asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of acres under crop and grass in Scotland owned by the occupier in the year 1926–27?

The area of land under crops and grass returned to the Board of Agriculture for Scotland on 4th June, 1927, as owned by the occupiers was 1,226,393 acres.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what proportion of agricultural area under crop and grass in England and Wales for 1926–27 is owned by the occupier?

According to the statements furnished by the occupiers, 36 per cent, of the area under crops and grass in England and Wales on 4th June, 1927, was in the ownership of the occupiers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the value of the agricultural produce for 1926–27 in Great Britain; and the proportion for outgoing expenses in respect to labour, rent, rates and insurance for the same period?

I regret that I am not in a position to supply the information asked for in respect of the year 1926–27, but I would refer the hon. Member to the Report issued by my Department entitled "The Agricultural Output of England and Wales, 1925," which contains the latest available information on the subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture approximately the average wage of the agricultural worker in Great Britain as distinct from the average minimum wage; and the average amount of earnings, taking into account piecework?

No statistics are available on which any reliable estimates can be framed of the actual average wages or total earnings of agricultural workers as distinct from the legal minimum rates of wages, but certain references to the matter are made in the Second Annual Report of Proceedings under the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act, a copy of which, together with the Third Report, I am sending to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that the employés of the Central Sugar Beet Company, Woodstone, Peterborough, are working 12 hours per day from 7 a.m. to. 7 p.m.; that when the change from day-work to night-work takes place at the week-end the employés work 18 hours; that no time is allowed for meals; that any employé absenting himself from work for one day for any cause is discharged; that some of the employés are compelled to work in lime and water during the whole period of their duty; that the unloading of beet is only paid for at the rate of 3½d. per ton, which prevents the men from earning more than 30s. per week; and if he will take any action in the matter?

I understand that men working inside the Peterborough beet sugar factory are employed on a 12-hour shift during the manufacturing campaign which lasts about three months. The average weekly earnings of these men during this period are about £5. Factory employés for the other nine months of the year and men on work outside the factory for the full 12 months work 44 to 49 hours a week. When the change from day work to night work takes place, which is about twice during the campaign, the employés work 18 hours. Owing to the nature of the employment, there is in most cases no difficulty in the way of the workers taking meals and, where necessary, reliefs are provided for this purpose. I am informed that employés who have any reasonable excuse are not discharged for one day's absence; also that no employés are required to work in a mixture of lime and water, as there is no work in the factory which necessitates work under such conditions. Piece work rates for unloading beets vary from 3½d. to 5d. a ton, the lower rate being paid for beets discharged from trucks on high level lines. A bonus of 1d. a ton is paid for all tonnage in excess of 100 tons a week. The average earnings of experienced men on unloading are from 9s. to 10s. for a working day of eight to nine hours and men frequently earn from 10s. to 14s. a day.The only power I have in the matter of conditions and wages in beet sugar factories is that conferred by Section 3 of the Beet Sugar (Subsidy) Act, which provides that if any dispute arises as to what wages ought to be paid in accordance with that Section, the Minister of Agriculture shall refer it to the Industrial Court for settlement. The factories, of course, come under the Factories and Workshops Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland who is the owner of the Shiel estate; and who is the lessee and renter of the shooting?

The owner of the subject referred to as Shiel Estate is Colonel Baillie of Dochfour; the lessee of the major part of the shootings is Mr. Charles Williams, the remainder being occupied by the proprietor of the estate.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the grounds on which the decision not to grant small holdings on the Shiel estate was made was that the applications were unreasonable or the suggested scheme was unreasonable?

The decision not to proceed with a scheme on Glenshiel Deer Forest was taken after consideration of all the circumstances, and having regard to the fact that the cost of such a scheme was likely to be excessive.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the agricultural rentals of deer forests in Scotland, and the acreage used for agricultural purposes?

I am not at present in a position to furnish the particulars asked for, but I am making inquiries.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) what steps have been taken to cope with the extra work causing overtime at the Money Order Department; which of these steps were taken on the initiative of the controlling officers of the Department, and which on the suggestion of the Association of Post Office Women Clerks; whether it was foreseen that the work arising from the repayment of National Savings Certificates would considerably increase from 1926 when the first certificates matured; and, if so, why adequate steps to increase the staff were not taken at a much earlier date;(2) At what date compulsory overtime began to be worked by the women clerks in the Money Order Department; what is the longest period without overtime since that date; and when all compulsory overtime, is expected to cease;(3) For how many weeks the staff of the Money Order Department has been compelled to forgo the weekly half-holiday on Saturday afternoons during the years 1926 and 1927; and whether he has considered that, although it is laid down in the Reorganisation Report that the Saturday half-holiday should not be granted where the state of business renders it impracticable, the intention was that normally such a holiday should only be withheld in times of exceptional pressure?

It was foreseen that the repayment and conversion of Savings Certificates would entail a considerable amount of additional work, but it was impossible to calculate in advance either its extent or the period which it would cover. Steps were taken to cope with the additional work by increasing the authorised establishment, by employing temporary force, and by borrowing staff from other Departments, but the circumstances were such that recourse to a considerable amount of overtime could not have been avoided. I am not aware that any suggestions were made by the Association referred to which are not ordinarily adopted by the Department to meet emergency pressure. It is not possible to give the dates on which compulsory overtime was in operation as they varied in the different branches of the Money Order Department, but, generally speaking, overtime began to reach substantial proportions in July, 1926, and after an interval between November, 1926, and February, 1927, the pressure recurred. I anticipate that compulsory extra duty will be discontinued immediately after Whitsuntide. The staff have not been compelled to forgo their Saturday half-holiday during the years 1926 and 1927. Overtime has been required only on the first five days of the week.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the recommendation of the Inchcape Committee in 1923 that the Western Command headquarters in Quetta should be disbanded has not been acted upon; that there are 36 officers on this staff, who have little work to do and cost the Indian Government £50,000 a year; and whether it is intended soon to disband the Western Command and transfer its functions to the Baluchistan Command?

