificial silk doubled or twisted thread advanced beyond the stage of singles yarn in any other case?

With a few exceptions, the statutory rates of drawback do not provide for a distinction between Customs and Excise drawbacks. The combined Customs and Excise drawbacks paid during 1927 in respect of the goods mentioned were as follow:

	£
Singles yarn, made from staple fibre or other waste	332
Doubled or twisted thread, advanced beyond the stage of singles yarn—if made from staple fibre or other waste	1,990
In any other case	30,959
	£33,281

These figures include payments of drawback in respect of made-up articles manufactured in Great Britain or Northern Ireland from material falling within the above-mentioned descriptions of artificial silk.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount of receipts from excise duties on artificial silk, singles, artificial silk waste, yarns and straw for the year ending December, 1927?

The information is as follows:

	£
Singles Yarn or Straw	1,864,088
Waste	32,721
	1,896,809
Deduct Estimated Drawbacks	831,577
Net Receipts	£1,065,232

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount of customs duties for the year ending December, 1927, on artificial silk waste, artificial silk, singles, yarn and straw, artificial silk doubled or twisted thread advanced beyond the stage of singles yarn, and on artificial silk tissues?

The information is as follows:

	£
Artificial Silk:
Waste	7,884
Singles Yarn and Straw	258,711
Doubled or twisted thread advanced beyond the stage of singles yarn	7,884
Tissues	1,161,405
	1,435,884
Deduct Estimated Drawbacks	180,929
Net Receipts	£1,254,955

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount of the payments for the year ending December, 1927, in respect of customs drawbacks on artificial silk tissues made from staple fibre or other waste, artificial silk tissues proved to the satisfaction of the Commissioners to be made from other forms of artificial silk, and artificial silk waste prepared for spinning, including tops?

With a few exceptions, the statutory rates of drawback do not provide for a distinction between customs drawbacks and excise drawbacks. The combined customs and excise drawbacks paid during 1927 in respect of the articles mentioned were as follow:

	£
Tissues, made from staple fibre or other waste	4,991
Tissues, proved to the satisfaction of the Commissioners to be made from other forms of artificial silk	484,249
Waste, prepared for spinning, including tops	5,407
	£494,647

These figures include payments of drawback in respect of made-up articles manufactured in Great Britain or Northern Ireland from material falling within the above-mentioned descriptions of artificial silk.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what number of lawn mowers were imported in 1926, distinguishing motor lawn mowers; and what percentage came from the United States of America?

The exact particulars asked for by my hon. and gallant Friend are not available. But the following table shows the total quantities of grass and lawn mowers and parts thereof (a) hand driven and (b) animal and mechanically driven, imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the year 1926, together with the proportions consigned from the United States of America.

Description.	Total Imports.	Proportion of Total consigned from the United States of America.
	Tons.	Per cent.
Grass and lawn mowers and parts thereof:
Hand driven	872	63·6
Animal and mechanically driven.	1,030	67·9
Total	1,902	65·9

asked the Minister of Agriculture if there are any and, if so, what regulations governing the sale of fish in this country landed by foreign trawlers?

I am aware of no regulations governing the sale in this country of foreign-caught fish that do not apply equally to fish caught by British-owned vessels.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury from what local authorities he has received resolutions in favour of powers to be given by Parliament for the establishment of municipal banks within their areas?

No resolutions have been received from local authorities since the reply I gave to a similar question by the hon. Member on the 8th December last.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why, in connection with the examination for posts as clerks and schoolmasters in the prison service, the Civil Service Commissioners do not issue to each candidate a list of marks awarded on each subject?

The examination referred to is an examination for officers of the prison service for qualification for promotion to the post of clerk and schoolmaster. It is in accordance with the general practice that in the case of test examinations of this kind the list of marks is sent by the Civil Service Commissioners to the Department which presents the officers for examination and is not communicated by the Civil Service Commissioners to each candidate. I have ascertained from the Prison Commission, which is the Department concerned, that it was not in the past their practice to publish the marks awarded in this examination, though they were always willing to communicate to any individual candidate the marks awarded him on any subject. Recently, however, in response to a request from the Prison Officers' Representative Board, they have decided to publish the marks awarded in all future examinations.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total number of ex-service temporary clerks appointed to P-class clerical posts, and the numbers of such clerks employed in tax offices, Inland Revenue, Employment Exchanges, Ministry of Labour, and County Courts, respectively?

