asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the question of the separation of judicial from the executive functions in India is still being considered by His Majesty's Government and the Government of India; whether his attention has been drawn to the motion adopted by the Central Provinces Legislative Council recommending that immediate steps should be taken to give effect to this separation of functions and ordering the appropriation of Rs. 9,00,000 in this connection; whether, in view of the fact that this question has been engaging the attention of His Majesty's Government and the Government of India for the past 80 or 90 years and schemes to give effect to this separation have been worked out by the Government, he will state whether a decision has now been arrived at by the Government on this question; and if he will give the names of the local governments whose failure to forward their proposals to the Government of India has contributed to the long delay?

The answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. My Noble Friend is at present in correspondence with the Government of India on this matter, and it is probable that the Government of India will have occasion before long to explain the position as the result of the correspondence. At present, I am not able to make any further statement.

Does the Noble Lord realise that a similar answer has been given for at least 90 years, and can he give a promise that something will be done before this century has passed?

The question is really a very thorny one, and I do admit that the period of gestation has been somewhat long. I hope that something will be brought forward before the end of the present century.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether it is the intention of the Bombay Government to appoint a committee to investigate the charges of corruption and incompetence recently levelled against certain officials; the terms of reference and the names of the committee; and will the committee be able to call witnesses and examine them on oath?

The Government of Bombay have appointed a committee to advise them regarding further steps in connection with Mr. Nariman's allegations or any other allegations of corruption in the Development Department. My Noble Friend has not yet received a complete list of the members of the committee, but it includes Mr. Nariman and four other elected members of the Legislative Council. The information so far received does not enable me to answer the last part of the question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if the education fund controlled by the law member of the Government of India is a private fund; and whether any portion of it is to be used for the education of Indian girls?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, I have no official information, but from statements in the Press I understand that the money has been raised for the purpose of founding a residential school for boys.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the Governor of Bengal stated in a university convocation speech recently that if students participated in hartals he would refuse to give any funds to the university; that the Punjab Ministry of Education recently issued a circular to the effect that grants would be withdrawn from a school without notice if the manager or any member of the managing committee or any of the teachers employed in the school take part in political propaganda or agitation directed against the authority of government or disseminate opinions tending to excite feelings of disloyalty or disaffection against Government or of enmity, and enmity against any section or sections of His Majesty's subjects; and whether, as these declarations indicate a change of policy, he will say if they were authorised by the Government of India?

Educational policy, being a transferred subject, is not liable to control by the Government of India. My Noble Friend is not, therefore, prepared to make any comment upon any course of action which provincial Governments feel it is desirable to take in the interests of good order and decency in educational establishments over which they exercise full or partial control. I may add that the hon. Member does not appear to have summarised accurately the speech of the Governor of Bengal at the annual convocation of Calcutta University.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the All-India women's education conference, held in Delhi last month, resolved to raise an all-India fund for the promotion of women's education; and whether he can say if the Government of India propose to assist this fund?

I have no official information, but the Press reports of the proceedings of the All-India Women's Conference on Educational Reform held at Delhi last month which I have seen contain no mention of such a fund.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether detachments of Indian cavalry regiments are maintained in Persia as diplomatic and consular escorts; what is the annual cost of the maintenance of these escorts; and whether the question of their withdrawal from Persia is under consideration?

The answer to the first and third parts of the question is in the affirmative. The actual expenditure on these escorts for the last year for which figures are available (1925–1926) was approximately Rs.1½ lakhs (say, £11,250).

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India how many applications for subscription were received from India for the sterling loan recently issued by the Secretary of State; and whether he will state the total amount allotted to those applicants?

Facilities were provided, as on previous occasions, for applications from India to be made through the Imperial Bank of India. Eighteen such applications were received and £194,150 was allotted in respect of them. Apart from the above, some of the applications put in by banks and others in London may have been made on behalf of persons in India; but there is no means of estimating the total.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the number of males and females under the age of 14 years resident in British India at the last convenient date?

The total number of males and females under the age of 15 in British India according to the 1921 Census was: Males, 49,437,186; females, 46,336,541. Figures for persons under the age of 14 years are not available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the number of persons, and their respective sex, employed in the mines in British India at the last convenient date, stating, as near as possible, their ages?

The average daily number of persons employed in and about the mines in 1926 was 260,113, of whom 181,616 were male and 78,497 female. Information as to ages is not available.

Can the Noble Lord say how many of these 78,000 women are still working underground?

If the hon. and gallant Member wants information as to the conditions, perhaps he will put a question on the Paper. I have answered questions on the subject, but I cannot carry the details in my mind.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether, seeing that the Commonwealth Trust has been in existence for more than seven years, he can state what is the total amount of surplus profits transferred by the directors of this trust to the trustees for the purposes of education in India?

I understand that the shareholders of the Commonwealth Trust, Limited, resolved at their general meeting on 13th December, 1927, that out of the profits of the financial year ended 30th June, 1927, a sum of £2,500 should be paid, by way of anticipation of future surplus profits, to the Commonwealth Welfare and Education Trustees for application to the purposes of the trust in India.