The Inchcape Committee did not mention the Western Command. The Committee recommended that the organisation of Commands should be "the minimum necessary to enable rapid transition to he made from peace to war conditions in the event of emergency." The Government of India, after revising the whole organisation in 1924 and again in 1926, satisfied my Noble Friend that for this purpose the retention of the Western Command is still necessary.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what fresh railway construction is now in progress in India; on how many different gauges; and whether the Indian Government is pursuing a definite policy of unifying the gauges of the Indian railways wherever possible?

The total mileage of Indian Railways under construction on the 31st December, 1927, the latest date for which figures are available, was 3,243, of which 1,286 was on 5-ft. 6-in. gauge, 1,511 on the 3-ft. 3⅜-in. gauge and 446 on the 2-ft. 6-in. gauge. As regards the last part of the honourable Baronet's question, I have nothing to add to the reply which was given to him in answer to his question on the 16th June last.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the rainfall and mean daily sunshine in each of the 11 districts of Great Britain and Ireland for July to December, 1927, inclusive, or for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

The total rainfall and mean daily duration of sunshine for each of the twelve districts of the British Isles for the periods July-December and January-December, 1927, are as follow:—

asked the Minister of Transport, if he will consider asking for Return of the hours worked by drivers and conductors of omnibuses throughout the country, such Return to include details of the spread-over practices in operation?

I have no power to call for the return suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any statistical information is available as to the number of men of 65 to 70 years of age who have become unemployed during the past five months.

I regret that statistics giving the information desired are not available.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will inquire into the method adopted in the North Staffordshire mines in imposing fines upon miners for allowing dirt to be present in the coal which they send to the pithead?

I am informed that the arrangements in North Staffordshire with regard to deductions for excessive dirt sent out of the pit vary at individual collieries. In some eases of excessive dirt, fines are imposed or coal is not paid for as an alternative to dismissal. I understand that the existing arrangements have been in operation in most cases for many years, that they are accepted by the men's representatives and that they are in many cases the result of mutual agreement.

asked the Home Secretary if he will consider the introduction of legislation enabling sweepstakes and lotteries to be conducted, subject to prior approval by some duly constituted local authority such as the bench of magistrates or the watch committee?

I am afraid I do not see my way to introduce any legislation at the present time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider how much revenue could be derived by the Exchequer from a percentage tax on sweepstakes and lotteries if the present legal ban on them was modified?

No, Sir. It would be impossible to form any estimate.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what progress has been made in the plans for the construction of new buildings for the London University; how much money is available for the purpose; and at what date it is expected that building will be commenced?

I understand that a committee of the Senate of the University of London is at present engaged in considering the whole question of the development of the site recently acquired in Bloomsbury. At this stage it is impossible to forecast when building on the site will be begun. As regards the funds available, I can only say that His Majesty's Government made last year a special grant of £212,500 to assist the University to provide improved accommodation. £125,000 of this sum, together with a munificent gift of £400,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation, has been used to purchase the site. The financing of the scheme is in the hands of the university itself, so that the hon. Member should apply to the university direct for any further information he may require.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what amount is estimated as direct relief which will be made in October, 1920, in the case of the china-clay trade in Cornwall;(2) what amount is estimated as relief in rates which will go to the brewery trade in October, 1929, under the Budget proposals;(3) what is estimated as the amount of direct relief to the civil engineering trade in October, 1929, under the proposals made under the Budget;(4) what estimate has been made as to the relief in rates by which it is ex- pected to relieve the shipbuilding and ship-repairing trade in October, 1929, under the Budget proposals;(5) the figure estimated as the amount of relief in local taxation to the building trade in October, 1929, under the Budget proposals, and the amount in the case of the brick-making trade;(6) the amount by which the cocoa, chocolate, and sugar confectionery it is estimated will secure relief in local taxation in October, 1929, under the Budget proposals;(7) what figure has been estimated as the amount of relief in local taxation to the sugar refining and the sugar-beet trades in October, 1929, under the Budget proposals?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I have given him in the House to-day.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give figures per ton or per relevant measure, and in total sums, as to the estimated rates relief to be accorded to iron, steel, coal, cotton, and shipbuilding?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the President of the Board of Trade to the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. Lawson) on 8th May, a copy of which I am sending him. Comprehensive information regarding the total amount of direct relief from local taxation that each trade will obtain is not available, but for a few trades some approximate estimates have been made. As has already been stated in the House, the direct relief for the engineering industry, including marine engineering, will be from £2,000,000 to £2,500,000 a year. For shipbuilding it will be about £400,000 a year; for the chemical industry about £600,000. For coal the direct relief is estimated to be about £2,500,000 a year; for cotton spinning and weaving about £1,500,000 a year; for wool combing, spinning, and weaving about £750,000; for the heavy iron and steel industry about £550,000; for breweries and distilleries about £400,000. In respect of other trades, the amount of information available is not sufficient to justify an estimate of the amount of relief which will be obtained.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the collection of the Petrol Duty, reasonable credit facilities can be afforded to small businesses, in view of the financial inconvenience which will otherwise be caused to traders with slender resources?

I am not quite sure of the class of business the hon. Member has in mind, but I imagine that in the case of petrol, as in the case of dutiable commodities generally, duty will have been paid at a stage considerably prior to its reaching the hands of small dealers and retailers. In any case, when the Finance Bill becomes law, I could not contemplate making an exception in the case of petrol to the universal rule that Customs duties are payable on the delivery of the goods for home consumption.