asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the rapidly growing use of electricity for the purposes of market gardening in Sweden and to the satisfactory results achieved thereby; whether his attention has been called to the Reports published by Swedish Government Departments dealing with the results achieved; and whether he will take steps to make this information available to the British market gardener;(2) whether his attention has been drawn to the development which has taken place in the last 10 years in the use of electricity for farming purposes in Sweden and to the informative literature dealing with that subject issued by the Swedish Government Departments for the benefit of the community; and whether he will take steps to make this information available to the British farmer?

I assume my hon. Friend refers to a method of heating the soil by electricity which has been advocated in Sweden. Experiments with this method have been conducted for the last two years at the Cheshunt Experimental Station and are still in progress. While it would be premature to express a final opinion, the director of the station reports that so far there is no indication that the method can be applied economically in this country. With regard to my hon. Friend's second question, he is perhaps aware that a Conference summoned by the Electricity Commissioners is at present considering the whole question of rural electrification in this country. A large amount of information from Sweden, as well as from other countries, is before the Conference. I am awaiting the Report of the Conference before deciding what further steps to take in the way of providing advice to farmers on the application of electricity to agriculture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of the veterinary inspectorate staff employed in field operations in connection with foot-and-mouth disease who were employed during the month of March, 1928; the approximate cost of salaries, and the travelling and subsistence expenses for this month?

The number of the veterinary inspectorate staff employed in field operations during the month of March, 1928, in connection with foot-and-mouth disease was equivalent to the whole time of 24 officers. The total approximate cost was £950 for salaries and £1,610 for travelling and subsistence expenses.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that North Dulwich Station was closed on Sundays during the War, and that this closing has continued ever since; that this is a source of inconvenience to a large number of Dulwich residents; and if he will take steps to have the station forthwith re-opened on Sundays?

I am informed by the railway company that when their new electric services are introduced on the 17th June next they intend to reopen North Dulwich Station on Sundays.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has any statistics that will show the number of road accidents, including the number of fatalities that have occurred through motor-propelled vehicles in the United Kingdom, for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

The information asked for by the hon. Member is contained in the Return relating to the year 1927 which was presented to this House on the 5th instant.

asked the Minister of Health whether it is the intention of the Government immediately to increase the number of clinics for the treatment of rheumatism?

I shall watch with interest the results of experiments which are being made in the provision of treatment in clinics for persons suffering from rheumatism, but it is not the intention of the Government itself to set up such clinics.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in the case of regular contributors under the National Health Insurance Act inadvertently losing their cards on which the stamps have been duly affixed and cancelled, he will take steps to see that these people shall be credited with the amount of their paid contribution and entitled to sickness benefit under the scheme instead of having to defray the cost of stamps for a duplicate card or being treated as a person in arrear with contributions and therefore not eligible for sickness benefit?

Under the statutory regulations governing the benefits of insured persons in arrears a contributor cannot receive credit for contributions paid until a duly stamped card is surrendered to his Approved Society. I regret that it has not been found practicable to allow an exception to be made in the case of contributors who claim to have lost their cards as it is essential for the proper working of the health insurance scheme that nothing should be done which might conduce to laxity on the part of insured persons with regard to the care and surrender of their cards.

asked the Minister of Health whether ex-service temporary clerks could carry out the duties at present assigned to temporary women clerks employed in the central index committee?

As I stated in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Bradford East (Mr. Fenby) on the 22nd ultimo, the work in question is of the class described by the Lytton Committee as specially appropriate to women and therefore non-substitutable by men.

asked the Minister of Health why suitable officers on the establishment of his own Department cannot be placed on the work now being performed by officers on loan from other Departments, in order to relieve the anxiety of some of the ex-service temporary clerks who are liable to a week's notice terminating their employment in the Ministry of Health?

The volume of work in my Department requiring the services of trained and experienced officers does not at present permit of my returning the officers, all of the executive grade, whose services have been obtained on loan from other Departments.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the official side of the Departmental Whitley Council of the Ministry of Health, held on 30th April, 1927, gave the staff side an assurance that the employment of new entrants on a permanent basis would not cause the displacement of ex-service temporary clerks employed in his Department; and if this assurance has been carried out to date?

The statement in the first part of the question is not in accordance with the facts. The staff side of the Departmental Whitley Council at the meeting on 30th April, 1927, asked for an assurance that the entrance of a number of writing assistants would not, in the future, cause the discharge of ex-service temporary clerks. The official side, in reply, specifically stated that they were unable to give any assurance to this effect.

asked the Minister of Health whether the temporary women staff employed in the central index committee are in receipt of weekly scales of pay applicable to temporary women clerks.

With the exception of four, who are in receipt of special rates of pay, the temporary women staff employed on central index work are in receipt of weekly scales of pay applicable to temporary women clerks.

asked the Minister of Health the number and names of the county areas in England and Wales which are not operating Section 2 of the Blind Persons Act, 1920; and what steps he is taking to urge them to operate this Section?

All the county councils in England and Wales have schemes in operation under Section 2 of the Blind Persons Act, 1920, and the second part of the question therefore does not arise.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons in receipt of domiciliary Poor Law relief in the borough of Southwark on the last Saturday in December, 1914, 1921, 1924, and 1927, respectively?

The total numbers of persons in receipt of domiciliary Poor Law relief in the Southwark Union (which is co-extensive with the Borough), excluding casuals and persons in receipt of medical relief only, on the last Saturday in December, 1914, 1921, 1924, and 1927, respectively, were as follow:

Last Saturday in December.	Number in receipt of domiciliary
1914	2,124
1921	9,212
1924	6,714
1927	9,107

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of officers and ratings serving in the Royal Navy on 1st January, 1913, and 1st January, 1928, respectively?