Is the Noble Lord aware that there have been no surplus profits in this concern?

I think I have answered the question. They have set apart this sum of money in anticipation of future surplus profits?

Up to the present there have been no surplus profits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Secretary of State, during September, 1925, informed the directors of the Commonwealth Trust that they contemplated the restoration of the sequestrated properties to the Basle Mission?

The reply to the hon. Member's question is that the directors of the Commonwealth Trust Limited were informed by letter in September, 1925, that I had had under consideration the future of the Commonwealth Trust Limited in so far as its works in the Gold Coast were concerned, and that I had come to the conclusion that it would be desirable that the Trust should cease to operate in the Gold Coast and that the former properties of the Basle Mission Trading Society held by the Trust should be returned to the Local Board of Trustees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether, seeing that under the trust deed of the Commonwealth Trust provision is only made for the payment to Christian missions out of surplus profits, the payment to missions in India of sums of money out of the assets of the trust was ever disclosed to the trustees or to the shareholders of the company;

(2) the amount of money advanced to Christian missions in India by the Commonwealth Trust Limited; and whether, seeing that at the time these advances were made the Commonwealth Trust was losing large sums of money, his sanction was sought before these advances from capital resources were made by the directors of the trust?

I have had no report from the Commonwealth Trust Limited of any payment of Christian missions in India with the exception of a payment of £2,500 which it is proposed to make now in anticipation of surplus profits, and I am in correspondence with the Trust on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that the Commonwealth Trust has been in existence for more than seven years, he can state what is the total amount of surplus profits transferred by the directors of this trust to the trustees for the purposes of education in the Colony of the Gold Coast?

No surplus profits have yet been earned by the Commonwealth Trust, and no payments have therefore been made to the trustees for the purpose of education in the Gold Coast.

May I ask why the missionaries in India should have some of these surplus profits and the Colony of the Gold Coast none?

I have answered that in my reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that the capital of the Commonwealth Trust is £50,000, and that by the admission of the directors of the company their trading losses during the period of its existence exceed £350,000, he was at any time consulted by the directors as to the steps to be taken to meet these losses; and whether any and, if so, what official advice was given to the directors?

Yes, Sir. In a letter of the 4th of December, 1923, the Commonwealth Trust drew attention to the trading losses that had been incurred and indicated various alternative courses of action which might be adopted in the circumstances. One of these courses was the return of their properties to the Basle Mission Trading Society, upon full provision being made for securing the rights of the creditors of the Commonwealth Trust and for repaying to the shareholders the amounts paid upon their shares together with all arrears of dividends. Advice in this sense was subsequently given to the Commonwealth Trust, but no agreement was reached, and the situation of the Trust has since shown substantial improvement. I ought, perhaps, to add that most companies trading in West Africa over the period in question had also made considerable losses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that the directors of the Commonwealth Trust propose paying £2,500 out of profits not yet earned to Christian missions in India, whereas any surplus profits are divisible between India and the Gold Coast, according to the areas in which profits are earned, he will say whether his sanction has been sought for this action?

No, Sir; my sanction was not sought for this action and I have protested to the Trust on the ground that their proposal conflicts with the provisions of the supplemental Trust Deed of December, 1919.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say what steps he is taking in view of that statement?

The steps indicated in my answer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the statement made at the annual meeting of the Commonwealth Trust that schemes were being advanced for a change in the management of this Trust which would mean instantly depriving the employés of their livelihood; and whether he can make a statement about the intentions of the Government with regard to the liquidation of the Commonwealth Trust?

My attention has been drawn to a notice issued on the 8th of March to the shareholders of the Company calling an Extraordinary General Meeting for the 27th of March, which contains the statement to which the hon. Member appears to refer. It is the intention of the Government, subject to conditions which are under consideration, to resume possession of the properties in the Gold Coast formerly belonging to the Basle Mission Trading Society and now held by the Commonwealth Trust. The position of the employés of the Trust is a factor in the situation which would obviously have to be taken into account.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether the difficulty with regard to this trust is the desire of the directors to secure compensation in respect of the directors' fees

No, I would not say that at all. The whole case is a difficult one. The directors of the trust are public-spirited individuals who have carried on the trust for many years on public grounds.

Why is it that the "Times" is taking up such a line of antagonism to the Colonial Office in this matter?

The Minister does not control the newspapers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the action of certain ex-governors of West African Colonies in obtaining diamond concessions in the Gold Coast Colony; is he aware that two of these ex-governors have since visited the West African Colonies and have, in addition, secured concessions for the exploitation of platinum in the Colony and/or Protectorate of Sierra Leone; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter?

I am aware that two ex-governors of the Gambia are directors of a Gold Coast diamond company and have recently visited the Gold Coast to inspect the company's concession. I am also aware that the company has secured prospecting rights over a platinum area in Sierra Leone. None of the directors of the company was ever an official in Sierra Leone. One director, an ex-governor of the Gambia, was formerly an official in the Gold Coast, and he has, in accordance with the local Pension Law, obtained the governor's sanction to his directorship. I see no grounds for taking any action in the matter.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the activities of ex-governors and officials on the West Coast have the approval of the Colonial Office, or whether the right hon. Gentleman will discourage officials from taking on directorships of companies directly dealing with concessions in the Colonies to which they belonged?

