asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he is prepared to make an arrangement, in conjunction with the authorities of the Irish Free State, to enable local authorities of England and Wales, on the one hand, and of the Irish Free State, on the other, to return to their places of birth poor persons chargeable to the rates in either of those countries who have no legal settlement in the country in which they are chargeable?

His Majesty's Government in Great Britain have intimated to His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State their readiness to enter into an arrangement on the general lines set out in my right hon. Friend's question. The views of His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State on the subject have not yet been received.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons

				1927.			1928.
Last Saturday in				Number of persons in receipt of—			Number of persons in receipt of—
				Institutional relief (including casuals, but excluding lunatics in county and borough asylums).	Domiciliary relief (excluding persons in receipt of medical relief only).	Total.	Institutional relief (including casuals, but, excluding lunatics in county and borough asylums).	Domiciliary relief (excluding persons in receipt of medical relief only).	Total.
I.—Parish of Devonport.
January	…	…	…	312	1,851	2,163	248	2,398	2,646
February	…	…	…	248	1,754	2,002	250	2,197	2,447
March	…	…	…	249	1,710	11,959	242	2,181	2,423
April	…	…	…	243	1,699	1,942	221	2,176	2,397
May	…	…	…	244	1,659	1,903	223	2,182	2,405
June	…	…	…	253	1,773	2,026	—	—	—
July	…	…	…	234	1,716	1,950	—	—	—
August	…	…	…	234	1,789	2,023	—	—	—
September	…	…	…	234	1,830	2,064	—	—	—
October	…	…	…	227	1,920	2,147	—	—	—
November	…	…	…	233	1,957	2,190	—	—	—
December	…	…	…	245	2,079	2,324	—	—	—
II.—Parish of Plymouth.
January	…	…	…	691	2,626	3,317	691	2,560	3,251
February	…	…	…	715	2,514	3,229	718	2,492	3,210
March	…	…	…	692	2,595	3,287	699	2,688	3,387
April	…	…	…	689	2,477	3,166	697	2,628	3,325
May	…	…	…	666	2,504	3,170	670	2,541	3,211
June	…	…	…	664	2,439	3,10	—	—	—
July	…	…	…	659	2,515	3,17	—	—	—
August	…	…	…	664	2,571	3,235	—	—	—
September	…	…	…	668	2,455	3,123	—	—	—
October	…	…	…	668	2,694	3,362	—	—	—
November	…	…	…	675	2,600	3,275	—	—	—
December	…	…	…	701	2,613	3,314	—	—	—

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Statistical Report on the Health of the Navy for 1925, costing 4s. 6d. per copy, was issued last February; whether inquiry has been made as to the value of the publication at so late a date on the present lines; the cost and dates of similar publications in regard to the Army and Air; and

The following Statement contains the information asked for by the hon. Member:whether the matter has been under the consideration of the permanent Consultative Committee on Official Statistics.

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the remainder of the question, publications dealing with the health of the Army and of the Air Force in 1926 were published in February and January, 1928, respectively, at a price of 3s. 6d. and 2s. 6d. The Report on the Health of the Navy has not been specifically considered by the Committee on Official Statistics, and I am making further inquiry into the question of its publication.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether returns of the state of repayment claims work in tax districts are made by inspectors of taxes every month; and, if so, whether he can state the number of repayment claims in hand and not dealt with, and the number in hand and working but not settled?

I regret that I cannot undertake to use the returns referred to by my hon. Friend for the purpose of publishing statistics on the subject. They are departmental reports made to the Board of Inland Revenue merely to enable the Board to ensure that Income Tax repayment claims are being dealt with promptly. If my hon. Friend has any complaints of delay to bring to my notice, I shall be glad to look into them.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether returns are made periodically by inspectors of taxes as to the number of cases under appeal and the amounts of tax involved; and, if so, whether he can state the number of cases and amount of tax in the hands of collectors for recovery, and the number of cases and amount of tax involved in cases in the hands of the inspector as under appeal at the present time or some recent date?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. With regard to the latter part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply to his question of the 11th June on this subject, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the contribution of a voluntary contributor to the National Health Insurance and Widows' Pension Fund is allowed as a deduction for Income Tax purposes in the same manner as an insurance premium?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will state for 1926 and 1927 the cost of administration, in percentages of income, of old age pensions, workmen's compensation, national health insurance, unemployment insurance, industrial insurance, Poor Law relief, War pensions, and the benefits paid under the provisions of the Old Age Contributory Pensions Act?

