asked the Minister of Health whether any urban district councils or other local authorities accept payments in advance in respect of rates, gas, and electricity, allowing interest on such prepaid sums until the date on which the complete payment is due?

I am not aware of any cases where local authorities pay interest on rates or charges paid in advance. A number of local authorities allow discount for prompt payment. I may also add that local authorities who are gas or electricity undertakers are enabled to demand security for moneys becoming due to them and, if they do so, are required to pay interest on moneys so deposited.

asked the Minister of Health what was the total amount of rates paid for all purposes in the County of London during the year ended 21st March, 1928, by each of the following properties: Government properties of all description, docks, wharves, piers, etc., tramway undertakings, cemeteries, railways, sewerage, electricity, mills, factories of every description, wholesale and retail shops, and dwelling-houses, and such other properties assessable for rates?

The desired information, so far as it is in my possession, will be found set out separately for London in a statement, copies of which will be available in the Vote Office to-day.

asked the Minister of Health the poor rate levied in each of the Poor Law unions in the County of London as at September, 1926, March, 1927, September, 1927, and March, 1928, respectively?

The desired information is contained in the following statement:

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons in receipt of outdoor relief in each of the Poor Law unions in the County of London as at 39th March, 1927, and 30th March, 1928, or the nearest date at which he has particulars?

The particulars desired are as follow:

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to a report made by the Liverpool officer of health and city analyst to the Liverpool Health Committee regarding the danger to children of condensed skimmed milk; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

No, Sir. I am obtaining a copy for consideration.

asked the Minister of Health what means are adopted by his officials in connection with the carrying out of the therapeutic substances regulations, for determining whether samples of vaccine lymph contain what is called vaccinia virus, seeing that the supposed microbe of vaccinia has not been isolated; and what the the characteristic lesions due to vaccinia virus referred to on page 19 of the therapeutic substances regulations?

The methods adopted in pursuance of Article 8 in Part I (B) of the Second Schedule to the Regulations are those of Calmette-Guerin, Gins, Sobernheim and Groth, which are recommended by the Small-pox and Vaccination Commission of the League of Nations. The characteristic lesions referred to are the production of the specific and characteristic vesicles on the rabbit's skin, inflammation with cloudiness and opacity of the cornea of guinea-pigs and rabbits, and local areas of infiltration of definite size and appearance in the case of the intradermal method.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the information in the recently published third edition of Goodall's and Washbourne's Manual of Infectious Diseases in regard to the various sources of vaccine lymph produced in the Government lymph establishment, he will state what means are used by his officials for ascertaining whether the viruses obtained from so many different sources are identical in their character, particularly in view of the fact that no casual germ specific to vaccinia has been discovered; to what extent rabbits are used for the purpose of propagating lymph in the establishment; and when were they first brought into use for that purpose?

The statement in the publication in question as regards the various sources of vaccine lymph appears to refer to vaccine lymph in general, and not to the lymph used at the Government Lymph Establishment. As I have stated on more than one occasion, the records show that the lymph now used at the Government Lymph Establishment is derived from calf lymph originally obtained from Cologne, and the strain has since been carried on by repeated transference from animal to animal. In these circumstances, the first part of the question does not arise. As regards the second part, the number of rabbits used for the purpose of propagating lymph varies with circumstances. During the last six months the number so used was 12. Rabbits for this purpose have been systematically used since 1902, and for two years previously in preliminary experimental investigations.

asked the Minister of Health if he can state the number of men and women between 65 and 70 years of age working in industry who are in receipt of old age pensions?

No, Sir. The information asked for could only be obtained by direct enquiry with regard to every person to whom an old age pension has been awarded.