It is obviously undesirable that governors and officials should undertake commercial activities immediately after they have ceased from holding office; in any case where there is any danger of their action while in office being influenced by the possibility of subsequent commercial activities; but, where a long period of years intervenes, it is obviously absurd to apply any limitations on governors or other officials in this respect.

In the case of tin in Nigeria, do the Government receive royalties?

I should require notice of that question.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that it puts the officials who do not take up appointments of this sort, on principle, in a very unpleasant position, when their colleagues do take up such positions? Is it not affecting directly the status and character of his Colonial Service?

I am aware of no official who 10, 15 or 20 years after leaving the Colony, declines interest in its affairs as a matter of principle.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the concession granted to Sir Henry Galway, late governor of the Gambia, to prospect for platinum in Sierra Leone was an exclusive right, and was granted in return for a payment or on terms which have his approval?

The right to prospect for platinum granted to Alluvial Diamonds (Gold Coast) Limited, is not exclusive Similar rights have been granted to a number of applicants. The fee for a prospecting right is £5 and the terms on which such rights are granted are laid down in the Sierra Leone Minerals Ordinance.

Then I understand that anyone can obtain a concession to prospect for platinum in Sierra Leone in addition to Sir Henry Galway?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give any further information as to raids by Wahabi tribesmen into the territory of Iraq?

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Hull, Central (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) on the 8th of March. I should like to take the opportunity to correct a statement that has appeared in the Press to the effect that troops have been sent from India to Koweit in connection with the difficulties with the Akhwan. There is not a word of truth in the statement. I would add that I have no official confirmation of the report that King Ibn Saud has declared a "Holy War" or has identified himself in any way with such a movement.

Has the attention of the right hon. Gentleman been drawn to the sensational reports which have appeared in some newspapers? May we regard them as unduly alarmist?

Yes. I think you may.

Has the right hon. Gentleman any means of contact with Ibn Saud, or any means of communication with him, directly?

Yes, Sir. We communicate either through the British agent at Jeddah or the British political resident in the Persian Gulf, or through Ibn Saud's agent in Cairo; but the communication is not always very rapid.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider sending a representative to the Court of Ibn Saud?

There is a question on that point, and in the answer I make it clear that we have considered the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the total sum which has been paid by the British Government to Ibn Saud, King of the Hejaz and Sultan of Nejd; and what were the terms and conditions attached to such payments?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The total cost to the British Government of the subsidies paid to King Ibn Saud during the years 1917 to 1923 was approximately £542,000. No subsidy whatever was paid before the year 1917 or after the year 1923. The subsidy was given in the first instance in consideration of assistance in the war against Turkey. The later payments were made subject to the following conditions, namely:

(i) That Ibn Saud refrained and restrained his adherents from aggressive action against the Hejaz, Koweit and Iraq;

(ii) that he afforded co-operation in the matter of the Haj by maintaining the safety of pilgrim routes to his territory;

(iii) that he consented to be guided generally by the wishes of His Majesty's Government in regard to his foreign policy and to co-operate with them in promoting their own policy which had for its object the maintenance of peaceful conditions in Arab countries and the promotion of the economic interests of both parties.

Is there no provision for repayment of part of this enormous sum of money in the event of the conditions of the agreement not being kept?

I am afraid that my hon. Friend has not entirely understood my answer. No subsidy is being paid now. It was paid during the War and for a short period after the War, during which time the conditions were kept.

Arising out of the right hon. Gentleman's first answer, can he give the House any information as to the proportion of this £542,000 which has been expended in the purchase of arms from this country, and now being used in Iraq?

No, Sir; I doubt whether I could. If the hon. and gallant Member will put a question on the Paper I will see, but I doubt whether I could retrospectively ascertain that fact.

Was the subsidy paid in gold or in paper?

I require notice of that question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the evidence that Ibn Saud is directly responsible for the invasion of Iraq is conclusive; and whether attempts to get in touch with Ibn Saud and ascertain the grievances which have occasioned the invasion have been successful?

There is no evidence that Ibn Saud was directly responsible for the recent raids by Akhwan tribes into Iraq territory which, however, it would be scarcely correct to describe as an invasion. As regards the second part of the question His Majesty's Government have been in frequent communication with King Ibn Saud. As long ago as last December they suggested that a meeting should be arranged at a convenient spot between His Majesty and the British Resident in the Persian Gulf to discuss any matter in dispute. That suggestion has been repeated several times since, but the King has not so far seen fit to avail himself of the opportunity offered him for a full discussion of outstanding questions.

Is diplomatic contact chiefly maintained at Bagdad or Cairo?

No, Sir. It is maintained chiefly at Ibn Saud's own headquarters, and there are also opportunities of diplomatic contact at Cairo and at Jeddah.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Wahabi declare that the first raids came from our side of the frontier, and will he have the matter investigated; and is he also aware that this is the national sport of the tribes in that part of the world and their only sport—to raid each other?