Particulars of the cost of administration for the lastest available year in respect of old age pensions, War pensions and Poor Law relief, the cost of which is met, as and when required, out of moneys voted by Parliament or local funds, will be found in House of Commons Paper No. 108 of 1927. The following figures of costs of administration expressed as a percentage of income for the year 1926 are given for the remaining services mentioned in the question, but the conditions of these services differ so widely that no useful comparisons can safely be made between the figures as they stand. Corresponding figures for 1927 are not yet available:

		Per cent. of total income.
Workmen's compensation (1)	…	32.4
National health insurance	…	13.5
Unemployment insurance	…	13.0
Industrial assurance (2)	…	29.8
Contributory pensions (3)	…	2.9

(1) These figures are based on returns of employers' liability insurance business made to the Board of Trade by insurance companies established within Great Britain. They do not cover mutual indemnity associations or employers who carry their own risks. The costs of administration represented by the percentages given do not include legal and medical expenses incurred by the companies in connection with the settlement of compensation claims. The amount of such payments is not available.(2) The costs of administration represented by the above percentages include payments made, by appropriations of surpluses disclosed on valuation, in respect of staff bonuses and staff superannuation funds. These payments were equivalent in 1926 to 1.8 per cent. of the total income of those years respectively. The per centage of management expenses to premium income is given separately for each incorporated industrial assurance company and registered collecting society in the annual reports of the Industrial Assurance Commissioner.(3) Inclusive of old age pensions paid by virtue of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925. The period covered is from 4th January, 1926, to 31st March, 1927.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of hours overtime, paid and unpaid, performed by officers of the taxes clerical staff during the years 1926 and 1927, respectively?

The information required is as follows:

		1926.	1927.
		hours.	hours.
Paid overtime	…	541,101	361,931
Unpaid overtime	…	156,691	157,776

asked the Minister of Health how many Southborough entrants are serving in his Department?

585 South borough entrants are serving in my Department.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many Southborough entrants are serving in his Department?

The number of Southborough entrants serving in the Ministry of Pensions is 354.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, when the appointments to established and unestablished posts in the new grades of technical assistants and to established posts in the new grades of architectural assistants in the architects and maintenance surveyors divisions will be announced?

A Selection Board upon which the Civil Service Com- missioners will be represented is now being constituted, and it is hoped that this Board will be able to begin to interview applicants within the next three weeks.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether, seeing that the grading of the architectural assistants in the architects and maintenance surveyors divisions was decided by a committee of the National Whitley Council more than four years ago and that the salary scales were determined by the Industrial Court in February, 1926, he can give the reasons for the protracted delay that has occurred in carrying through the reorganisation?

The delay prior to February, 1926, was entirely due to the protracted negotiations on salary scales with the representatives of the staff. After the issue of the award of the Industrial Court in February, 1926, the Department was engaged, in conjunction with the staff side of the Departmental Whitley Council, in fixing the number of officers to be appointed to each of the grades concerned and in determining the terms of assimilation to the new scales of salary. This was completed in June of last year, and retrospective effect was then given to the scheme as from 1st January, 1926, as provided in the Court's Award.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his attention has been called to the resolution passed by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, Booksellers, and Stationers, in connection with the Eating and Valuation (Apportionment) Bill, declaring that the Government's policy of relieving industry will not be satisfactory unless it embraces the retail shopkeeping class, which already bears more than its share of the rating burden in necessitous areas; and if he intends taking any action in the matter?

I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health does not think it would be desirable to anticipate discussion in the proceedings on the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Bill on the issue raised in the hon. Member's question.

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works what historic ruins have been taken over by his department in the last three years, and what sums have been spent and what further expenditure is contemplated in restoring them.

During the three years ended on 31st March last, the Department took into its charge 33 ancient monuments of different kinds. The expenditure incurred on the preservation of these monuments during the three years amounted to approximately £33,500. I regret that it is not possible to give any useful figure of further expenditure, as it is exceedingly difficult to forecast the cost of putting ruins into a state of good preservation. I am sending my hon. Friend a list of the 33 monuments which have been taken over.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the case, Tithe Redemption, No. 36,769, in St. Ives, Cornwall, where the total amount of the redemption money amounts to £47 1s. 6d., whereas the total expenses of the redemption of these tithe rent-charges amount to £38 10s.; whether these expenses, amounting to more than three-quarters of the redemption money, are scaled according to statute; and, if so, what are the details comprised in these expenses of £38 10s.?