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total number of ex-service temporary clerks appointed to P-class clerical posts, and the number of such clerks employed in tax offices, Inland Revenue, Employment Exchanges, Ministry of Labour, and County Courts, respectively?

The total number of ex-service clerks granted permanent non-pensionable status and serving in Government Departments on 1st January last was 8,595, the numbers serving in tax offices, Inland Revenue, Employment Exchanges, Ministry of Labour and County Courts being respectively 1,235, 1,185, and 40.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many of the 989 male entrants for the competitive examination for minor and manipulative grades for entrance into the clerical class are established messengers, sorters, telegraphists, preventive men, or other grades; their average age; and how many in each grade are ex-service men?

The detailed particulars asked for could only be obtained as a result of a special analysis, and I do not consider that the labour involved, which would be considerable, would be justified.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of professional and technical officers serving in a permanent, unestablished, or temporary capacity in each Department of State?

Particulars are given below of the number of professional, scientific and technical officers serving in a permanent, unestablished or temporary capacity in Departments on the 1st January last. Minor technical staffs are excluded from these figures.

Government Chemist	74
Charity Commission	18
Government Actuary	32
Royal Mint	13
Public Works Loan Board	4
Royal Commission Ancient Monuments (England)	6
Royal Commission Ancient Monuments (Scotland)	4
Dominions Office and Colonial Office	18
Imperial War Graves Commission	115
India Office	17
Home Office	5
Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum	5
Prison Commission (England and Wales)	131
County Courts	40
Land Registry	54
Public Trustee	98
Supreme Court of Judicature	127
Procurator-General and Treasury Solicitor and the Director of Public Prosecutions	76
Scottish Land Court	4
Prisons (Scotland)	51
Court of Session	4
British Museum	117
Board of Education (including Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum, Royal College of Art, etc.)	105
Imperial War Museum	5

Scottish Education Department	10
Registrar-General's Department	3
Registry of Friendly Societies	7
Board of Control (Scotland)	5
Board of Control (England)	9
Ministry of Labour	22
Scottish Board of Health	32
Ministry of Health	131
Welsh Board of Health	11
Board of Trade	534
Department of Overseas Trade	5
Mines Department	6
Crown Lands	4
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries	92
Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew	23
Forestry Commission	48
Ministry of Transport	94
Scientific and Industrial Research Department	337
State Management Districts	5
Board of Agriculture, Scotland	59
Fishery Board, Scotland	16
Stationery Office	134
Office of Works	486
Ministry of Pensions	280
Admiralty	840
Air Ministry	169
War Office	209
Inland Revenue	408
Post Office	1,007
Customs and Excise	27
Other Departments	36
Total	6,172

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of candidates who were declared successful as a result of the examinations held for appointments as established shorthand-typists in the Civil Service in December, 1926, and May, 1927, respectively, the number definitely appointed, and the number of appointees whose ages were between 21 and 22, 22 and 23, 23 and 24, 24 and 25, and over 25, respectively?

The particulars asked for are as follow:

Examination.		Number successful.*	Number of appointments.
December, 1926.	…	243	233
May, 1927	…	165	159
*All qualified candidates at both examinations were declared successful.

The figures of appointments include one candidate from the December, 1926, and five from the May, 1927, examination not yet assigned to Departments.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the large number of cases erroneously notified as diphtheria, especially in the London area, he will consider the desirability of disallowing the fees claimed by the doctors who make such notifications, or otherwise take such action as will prevent the statistical returns issued by his Department being vitiated by these inaccurate records?