I would be the last to interfere with their sport in their own territory. I have made the investigation which the hon. and gallant Member would like me to make, and the result does not confirm the view that the raids were begun on the Iraq side of the frontier.

Six of one and half-a-dozen of the other!

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has been in negotiation with Ibn Saud as to the sources of the threatened hostilities on the Iraq frontier; and, if so, whether he can give any information as to such negotiations?

I have nothing to add to the reply which I have just made to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for North Norfolk (Mr. Buxton) and to my replies to the hon. and gallant Member for Chippenham (Captain Cazalet) on the 29th February and to the hon. Member for Southwark, Central (Mr. Day) on the 5th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, at the time the British plenipotentiary negotiated the treaty with Ibn Saud, the King of the Hejaz, he was instructed to intimate that, providing His Majesty, Ibn Saud, desired to purchase arms and ammunition from the manufacturers of this country, His Majesty's Government would make no objection to his doing so?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Gentleman to the Paper presented to Parliament last year (Cmd. 2951). He will find on page 6 of this Paper the text of the Note which Sir G. Clayton addressed to the King of the Hejaz, by the instructions of His Majesty's Government, in regard to the supply of arms and ammunition from this country.

Are we still bound by that note, and does that mean that we can put no obstacle in his way as to the purchase of arms here?

No, Sir. If there is any evidence of arms supplied being used against us, we can very properly and rightly complain.

Will the right hon. Gentleman in future discourage our negotiators from inserting such clauses in treaties for the sake of the commercial dealers in munitions in this country? It is absolutely disgraceful to wait until our men are shot down.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the estimated value of the potash and bromide deposits in the Dead Sea salts concession?

I am quite unable to give any figure as to the estimated value of the potash salts and bromides in the Dead Sea. It has been estimated that the waters of that sea contain some 2,000 million metric tons of potassium chloride and 980 million metric tons of magnesium bromide, but the possible value of these salts in the Dead Sea must depend upon various factors, such as the cost of production and transport and the price at which the products could be sold in world markets.

Did not the Report of the Government Commission in 1923 say that there was sufficient potash there to export 1,000,000 tons a year for the next 2,000 years?

I do not know, but in the Dead Sea, as in the ocean itself, there are unlimited quantities of valuable materials which may not be easy to extract at a profit.

Has M. Novomeysky the right qualifications for extracting this salt?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether any approach has been made to the Government representatives at Gibraltar for a reduction in the port or other duties of the harbour by the importers and exporters of coal; if such request has been sanctioned or refused; and whether it has affected the present coalheavers' dispute;

(2) what number of Moors were brought to Gibraltar during the recent dispute in in the coaling industry; and if approval was given to relax the rule under which permits are necessary for those working or living in Gibraltar;

(3) whether he is aware of the coal-heavers' dispute at Gibraltar; how long it has been in operation, the amount of reduction sought by the employers, if any efforts have been made to bring about a settlement or if either side have requested arbitration, or if any of the Government representatives have been advised to use their influence for a friendly settlement?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the present methods employed in the setting on of men engaged as coalheavers at Gibraltar; and whether he will make inquiry into the question with a view to instituting the brass-check system, with a view to the decasualising of labour, on the same lines as are in operation at various large ports in this country?

The coalheavers and trimmers employed by the Gibraltar coal merchants have been on strike since the 1st February as the result of a proposed reduction in wages, the amount of which I am not able to state. The employers have imported Moorish labour. I cannot say in what numbers nor whether the Colonial Government have been asked to relax any rules for this purpose. The Colonial Secretary of Gibraltar has taken an active part as intermediary between the employers and men. I regret that the information at my disposal does not enable me to deal with the other points raised in the questions, but I am asking the Governor for a full Report, and in doing so will draw his attention to the suggestion made in the question asked by the hon. Member for Clay Cross (Mr. Duncan).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of persons that have received any assistance to passage overseas during the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

The total number of persons who were granted assisted passages under the Empire Settlement Act, 1922, during the year ending 31st December, 1927, was 63,027.

Are there any other methods of providing assistance except under the Empire Settlement Act?

Not by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs (1) whether he has prepared, and if he proposes to publish, any official Report or summary of his impressions arising out of his recent tour of the British Empire; and, if so, whether he can make arrangements that such Report shall be available at a popular price:

(2) whether, following upon his recent tour of British Dominions and Dependencies overseas, he has formulated any proposals for the extension of schemes of Empire settlement; and, if so, when he will be in a position to submit an outline of such schemes to the House?

Briefly stated, the objects which I had in view in making my recent visit to the Dominions were to renew, at a period midway between two Imperial Conferences, the personal contact between his Majesty's Ministers here and in the Dominions which is not the least valuable feature of those Conferences, to inform myself by personal observation and discussion as to opinion in other parts of the Empire on matters of inter-Imperial concern, and to deal, by means of personal consultation with the members of the various Governments and others concerned, with any outstanding matters of current business in which it appeared that such consultation might lead to a more expeditious decision than would otherwise be achieved. Naturally migration was one of the matters of inter-Imperial concern to which I have referred and I was able to give the House some information regarding my discussions on this subject in the course of the Debate on the Empire Settlement Bill on 24th February last, but it was not my intention, nor, in my opinion would it have been desirable in the time available, to formulate detailed schemes or to attempt anything more than a general exchange of views. In these circumstances I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by the publication of a Report either on migration or more generally on the tour as a whole.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider writing a short individual report of his impressions as he toured through Canada, Australia and New Zealand?

