asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the grounds on which British subjects are required to show their passports before leaving or on returning to this country; and whether he is prepared to consent to any reduction in the cost of passports and their endorsement and to any simplification in procedure?

I have been asked to reply. As regards the first part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a similar question by the hon. Member for Devonport (Mr. Hore-Belisha) on 2nd July. The matters referred to in the second part of the question are, I am informed, under consideration.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the nature of the shipments to Poland in 1921 and 1922 by which large sums of money had to be paid under the export credit scheme?

The shipments to Poland to which the hon. Member refers were various classes of machinery.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the terms of the pledges which prevent the disclosure of particulars of the ship- ments to Poland which resulted in loss to the Treasury of sums guaranteed under the export credits scheme?

It would clearly defeat the objects of the scheme if particulars of individual transactions were divulged, and from the initiation of the scheme assurances to this effect have always been given to inquirers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the figures up to date for the current year of the total exports from Immingham, showing the tonnage of coal separately, and the total passengers who embarked; and if he will give the comparable figures for last year?

In the period January-June, 1928, exports of coal from Immingham amounted to 389,200 tons, and the number of passengers who embarked at the port was 657. In the corresponding period of 1927, coal exports were 205,200 tons and passengers leaving by sea numbered 440. In the year 1927, the value of the total exports, both United Kingdom produce and imported merchandise, from Grimsby (including Immingham) was 13,599,000, and in 1926 the corresponding figure was £10,119,000. Official statistics of total exports from Immingham are not compiled, and figures in respect of the port of Grimsby (including Immingham) are available for calendar years only.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for comparative figures showing respectively the total world exports of woollen and worsted tissues, quantities and values, respectively, for the six months ending June, 1913, 1914, 1927 and 1928, or the latest available date; and the total exports of this country for the same periods?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 24th July, 1928; col. 1062, Vol. 220] supplied the following statement:

Figures of the aggregate exports of woollen and worsted tissues from all countries are not available. The following table shows, in respect of each of six of the principal countries exporting manufactures of wool, the quantities and values of tissues of wool of domestic manufacture exported during the first half of each of the years, 1913, 1914 and 1927, and during the period December, 1927 to May, 1928, inclusive. The figures for the different countries correspond, as far as the records permit, to the same classes of goods.

( a ) Particulars relate to the six months ending April, 1928.

( b ) The exports from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the first half of each of the years 1913 and 1914 were 41,000 cwts., and 53,300 cwts., respectively, the values recorded being £989,000 and £1,284,000. Of the exports from Czechoslovakia of tissues of wool in the later periods shown in the table, about two-fifths were recorded as sent to Austria or to Hungary; the exports from Austria and from Hungary in these periods were not large relatively to those from Czechoslovakia.

Note.—In 1913 and 1914 the weights of textile fabrics exported from the United Kingdom were not recorded; the figures shown in the above statement are derived from estimates made shortly after the dates to which they relate. The weights shown for 1927 and 1928 have been estimated from the figures of the year 1927, no separate figures of weights for periods of less than twelve months having been compiled.

No adjustments have been made in respect of changes in the boundaries of any of the countries named in the table.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the Chief Commissioner of Police has prohibited the holding of a tombola at the Chiswick charity sports on August Bank Holiday, and that all the prizes to be offered in connection were presented by well-wishers to the success of the charities; and why, in view of this fact, this tombola is receiving different treatment to similar tombolas where the prizes are furnished out of the funds?

The Commissioner of Police has no power to prohibit anything of the kind, but it is his duty, if an illegal lottery is brought to his notice, to prosecute or warn the promoters. In this case the promoters were warned, and they abandoned the lottery. Public lotteries are illegal, and do not cease to be so because they are for charity and the prizes are given and not provided out of subscriptions. I am not aware what other lotteries are referred to, but whenever illegal lotteries are brought to my notice, the attention of the police is called to the matter, with a view to propor action being taken.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of complaints of the short supply of water for domestic purposes in the parish of South Normanton, in the Blackwell Rural District Council area, Derbyshire; whether this shortage covers a period of years; whether complaints have previously been made to the Ministry of Health; whether the local authorities have laid any proposals before the Ministry for approval; when such proposals were laid before the Ministry; whether there is any delay occasioned in his Department in this matter; and whether he is prepared to take immediate action with a view to terminating the present shortage and providing the area with a full supply sufficient for the general health and domestic needs of the inhabitants?

The answers to the first four parts of the question are in the affirmative, and to the sixth part in the negative. In reply to the fifth part, an outline of a joint scheme was submitted to me in April, 1927, and provisionally approved in January last, but in the meantime further difficulties have arisen in connection with the risk of subsidence. In reply to the seventh part of the question, I have directed one of my inspectors to make a local investigation, with a view to expediting temporary relief, and I am hoping to receive from the local authorities concerned definite proposals for a permanent scheme on satisfactory lines.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the only hope of reducing the incidence of insanity and improving the recovery rate is by altering the law so as to allow and encourage the early and skilled treatment of persons mentally ill; and will he, at any early date, give this matter his serious consideration and take the necessary action?