The numbers, on the nearest available dates were as follow:—

—	Officers.	Ratings.	Total.
15th January, 1913	9,489	128,607	138,096
15th January, 1928	8,515	93,799	102,314

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the head-mistress of the Humber Church of England school was appointed after two successive advertisements of the post in competition with certificated and qualified teachers; that she only possesses an Irish diploma and has not taught for 12 years prior to her appointment; and that on the occasion of her first appointment her selection was turned down by the director of education and by his own Department; and whether he will state the reasons why, after a second advertisement of the post when there were other qualified teachers applying for the post, these objections were removed and the lady appointed?

The appointment of teachers rests with the Local Authority and, in the case of non-provided schools, the Managers, and, provided that the teacher possesses the requisite qualifications under the regulations, the Board do not intervene in the matter. In the present instance the Board satisfied themselves that Mrs. Lewis was qualified for recognition as a certificated teacher under Schedule 11 (e) of the Code, and have so recognised her. Her appointment as head teacher of the Humber School thereupon fell within the discretion of the Local Authority and Managers.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of nursery schools set up and in operation under the education authorities in England and Wales.

There are at present recognised by the Board of Education 26 nursery schools, of which 11 are conducted by local authorities and 15 by voluntary bodies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is prepared to enter into communication with the Finance Minister of the Irish Free State with regard to the operation of the second schedule of the agreement between the British Government and the Government of the Irish Free State, dated 14th April, 1926, whereby any person resident in Great Britain and not in the Irish Free State is exempt from Irish Free State Income Tax, in view of the fact that British firms not resident in the Irish Free State have been served by the Irish Free State Government with notices of Income Tax in respect of profits made by their exports of merchandise from Great Britain into the Irish Free State?

If the hon. Member will give me particulars of the cases to which he refers, I shall be glad to look into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of officers and other ranks in the British Army, including those serving in India and overseas, on 1st January, 1913, and 1st January, 1928, respectively?

I would refer the hon. Member to page 11 of Army Estimates 1913–14 and to page 7 of the current Army Estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for War if all soldiers who served in the Great War will be eligible for the special campaign pension on reaching the age of 65; and, if not, what section of the Army that served in the Great War will be eligible for the special campaign pension?

No, Sir, only those ex-soldiers who enlisted into the Regular Forces for the ordinary term of service are eligible, under the conditions laid down in the Pay Warrant, for the grant of special campaign pensions.

asked the Minister of Labour how many extra persons have been absorbed into industry during the years 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Chippenham (Captain Cazalet) on 22nd February, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour if he can state the increase or decrease of the real wages in the country for the years 1924, 1925, 1926, and 1927, respectively?

The information in the possession of the Ministry of Labour is not sufficient to provide a satisfactory basis for precise computations as to the changes in real wages during the period referred to. The following table, however, gives (1) such estimates as are available with regard to the average level of rates of wages for a full ordinary week's work at the beginning of each of the years 1924–28 in relation to the corresponding level in July, 1914 (taken as 100); (2) the average level of working-class cost of living at the same date; and (3) figures indicating the average relative level of real wages for

—		Rates of wages on the basis of a normal working week.	Cost of Living.	Real Wages, i.e., rates of wages and cost—of—living combined.
		(1)	(2)	(3)
July, 1914	…	100	100	100
1st January, 1924	…	165–170	177	93–96
1st January,1925	…	170–175	180	94–97
1st January, 1926	…	175	175	100
1st January, 1927	…	175	175	100
1st January, 1928	…	170–175	168	101–104

The figures as to wages represent only approximate estimates arrived at after consideration of such data as are available, relating almost wholly to those industries, or sections of industries, in which organised arrangements exist for the negotiation of changes in wage rates on a collective basis. The cost-of-living figures are those regularly calculated by the Ministry of Labour as to the average changes in the cost of maintaining the pre-War standard of living of working-class families. In view of the incompleteness of the data on which the estimates as to changes in wages rates are based, and of the fact that these estimates represent averages of conditions varying widely among different classes of work-people, the figures given in the final column should not be regarded as affording more than a very general indication of the average movement of real wages, on the assumption of a full week's work. It should be noted that the figures relate to rates of wages and not to earnings. For those in employment, earnings have increased in a greater proportion than rates of wages as compared with 1914, owing to the greater prevalence of piecework and for other reasons, but this greater increase of earnings is offset to some extent by the higher general average of unemployment.

asked the Rome Secretary the number of dogs and other living animals, respectively, which were during the years 1926 and 1927 subjected to poison gas experiments at the War Department experimental station,

I have been asked to reply. No dogs were used for these experiments at Porton or elsewhere. Information regarding experiments on other animals is given in the following table:

Experiments at Porton.
—		1926.	1927.	Total.
Rabbits	…	385	86	471
Goats	…	3	2	5
Guinea pigs	…	193	259	452
Cats	…	20	11	31
Monkeys	…	—	1	1
Mice	…	31	26	57
Horses	…	12	—	12

The above experiments were carried out under licence alone or under Certificates A.1 and F.1.

Experiments at the Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge.
1926.	1927.
214	28
under Certificates A.1 and E.1.	under Certificate A.1.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, when the Iraq railways are handed over to the Iraq Government in December, 1928, the gazetted officials of the railways will have their contracts of 'service taken over by the Iraq Government in like manner to gazetted offiicals of other departments which have been taken over?

It is not yet certain what the future of the Iraq railways will be. The whole question is now under consideration, and no decision has yet been reached. In arriving at a decision the hon. Member may rest assured that the legitimate claims to consideration of the present British officials employed on the railways will not be overlooked.

asked the Postmaster-General whether there is any objection on his part to license the British Broadcasting Corporation regional scheme for the North?

I have received no application from the British Broadcasting Corporation for permission to proceed with a regional station in the North.