We shall have opportunities of debate which will enable me to deal with questions of inter-Imperial concern.

Did the right hon. Gentleman see the interesting article in the "Times" under the signature "Odysseus"?

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs the results of his conversations with Dominion authorities during his recent tour on the subject of migration; and how many migrants it is hoped to send to the Dominions during the present year under existing and projected schemes.

The answer to the first part of this question is contained in the reply just given to my hon. Friend the Member for Moseley (Mr. Hannon). With regard to the second part, it does not appear likely that there will be an increase during 1928 in the number of persons assisted to proceed overseas under the Empire Settlement Act. The numbers of assisted migrants during the years 1926 and 1927 were 66,103 and 63,027 respectively.

In any scheme which is arranged, is it to be on the fifty-fifty basis as formerly?

The general basis has not been changed.

If no scheme has been formed, is it because of any financial considerations which have arisen?

No. It is not because of any financial considerations at this end. There are economic conditions in the Dominions which to some extent retard the development of our schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs if any fresh agreement has been made with His Majesty's Canadian Government for the settlement of families in Canada; and, if so, whether he can give the details of the agreement?

Under the 3,000 Families Scheme a further 350 families are to be settled during 1928, and it is proposed to settle 500 additional families during 1929. The Provincial Governments of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have also entered into agreements on a similar basis for the settlement on farms in each province of 500 families during the next six years. A scheme for a pioneer settlement is also under consideration. This scheme, which would be brought into operation in 1929, would deal with about 2,000 families, but details have not yet been arranged.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs when it is proposed to introduce the legislation necessary to declare what are the benefits proposed to be given to Irish civil servants in lieu of those to which they have been held by the Privy Council to be entitled in the recent case of Wigg and another versus the Attorney-General?

I would ask my hon. Friend to await the reply which the Prime Minister will give to a similar question.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether his attention has been called to the express guarantees given on behalf of the British Government to British civil servants in Ireland that their rights, as provided for in Article 10 of the Treaty, would be secured in full; and whether such guarantees will be implemented?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Colonel Howard-Bury) on the 1st March.

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the express guarantee given in 1922, in the month of May, by Lord Peel on behalf of the British Government, when he said that if the Free State Government failed in carrying out their obligations under Article 10 of the Treaty the British Government would guarantee these rights to the Irish Free State?

The Prime Minister is dealing with this point in answer to a later question.

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether, in view of the Government's announcement with regard to the change in Article 10 of the Irish Treaty, it is proposed to introduce legislation to sanction this new position;

(2) whether, in view of the recent agreement between the Irish Free State Government and the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, whereby the judgment of the Privy Council has been overruled, and in view of the fact that the British Government is departing from the agreement arrived at by the Imperial Conference that no immediate change was to be made in the matter of appeals to the Privy Council, and in view of the fact that this decision of the Government will affect all Dominion Governments throughout the Empire, and will raise an issue that goes to the root of imperial citizenship, he will give a day to discuss this question?

If it is the general desire, the Government will provide an opportunity for discussion of the whole matter as soon as circumstances permit, and will themselves take that opportunity of presenting a comprehensive statement to the House of the reasons which have led to their decision. I hope that in these circumstances my hon. and gallant Friend will not press me to deal with the matter by way of Question and Answer.

Can my right hon. Friend say that no definite steps will be taken to implement the decision which, he says, has been arrived at by the Government, until after the Debate in this House?

I am not aware of any definite steps that can be taken prior to the introduction of legislation, and it is obvious that discussion must precede that legislation.

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the question I addressed to the Secretary of State for the Dominions as to a definite and express pledge given by Lord Peel and the Lord Chancellor, that if the Free State failed in this matter the British Government would guarantee Irish civil servants their rights under Article 10 of the Treaty?

That is exactly one of the points for discussion in the Debate.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas. Trade Department if he is aware that in the Government sports exhibit at the Milan Industries Fair the Department was labelled Inghilterra, although it contained goods evidently of Scottish manufacture; and if he will take steps to substitute Made in Britain, or Great Britain, for Made in England in such cases, and instruct British Consuls and others as to the proper naming of goods and Departments at exhibitions abroad?

The official description of the British Pavilion at the Milan Fair is the "Padiglione Britannico," and it was so named in a descriptive booklet prepared and issued by my Department, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend. Records in the Department do not show whether the display of sports goods in the Pavilion last year was labelled "Inghilterra," but I will gladly give instructions that the point raised by my hon. Friend should be noted for the future. As my hon. Friend is aware, the terms Britain and England are often used as synonymous by foreigners who are unaware that Scotland is the predominant partner.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has had any representations from the German Government with regard to the British tariff policy in its relation to the trade treaty; and, in view of the importance of British exports to Germany, what steps he proposes to take in the matter?