My right hon. Friend has no authority to disallow the fees payable to medical practitioners for the notification of infectious diseases. A certain proportion of cases notified as diphtheria and admitted to hospital are subsequently considered by the hospital authorities not to be cases of diphtheria, but I am advised that those who make use of the returns issued by my Department for statistical study apply to the figures of notified cases the information available for correction, such as is contained in the Annual Reports of the Metropolitan Asylums Board.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has received a letter from the Bedwellty Council asking that the law should be amended so as to provide that in the case of persons who have been in contact with, or are suffering from, small-pox or other infectious disease in casual wards of Poor Law institutions, the medical officer of health should be empowered to have them detained and isolated for such period as he may deem necessary; and will he take steps to ensure this being done?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, there is power under the present law to secure the removal to hospital of any person who is suffering from a dangerous infectious disease and is without proper lodging or accommodation, but as at present advised, my right hon. Friend does not think it necessary to introduce legislation conferring similar powers in regard to persons who have been in contact with cases of such diseases though not themselves so suffering.

asked the Minister of Health how many deaths were registered as due to small-pox in the year 1927 and the ages of the persons; which of these persons were also suffering from some concurrent disease, and what was that disease; and in what districts were each of these deaths registered?

As regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on this subject on the 29th February. I am sending him a statement containing the information asked for in the rest of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether there is any inspection of the factories in Iraq where dates are packed for export to this country; and, if not, whether, in view of the danger of disease being introduced by this means, he will inquire into the conditions of cleanliness under which this industry is carried on?

Stringent measures were taken by the Iraq health authorities during the cholera epidemic of last year to ensure that all dates exported from Iraq were free from any possibility of infection. I am not aware whether under normal conditions the Iraq Government require inspection or consider it necessary. I am, however, asking the High Commissioner for a report on the subject. I am advised that there is no evidence of disease being introduced into this country through the medium of Iraq dates.

asked the Minister of Health whether his decision, dated 7th July, 1927, that the Southport Corporation had acted reasonably in accepting a tender and specification for the making up of Salford Road, Ainsdale, Lancashire, was based upon the Report of Mr. Hooper, an inspector appointed by him; if so, has his attention been drawn to the fact that Mr. Hooper had stated at the Inquiry, held on 7th April, 1927, that the cost of making up Salford Road was excessive and the specifications unnecessarily costly; and if he will publish Mr. Hooper's Report?

The answer to the first and second questions is in the affirmative. As regards the third question, it is not the practice to publish these Reports for reasons stated in a Departmental letter concerning this case of which I am sending a copy to my hon. Friend. He will realise that in these cases the responsibility of a decision rests with my right hon. Friend and not the inspector.

asked the Minister of Health whether he received a communication, dated 8th April, 1927, from the Town Clerk of Southport, bearing upon the matters which had been the subject of a public inquiry on the previous day; and whether this communication was received by him after the close of the inquiry but before his decision was announced?

Such a communication was received. A copy of it was sent by the Town Clerk to the solicitors to the appellants, who sent my right hon. Friend a copy of their reply to the Town Clerk. Neither of the letters was taken into account in arriving at the decision. I may explain that it is my right hon. Friend's rule not to consider any communication received from any party after a public inquiry unless the other party has had full opportunity of commenting on it.

asked the Minister of Health what local authorities in England and Wales have been granted permission to transfer houses built under the Housing, &c., Act, 1923, to the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924; and what changes, if any, were made in the rents at which the transferred houses were let?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to a similar question addressed to him by the hon. Member for Leeds, South (Mr. Charleton) on the 13th ultimo.

asked the Minister of Health the number of wives of insured old age pensioners who at 65 are receiving a pension under the new Act?

The information asked for is not yet available. At present only the total number of pensions awarded is known, but, as soon as the present abnormal pressure is over, the number of pensioners in each of the three classes—insured men, wives of insured men, and insured women—will be ascertained.

asked the Postmaster-General why the agreement made in 1910 between his Department and the London Postal Superintending Officers' Association as to filling alternate vacancies for clerkships in the Post Office by absorbing the then redundant clerks in the district postmasters' office has not been carried out; and when the clerks treated as redundant in March, 1910, will finally be absorbed?