The Order of Redemption in this case was issued on 8th June, 1925, the expenses being calculated in accordance with the scale then in force, made under the Inclosure etc. (Expenses) Act, 1868. The expenses in connection with a compulsory redemption of tithe rent-charge include the plotting on the present-day Ordnance map of the boundaries of the tithe areas from the old tithe map, a survey of the land, the calculation of the consideration money in the manner laid down in the Tithe Acts, the assessment of the cost of redemption amongst the various properties concerned, the collection and recovery of the various shares, the preparation and the issue of the certificate of redemption and the statutory copies, and the conduct of the necessary correspondence relating to the proceedings. I may add that a revised scale of expenses was adopted on 30th December, 1926, under which the expenses chargeable in the case referred to by the hon. Member would have been £19 0s. 10d. But this revised scale is applicable only to compulsory redemptions in which the Order of Redemption is issued after 10th November, 1926.

asked the President of the Board of Education (1) the number, respectively, of male and female certificated teachers in England and Wales who are teaching classes of boys and girls, respectively, of 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 years of age;(2) the number of male and female certificated teachers, respectively, in England and Wales, who are teaching mixed classes of boys and girls of 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 years of age.

It would require the expenditure of a wholly disproportionate amount of time and labour to give the detailed particulars in the form asked for by the hon. Member, but he will find in Table 16 of the Annual Statistics for 1926–27 an analysis of public elementary school classes by grade and sex of the teacher in charge, and by age-range and sex of the pupils.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of teachers, male and female, respectively, who passed the Board of Education certificate examination in 1912 and in each succeeding year to and including 1928; and the number of students, male and female, respectively, in training colleges who are studying to qualify for the certificate examination in 1929.

The appended table shows in columns 2 and 3 the number of men and women students, respectively, in recognised training colleges who passed the Board's (or an approved alternative) Examination and were recognised as certificated teachers

Year.				The Board's Final Examination for Training Colleges or its approved equivalent.		The Board's Acting Teachers' Certificate Examination.
				Men.	Women.	Men.	Women.
1.				2.	3.	4.	5.
1912	…	…	…	1,632	3,603	282	732
1913	…	…	…	1,716	3,456	212	607
1914	…	…	…	1,682	3,286	123	423
1915	…	…	…	Separate figures for Men and Women are not available for these years.		59	386
1916	…	…	…	Separate figures for Men and Women are not available for these years.		23	388
1917	…	…	…	Separate figures for Men and Women are not available for these years.		38	346
1918	…	…	…	Separate figures for Men and Women are not available for these years.		47	313
1919	…	…	…	Separate figures for Men and Women are not available for these years.		104	359
1920	…	…	…	736	3,817	138	402
1921	…	…	…	2,011	3,895	107	418
1922	…	…	…	1,887	3,979	123	264
1923	…	…	…	2,253	4,496	29*	1*
1924	…	…	…	1,443	4,235	216	429
1925	…	…	…	1,501	4,436	—	—
1926	…	…	…	1,536	4,238	214	685
1927	…	…	…	1,700†	4,730†	—	—
* Special Examination for Ex-Service teachers only.
† In this year the Board accorded recognition to all students who completed approved courses satisfactorily; in previous years students who completed courses of training for secondary schools were not recognised unless they applied for such recognition. The new procedure accounts for an increase of about 500.

As regards the last part of the question, the estimated maximum number of students at present in training who may take, in 1929, a Final Examination qualifying them for recognition as certificated teachers is as follows:—

	Men.	Women.
University Training Departments	666	802
Training Colleges provided by Local Education Authorities	263	1,552
Training Colleges provided by other bodies	981	2,268

In addition, it is estimated that there will be admitted to one-year courses of training in September, 1928, about 150 men and 350 women students who may take in 1929 an examination qualifying them for recognition as Certificated Teachers in that year.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he has taken to bring to the notice of the farming community and others the recently increased extension of cash-on-delivery facilities?

The recent extension of the cash-on-delivery services was widely commented upon in the Press, and was specially brought to the notice of the various agricultural associations and other bodies likely to be interested. It is being advertised by the exhibition of a poster at all post offices and by the distribution of a descriptive pamphlet. In addition, the railway companies also have prepared a poster for display at all railway stations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will issue a detailed statement showing, by counties if possible, what use county councils have made of their powers under the Small Holdings and Cottage Holdings Act, 1926?

Returns have recently been received from county councils as to their activities under the Act up to 31st December, 1927 and the information contained therein will be published in a Report which will shortly be issued by the Ministry. If my hon. Friend so desires, I shall be happy to send him a short summarised statement in advance of publication.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if the Report of research work on the wintering of bees by J. Tinley, copies of which are available for beekeepers in Scotland, can be made equally available for beekeepers in England?

So far as I am aware, the Report to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers has not yet been issued. I understand that the question of its publication is under consideration by the Board of Agriculture for Scotland and that if publication be decided upon the Report will appear either in the Scottish Journal of Agriculture or as a bulletin of the West of Scotland Agricultural College, In that event it will be available for English beekeepers.