Since the Anglo-German Commercial Treaty was signed, His Majesty's Government have from time to time been informed that the German Government regard particular British duties as being inconsistent with the terms of that Treaty or of the Protocol annexed thereto, but this view of them is not accepted by His Majesty's Government.

Is it a fact that the German Government will have the power to get rid of this treaty in a comparatively short time hence?

I understand that the German Government stated the other day that they proposed to give notice to terminate it.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that is of considerable importance to British trade?

If notice is given to terminate this treaty, we may negotiate another. We must reserve certain liberty, and not unduly tie our hands as to what our own fiscal arrangements may be.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware if, among all the nations affiliated to Geneva, any headway is being made in regard to the free exchange of all commodities?

No, Sir. The idea of abolishing all duties has never entered into the mind of any man at Geneva as a practical proposition. Very few countries have so few duties as we have.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of persons who will be employed in the motor car and tyre factories which foreign countries have decided to erect in this country?

I understand from the public announcements that have been made that the motor car and tyre factories which have recently been, or are about to be, erected by firms with foreign interests are expected to give employment to some 13,000 people.

What proportion of that number is employed in the subsidiary industries—building and other trades?

I am afraid I could not answer that question without notice.

Does not this remarkable result tend to prove that foreigners are of opinion that these duties are paid by the importer?

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many persons were employed in the gramophone industry in 1924 and 1927, respectively?

As explained in the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend on 14th February, I have no statistics on this subject and I am informed by my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, that he is unable to supply the information desired.

In view of the fact that the gramophone industry, which is now a very great one, is booming at the moment, could not the hon. Gentleman ascertain from the five or six firms the number of persons employed?

The reason why it is difficult to give any specific answer to the question as framed, is because employment in this trade is spread over at least three industrial groups. For instance, there is the musical instruments group; then there is the general engineering group which includes gramophone motors, and then there is the "other metals" group which includes gramophone parts.

Is it not time that the Government took credit for the remarkable success of these duties?

Is it not the case that in the piano trade, which is in the same class of industries, the unemployment was greater last year than it has been for many a long year?

And is not the piano trade in that state because there is more machinery used.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that a tenant of the Surrey County Council who relinquished his farm holding last Michaelmas and claimed compensation for improvements effected by him was kept waiting for five months before his claim was investigated; that four independent referees nominated by him were refused by the county council, and that the referee ultimately appointed by the Minister was the estate agent employed by the council for the letting of the farm in question; that the inquiry into the tenant's claim was carried out on a date on which he had been assured by the referee it would not take place, so that he was unable to lay before it evidence essential for the proper statement of his case; and whether, in view of these circumstances, he will cause the question to be further investigated with a view to ensuring an equitable settlement of the compensation claim?

As the reply is long, I propose, with the hon. Member's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Will the right hon. Gentleman tell me whether he is satisfied with the arrangements made in regard to this arbitrator?

The hon. Member knows that since March, 1926, local authorities have had full control over these small holdings, but the details I have given in my answer will, I am sure, satisfy him that this referee was appointed in the ordinary way and that he is in no sense responsible as agent or otherwise for the letting of the holding.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the heavy burdens put upon agricultural land by Thames Conservancy Orders, against which there is no appeal, he will consider introducing legislation to subject this body to the supervision of a Ministerial Department or devise some means by which this House can exercise some jurisdiction in this matter?

I have been asked to reply. The Thames Conservancy are charged with the duty of maintaining the purity of the Thames and its tributaries. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health is not aware of instances of oppressive action by the Conservancy in the discharge of this duty, but if the hon. and gallant Member will furnish him with any such instances he will communicate with the Conservancy.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that farmers, some of whom are 40 miles from the Thames, are under the burden of orders from the sanitary officer of the local authority, as well as orders from the Conservancy? Why should they have to obey both orders?

If my hon. and gallant Friend will give me particulars, I will make inquiries.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that many agricultural workers are not receiving the statutory minimum wage to which they are entitled under the Agricultural Wage Regulation Act, 1924; whether he is satisfied that the machinery for inspection provided under the Act is adequate for the purpose of enforcing its provisions; and whether the number of agricultural workers receiving less than the minimum wage is negligible?

From the information in the possession of my Department I am satisfied that the number of agricultural workers who are receiving less than the statutory rates of wages is not considerable in relation to the total numbers employed. The machinery for the enforcement of the Act is adequate for the purpose and information as to the action taken in this respect, up to the 30th September last, will be given in the third Annual Report under the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act, which will be published very shortly.

Can the Minister assure the House that the percentage receiving less than the legal wage is less than 25 per cent.?

Certainly, it is very much less than 25 per cent. The total number of complaints since the Act came into operation was 5,400, and of those 2,200 were not substantiated so far as to lead to a demand for payment of arrears.

Is the situation still that the majority of the complaints received by his Department came from the trade unions?

I think that a good many individual complaints came in.

If the Ministry rely on complaints coming along from trade unions, and two-thirds of the workmen are outside the unions, how can the right hon. Gentleman ascertain the percentage of people who are receiving less than the minimum wage?