The arrangement to which my hon. and learned Friend refers was the result of a departmental decision, and not of an agreement with the staff. It provided for the gradual transfer of certain posts in the London district post offices from the clerical to the superintending staff by the transfer of a post on the occurrence of each alternate vacancy amongst those members of the clerical staff by whom the posts were occupied at the time or those members who might replace them. The arrangement has been, and is being observed, and only five members of the clerical staff now remain to be absorbed; but I regret that I am unable to furnish an estimate of the date by which the transfer will be completed.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of persons who have been prosecuted for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date for having used unlicensed wireless receivers?

The number of persons prosecuted during the twelve months ended the 31st January, 1928, for the use of wireless receiving apparatus without a licence was 1,046. Convictions were obtained in 1,043 cases and the remaining three cases were dismissed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any intention of giving relief to the entertainments industry either by reducing or abolishing the Entertainments Duty?

As my right hon. Friend recently informed the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Sir A. Holbrook), the whole field of taxation is always surveyed before every Budget, but it is not possible to make any statement in advance of that date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he finds the returns of the Betting Duty adequate as compared with the expense of collection; and whether he is considering its abolition?

I do not regard the yield of the Betting Duty as inadequate compared with the estimated cost of its collection. As regards the second part of the question, I am unable to anticipate the Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of bulk barrels of beer imported during 1927 into Great Britain and Northern Ireland in respect of which the rebate of £1 per barrel was allowed?

The number is 1,423,530.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who are the members of the Anglo-Turkish Mixed Arbitral Tribunal before whom the claims of the heirs of the late Sultan Abdul Hamid to the Mosul oilfields have been made?

The tribunal is composed of a British member, Mr. H. D. Grimston; a Turkish member, Memdouh Bey; and a President, Monsieur K. Hammerich.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he has any statistics that will show the amount of business done at the British Industries Fairs held at the White City and Birmingham; and can he give the number of people who paid for admission at both these fairs and the approximate number of buyers?

It is not possible to give statistics of business done, since exhibitors naturally do not disclose their business. Further, I would point out that the results of a fair do not end with the closing of its doors, as inquiries and sample orders may be as valuable, or in the long run more valuable, than the orders actually booked at the time. I am glad to be able to state, however, from reports which have been received from exhibitors, that the results of the British Industries Fair, both at London at Birmingham, have been most satisfactory. At the London Fair the number of buyers was 103,586, and the public who paid for admission were 28,484, although the hours during which the public were admitted were severely limited. In Birmingham the total number of buyers was, I am informed, 103,000, and the number of public 14,000.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can make a statement on the accident which occurred on the London, Midland and Scottish system at Chatburn, near Clitheroe, on Monday, 27th February; and whether it is proposed to hold a full inquiry?

I have received a report of this accident, and have already ordered an inquiry into its cause.

asked the Minister of Transport the number of railway-owned wagons on the railways and the number of privately-owned; and the numbers owned by both parties below the recognised economical sizes for efficient working?

The number of railway-owned wagons on the standard gauge

Hospital.	Number of beds available.	Number of salaried staff.	Number of wages staff.	Total of staff.
Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar	625	62	334	396
Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth	590	52	272	324
Royal Naval Hospital, Chatham	490	55	279	334
Royal Naval Hospital, Portland	104	12	37	49
Royal Naval Hospital, South Queensferry	103	8	29	37
Royal Naval Hospital, Great Yarmouth	213	4	38	42
Royal Naval Hospital, Malta	365	31	131	162
Royal Naval Hospital, Cape of Good Hope	48	5	21	26
Royal Naval Hospital, Bermuda	77	6	16	22
Royal Naval Hospital, Hong Kong	107	11	70	81

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the discharge of ex-Sergeant Thomas Reddock in November, 1925, was authorised under any Warrant or Regulation, and, if so, which; whether he is aware that Mr. Reddock joined the Force for such a fixed period, namely, up to March, 1929, as would enable him to complete, with previous service in the Army, a total of 21 years of colour service; that the stipulated period of service was duly entered by the Records Department, twice subsequently confirmed by that Department and further confirmed by the

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can give a full list of naval hospitals at home and abroad; the number of beds in each hospital; and the number of personnel attached to each hospital?

