asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, for the years 1925, 1926 and 1927, the number of prosecutions and convictions, the amount of the fines imposed, and the expenditure incurred in respect of those prosecutions under the Fishery Acts in connection with the River Tweed?

I am informed by the River Tweed Commissioners that in the three years mentioned below the statistics of proceedings taken at their instance and of convictions, expenditure incurred by them in prosecutions, and fines and expenses are as follow:through the Glasgow post offices from 1st Post Office between 1st November, 1925, and from 1st November, 1926, to 31st October, 1927, respectively?

The total number of telegrams (excluding Press messages) handled by the Glasgow Post Office between 1st, November, 1925, and 31st October, 1926, was 5,863,557, and the number handled between 1st November, 1926, and 31st October, 1927, was 5,764,498. The figures include all telegrams forwarded, transmitted or received by the head office, branch offices and town sub-offices in Glasgow.

asked the Minister of Health how many schemes under the Housing (Rural Workers) Act he has approved, up to the present time, from each local authority in Shropshire?

I have approved a scheme under the Act for each of the 17 rural districts in the county, and for five of the other 15 local authorities in the county. Up to the 31st December last, which is the date of the latest return, only five applications for grants had been received by the local authorities. Assistance had been promised in these cases and work had been commenced in four of them.

sasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the amount of the total revenue collected from taxation of the natives in the British Solomon Islands; and what proportion of this revenue is spent on native welfare?

The accounts of the Protectorate do not separate revenue and expenditure attributable to the natives from other revenue and expenditure. The Native Tax, which applies only to natives, yielded £9,803 in the year 1926–27 out of a total revenue of £77,445. All the revenue raised in the Islands is spent for the benefit of the inhabitants, the vast majority of whom are natives.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whom His Majesty's Government have decided to appoint as Special Commissioner to inquire into the circumstances of the murders in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate; and whether this Commissioner will be instructed to inquire into the grievances of the natives on Malaita and Guadalcanal and, in particular, into their attitude on the matter of taxation?

I am not yet in a position to announce the name of the Commissioner who is to proceed to the British Solomon Islands Protectorate to inquire into and report upon the circumstances surrounding the murders during last year of Government officials on the islands of Guadalcanal and Malaita. The terms of reference are wide enough to admit the matter of taxation if the Commissioner is of opinion that it should receive his attention.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what restrictions on the export of arms from this country are in force; whether a licence is required to export arms and munitions; who is responsible for the issue of such licences; and whether any arms have been exported from this country to Ibn Saud, King of the Hejaz and of Nejd, or his feudatories, since the present Government took office?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th March, 1928; col. 1723, Vol. 214] supplied the following information:Three licences only have been issued for the exportation of war material from the United Kingdom to the Hejaz since November, 1924, namely, one for 2,000,000 Lee-Enfield cartridges on 9th November, 1927, one for 400,000 chargers (cartridge clips) on 22nd November, 1927, and one for 2,000,000 Lee-Enfield cartridges on 1st March of this year.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of small-pox and deaths from that disease occurred in London in the years 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927; what was the age, sex, place of death, and vaccinal condition of each of them; and whether any of them were port sanitary cases?

The required particulars are given in the following table:

asked the Prime Minister when it is proposed to introduce legislation affording credit facilities to farmers; and whether both long and short term credits will be included?

I have been asked to reply. I am not yet in a position to name a date for the introduction of the legislation referred to. I hope that the proposed Bill will include provision for both long and short term credit.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the average valuation of agricultural land from 1891 for the purposes of assessment for each quinquennial period to the present date?

I regret that this information is not available, as the statistics collected of the Income Tax do not separately distinguish agricultural land as such. My hon. and gallant Friend will find particulars of the total annual value of all lands assessed under Schedule A of the Income Tax in the Annual Reports of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether, in view of the effect of the lowering of wages and lengthening of hours on the coal-mining industry, he will consider bringing relief from the present difficulties by methods for utilising coal by new methods, so as to derive a larger part of the valuable elements now wasted or lost?

Whatever the causes of the depression may be, I fully agree that, looking to the future, the various processes referred to deserve the fullest research and investigation, and I welcome the practical interest which is now being taken in them. The Government are giving such encouragement and assistance as they consider advisable.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can give the details of results in low-temperature carbonisation plants operating in this country, showing the quantity of raw coal which is treated each week, with the quantities of oil, gas and carbon residue in plants working on a commercial scale?

I regret that statistical information as to the amount of coal now being treated by low-temperature carbonisation methods is not available. Technical results of those plants which have been tested by the Director of Fuel Research are given in published Reports. Four such Reports have been issued, and a fifth is in the Press.

asked the Secretary for Mines the annual cost of pumping at the Callard's Pit and the rate per ton which would fall upon the royalty owners and the colliery companies producing coal in mines likely to be affected by the accumulating water in the old workings previously drained by the Callard's Pit pumps?

I have no information which would enable me to give the figures asked.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total amount actually paid out by the Civil Service Departments for each month of the year ended 31st March, 1927?

I regret that the information is not available, and could not be compiled without considerable labour which, I think, is hardly justified by its importance.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has received representations from the Deptford Borough Council regarding the proposed Draft Regulations dealing with obstructions in streets; and whether, as such Regulations will constitute a serious interference with the statutory powers and duties of Metropolitan borough councils in relation to highways, he will give consideration to the council's representations prior to the Regulations becoming operative?

I have received representations in regard to these Draft Regulations to be made under the London Traffic Act, 1924. While I do not admit the suggestion made in the second part of the question, the representations made by the Deptford Borough Council will be most carefully considered by me, after consultation with the London Traffic Advisory Committee, before Regulations are made.

asked the Secretary for Mines what is the number of professional and technical officers upon the permanent staff of his Department; and what are their respective designations?

Two members of the permanent staff of the Mines Department are specifically graded as professional and technical officers. In addition there are 106 inspectors of mines and quarries who are required to possess professional or technical qualifications, and 11 professional accountants are engaged in the Liquidation Finance Division.