I have said that we do not rely on complaints coming from trade unions. In addition to dealing with specific complaints we are carrying out about 50 test inspections a month.

Is it not a fact that the trade unions do not represent the agricultural labourer at all?

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many agricultural co-operative societies exist in Great Britain for the purpose of collecting, grading, and distributing agricultural produce; the aggregate capital of these societies; and the percentage of agriculturel produce in Great Britain passing throught their hands?

In 1923–24 there were 143 agricultural co-operative marketing societies with an aggregate share capital of about £800,000. In addition, seven general trading societies operated livestock auction marts or slaughter houses as a side line, but in the case of these seven societies the share capital has no relation to the produce turnover. The produce sold by these 150 societies amounted to nearly £5,000,000, or about 3½ per cent. of the total value of agricultural produce marketed in England and Wales. Only part of this produce was graded. In addition, there were considerable sales of cereals, hay, seeds and potatoes by general trading societies, but of these no record is obtainable.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give us an estimate as to how many there are before they are really established as corporations in agriculture?

asked the Prime Minister whether, having regard to the bearing which the Hardman Lever Report has on the question now being considered by the Imperial Wireless and Cables Conference, he will arrange that a copy of the Report shall be submitted to the Conference?

asked the Prime Minister whether, having regard to the bearing which the Hardman Lever Report is bound to have on the question now being considered by the Imperial Wireless and Cables Conference, he will arrange that a copy of that Report shall be submitted to the Conference before they decide on their recommendations?

I have been asked to answer these questions. My hon. Friends are under some misapprehension. The Hardman Lever Committee's attention was directed solely to the Inland Telegraph Service. Their Report and recommendations deal with that alone and have no relation to the problems now engaging the attention of the Imperial Wireless and Cable Conference.

Is it not a fact that the two are so related that they cannot be separated?

Can my right hon. Friend tell me the date on which this Committee reported?

Just about the beginning of the Session.

asked the Prime Minister if he is aware that, following upon the announcement of a Government inquiry into the rubber export restriction scheme, the value of crude rubber has now fallen by approximately £60 per ton, and that the resultant losses to British merchants on stocks of crude rubber and to shareholders in the depreciation of shares total at least £50,000,000; and will he now reconsider representing to the Committee of Civil Research that an interim Report shall be submitted, in an endeavour to restore some measure of confidence to the industry?

I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to a similar question by my hon. Friend the Member for Streatham (Sir W. Lane Mitchell) on Monday last.

May I ask, with great respect, whether my right hon. Friend can give me an answer to the first part of my question; whether the Government agree with the figures I have quoted; and, further, whether the Prime Minister is aware that there is a very widespread opinion, not only in the rubber industry but in all the ancillary trades, that however desirable it may be—and it is desirable—that the rubber restriction scheme should be examined, the present time has been a deplorably inopportune one; and is the Prime Minister further aware that the losses inflicted on some of the small investors are already such as to mean practically or wholly ruin?

It is our knowledge of the fact that a certain amount of dislocation of this kind has been caused that is making us use every endeavour to expedite the inquiry, so that the industry may be left in a state of uncertainty as short a time as possible.

When does the right hon. Gentleman expect the Report from this Committee, and will the Report be made public?

I am not yet in a position to answer that question.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree with the statement that his action has cost the investors £50,000,000?

I have not myself examined those figures.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the many questions addressed to Members on this subject show a widespread anxiety?

I believe that is so.

Is it not the state of uncertainty which is causing all the damage, and has my right hon. Friend consulted the Chancellor of the Exchequer as to what effect this will have on his Budget?

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can give a comparison of the average wages paid in the iron and steel works in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany to the various classes of workers compared to the wages of similar workers in this country?

I regret that the information in my possession is insufficient to provide a basis for such a comparison.

Does not the hon. Gentleman think it is important to those whose interests he specially represents, namely, the wage-earning classes, that his Department should have this information with regard to the wages paid in our staple trades and on the Continent?

Since my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Bournemouth (Sir H. Croft) put down a similar question last February, we have made every effort to obtain the information. We tried to get it from, among other sources, the International Labour Organisation at Geneva. We have done our best to get it, but we have failed.

Is it not the case that in these trades, such a large proportion of the wages is on a piece-work basis, that it is practically impossible to get a useful comparison between one country and another?

That may be so, but, whatever be the cause, I have been unable to obtain any reliable information which I could present to the House.

What in the world is the use of the International Labour Organisation at Geneva to the working-classes of this country?

That is rather a large question.

asked the Minister of Labour how many miners are at present receiving training at the various training centres in South Wales; whether any have been placed; and, if so, where, and at what occupations?

There are no training centres for adults in South Wales, but special arrangements have been made to enable young unemployed miners from that area to attend the centres in the Midlands and that shortly to be opened at Bristol. There are at present 121 attending at Dudley, and 51 at Birmingham in addition to five at the Brandon Centre. None of these has yet reached the end of his course, but 41 men from South Wales mining areas have gone overseas in the last 12 months from the Brandon and Claydon Training Centres. I assume the hon. Member is not referring to the juvenile unemployment centres, of which there are a number open in South Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Air, if he can explain how this year's Air Estimates came to be given in considerable and accurate detail in certain newspapers before they were available in the Vote Office for Members of Parliament?