The particulars are as follow:Secretary of State in 1923; that Mr. Reddock's unexpected and premature discharge was officially explained to him as being due to his re-engagement having been found to be irregular and to have been recorded as a result of an official error, and that, owing to this mistake, his pension is smaller than it would be had he been retained in the Force, according to the terms of his re-enlistment, until March, 1929; and whether, seeing that Mr. Reddock was not responsible for the error made, his pension will be increased by way of compensation for his premature discharge?

As regards the first part of the question, the ex-warrant officer in question was discharged under paragraph 593 (2a) of the King's Regulations and Air Council Instructions for the Royal Air Force, that is, with a view to pension after completing the full period of service necessary to qualify for pension. As regards the remaining parts, the facts are that he was irregularly permitted in 1919 (a time of great pressure owing to demobilisation) to reengage to complete 21 years total service, inclusive of Reserve service, and the fact that Reserve service was included was indicated in the re-engagement paper which he signed. The re-engagement was irregular because he had not then completed 9 years' service on his current engagement. The re-engagement was further erroneously referred to in Daily Routine Orders and in Record Office communications as being an engagement to complete 21 years colour service. Such a re-engagement would have been contrary to the terms of the Air Force Act, and when the error was discovered the ex-warrant officer was informed that he would be discharged in accordance with his re-engagement, that is, in November, 1925, on completion of 21 years' service in all. In other words, although the re-engagement in 1919 was irregular, he was not penalised on that account and was allowed to serve until he had earned a pension. There was no statutory authority to allow him to re-engage to serve until March, 1929, nor is there any power to grant him compensation in the shape of increased pension because he was discharged before that date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of bombing expeditions undertaken to date by the Royal Air Force against the Akhwan tribe in Iraq?

I have been asked to reply. Since the inception of the recent disturbances air operations have been carried out from day to day against the Akhwan marauders and have comprised not only bombing of raiding parties and similar objectives, but also reconnaissance or other action. Operations of this character cannot possibly be categorised into a specific number of bombing expeditions.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that large quantities of foreign and Colonial meat are purchased for the Army, Navy and Air Force, and in view of the depressed state of British agriculture, will he consider the advisability of securing all Government contracts for meat to the British farmer?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave him on the 10th November last, to which I have nothing further to add. My hon. Friend will be aware that the amount of foreign meat purchased by the Departments named is very small; 96 per cent. of the whole is of British Imperial origin.

asked the Minister of Agriculture when the reply of the Government may be expected to the report of the deputation from the Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculture which was placed before him on the 10th November, 1927?

As I promised, the proposals placed before me by the deputation have been carefully considered. A number of them have since been discussed in this House during the agricultural Debates on 20th December and 29th February last. I am afraid that I can add nothing to the statements which I made both to the deputation and in the House on the occasions referred to, when the Government's views on these proposals were fully expounded.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the inroads of the sea upon certain parts of the coast, and seeing that some of the most serious damage occurs in districts such as the coasts of Wales, where the local authorities are financially unable adequately to cope with the problem, he is now prepared to introduce legislation making the cost of sea-defence works a national charge; and, failing this, what other steps does he propose to take?

I have been asked to reply. The whole question of coast erosion was considered by a Royal Commission, who reported in 1911 that there was no case for maintaining sea-defence works at the expense of the State. Since that date the circumstances on which the Royal Commission's decision was based would not appear to have changed, and I can hold out no hope that His Majesty's Government will adopt a policy inconsistent with that Report. As regards the last part of the question, I am in sympathy with many of the recommendations of the Royal Commission, which are designed to assist local authorities in dealing with sea-defence problems. As has already been stated, however, by the President of the Board of Trade, no undertaking can be given as to when any legislation on the subject can be introduced.