The hon. and gallant Member is, I think, not quite correct as to his facts. The Estimates were available for Members in the Vote Office first thing on Thursday morning and, so far as I am aware, it was on this same day that there first appeared in the Press a certain amount of intelligent anticipation as to their general tenor. It is presumably within the hon. and gallant Member's experience that there is every year some degree of similar intelligent anticipation in the case of the Estimates of all the fighting Services. There has been no question of a departmental leakage.

I did not catch the last part of the right hon. Gentleman's reply, but does he mean to say that there has been no information given out by the Air Ministry about these Estimates before they were in the hands of Members at 10 o'clock on the day in question?

My answer means exactly what I stated, that there has been no question of departmental leakage.

But, without leakage, has any deliberate information been given out by the Air Ministry in advance of that given to Members of this House?

No. No deliberate information has been given out by the Department.

Is it not a fact that even the hon. and gallant Member for Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) is entirely unable to stop newspaper enterprise?

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he can make any statement about the bombing operations by aeroplanes that have been carried out recently from the territory of the Aden Protectorate in the Yemen and the bombing of Kataba; and whether a state of war exists between the Government of Aden and the Zaidi Imam Yahya of Sana?

I have been asked to take this question. The Imam of Sanaa has been in occupation of parts of the Aden Protectorate for some years. Protracted negotiations have taken place for a settlement of the question, and, in 1926, His Majesty's Government despatched a mission to Sanaa with this object. The Imam, however, refused to withdraw from the Protectorate. He was informed that, while His Majesty's Government were anxious to secure a friendly settlement of their differences with him, they could not recognise that he had any rights whatever within the Aden Protectorate, and they warned him that his continued occupation of parts of it would render him liable to retaliatory measures. In spite of this communication, armed Zeidi forces penetrated further into the Protectorate in September, 1927, and only withdrew on being warned that air action would be taken against them. Warnings were then dropped on certain towns in the Yemen that, in the event of further incursions being made into the Protectorate, air action would be taken against them. On the 8th February the Zeidis kidnapped the Alawi Sheikh and a relation of the Koteibi Sheikh, both of whom are entitled by treaty to the protection of His Majesty's Government. After 48 hours' notice, air action was taken against Kataba in Yemen territory, which is understood to be the headquarters of these Zeidi forces directly responsible for the outrage.

What does the right hon. Gentleman mean by "air action"? Does he mean dropping bombs, and, if so, was notice given to the non-combatants to get out?

If the hon. and gallant Member had listened, he would have learned that 48 hours' notice was given.

But is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the usual practice in these raids is for the fighting men to clear out and leave the old women behind them?

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if his attention has been called to the case of an Admiralty clerk being sued by a moneylender, and the statement made by the clerk that his financial difficulties were caused through the system of monthly payment of wages; and whether he is prepared to make any alteration in the method of payment to the lower-paid workers?

I have seen in the Press a reference to the case to which the hon. Member refers, and from the inquiries which I have made I do not think that there is any evidence which would justify a change in the present system by which salaried officials are paid monthly. The Admiralty system in this respect is the same as obtains generally throughout the service. I would like to add that I can find no evidence that there is any foundation for the learned Judge's suggestion that cases of financial difficulty are particularly frequent at the Admiralty.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman recognise that where these low-paid clerks are only in a position to receive their salary once a month, they have to go to the small shopkeepers and get their things in advance of receiving their salary, and that they are charged 10 or 15 per cent. in consequence?

There may be some cases of that sort on first appointment, and I think it is quite a common practice—and we are always prepared to arrange—for advances to be made in such cases to those already in Admiralty service, but this particular case does not seem to me to be really intelligible in reference to what appeared in the Press. The man referred to has been a long time in the Admiralty.

But cannot the right hon. Gentleman see any way of paying these low-paid clerks weekly the same as other workmen are paid?

That question does not affect only the Admiralty, but all the services, and, if the House was prepared to add a large number of employés to our staff, we might be able to do it, because the hon. Gentleman will understand that a weekly salary means a great deal more clerical work. Any cases of hardship of this kind, I think, can be, and are, met by the ordinary machinery, but I completely fail to understand the statement reported as having been made about this particular case.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that in hundreds of cases old age pensioners at 65 years of age are compelled to apply at Somerset House for a copy of their birth certificate at a cost of 5s. 6d. in order to prove their claim to a pension; and whether he is prepared to make arrangements to grant free certificates in cases of hardship?

No, Sir. Applicants for pensions at 65 years of age under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act are not compelled to prove their age by the production of a birth certificate. If the applicant already has in his possession a birth certificate, he is requested to produce it; but otherwise the stated particulars of date of birth are verified gratuitously by the General Register Office on reference from my Department.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that unemployment pay has been refused to men on the ground that they were 65 years of age and that they have been compelled to get a birth certificate to prove that they were not 65?