I should be sorry to think that the only hope of reducing the incidence of insanity and improving the recovery rate lay in the measures which my hon. Friend suggests. But I fully realise the great importance of improving the facilities for early mental treatment, and, as I have frequently stated, I hope to be able to take the necessary action as soon as it is practicable to introduce legislation.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the number of unemployed men and women now tramping the roads in search of employment, he proposes to revise the Regulations concerning their treatment, with special regard to food, sleeping, medical inspection, searching, task work, detention, washing and method of obtaining admission?

No, Sir. I am not aware of any reasons for the revision of the Regulations in force, which do, as the hon. Member is aware, make special provision for casuals genuinely in search of employment. I think it is important that there should be general and complete compliance with the Regulations, and I am giving my officers further special instructions to impress upon guardians and their staffs the necessity of securing this full compliance in cases in which there is any default.

asked the Minister of Health whether, seeing that the present system of not medically inspecting casuals until 16 hours after their admission, during which period they have mixed blankets, towels and clothing, does not prevent the spread of infection, he will reorganise the system or cancel the Regulation requiring it to be carried out?

I am afraid I can add nothing to the reply given to the hon. Member on this subject on the 18th ultimo.

asked the Minister of Health how many houses have been constructed and are now in course of construction by municipal authorities under the Chamberlain Act; and on what grounds some authorities, who have applied for the sanction of schemes under that Act, have been advised to build under the Wheatley Act?

Up to the 1st July, 1928, 64,509 houses had been completed by local authorities in England and Wales under the Housing Act, 1923, and a further 3,377 were under construction at that date. With regard to the last part of the question, it is not the practice of my Department to advise local authorities under which Act they should formulate their building schemes.

asked the Minister of Health whether any special sum is allocated for the payment of drugs prescribed by panel doctors; whether he is aware that regional medical officers have recently brought pressure upon panel doctors respecting their prescriptions and thereby limiting their discretion in prescribing medicines for panel patients, and that the East Sussex Insurance Committee, at its meeting on 3rd July, expressed its view that a practitioner should not cease to prescribe drugs which he believes to be reasonably necessary for the adequate treatment of panel patients; and will he explain the nature of the instructions given to regional medical officers on this matter?

As regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question by the hon. Baronet the Member for Anglesey (Sir R. Thomas) on 4th April. I am aware of the views expressed by the East Sussex Insurance Committee. The duty of insurance practitioners is to prescribe proper and sufficient medicines, and the purpose of the interviews arranged between certain practitioners and regional medical officers is solely to secure that this duty is performed.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider the insertion of an Amendment into the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Bill making it clear whether dry docks, pontoons, and ship-repairing yards used exclusively for ship repairing will be treated as freight-transport hereditaments or whether they will be treated as industrial hereditaments for the purpose of the Bill?

I am advised that if dry docks, pontoons and ship-repairing yards used exclusively for ship repairing form part of a dock under- taking within the meaning of Clause 5 (1) ( c ) of the Bill they will fall within the provisions of the Bill relating to freight-transport hereditaments. If they do not form part of such an undertaking, they will be classed with industrial hereditaments.. In either case they will be eligible for de-rating.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were unemployed in and around the County Borough of Doncaster on 21st July, 1928?

At 16th July, 1928, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of persons on the registers of the Doncaster Employment Exchange was 2,219, of whom 351 were temporarily stopped from the service of their employers.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were unemployed in Scunthorpe on 21st July?

At 16th July, 1928, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of persons on the register of the Scunthorpe Employment Exchange was 640, of whom 110 were temporarily stopped from the service of their employers.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the hardship suffered by tramway and omnibus' conductors and other persons employed in municipal and other transport services of being obliged to wear uniform clothing supplied by their employers, owing to the fact that these men are expected to wear the same uniform during all seasons of the year; and will he issue a circular to local authorities advising that lighter and more suitable uniforms should be supplied in the summer time?

I think that this is a matter which I must leave to the discretion of the authorities concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the increasing number of fatal and other accidents caused by road motor vehicles and the evidence of carelessness and lack of skill so often shown by those involved in such accidents, the Government is prepared to introduce legislation to control the use and licensing of road motor vehicles, so as to afford greater protection from accident to all users of the road and streets, including the pedestrian?

I have been asked to reply. The draft Road Traffic Bill which my right hon. Friend circulated last year contains provisions for increased penalties for dangerous driving, and several other proposals which he thinks would tend to promote the greater security of all users of the highways.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Report of the Medical Officer and the Chief Engineer of the Scottish Board of Health, regarding the alleged pollution of the River Lochy, has yet been considered; and, if so, what decision has been arrived at?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, the Scottish Board of Health concur in their officers' conclusion that the condition of the water of the River Lochy is not such as would warrant the local authority in exercising their powers under the Public Health Act of calling upon the proprietors to introduce a new water supply from another source for those who use the water for primary purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, seeing that on 1st May, 1928, the Board of Agriculture for Scotland stated that they were not aware that the terms of the Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Bill foreshadowed any material change in the status and prospects of their technical officers; that the Commissioner at present responsible for the Agriculture Division had previously been in charge of the outdoor and technical work of that division; it is proposed in future appointments to retain the control of the Agriculture Division in the hands of an officer with experience of outdoor and technical work?

The reorganisation of the Departments coming under the proposals of the Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Bill will be fully considered if and when that Bill is passed into law. It would be premature for me to make any statement at present in regard to any specific posts.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that cases proceeding from Northampton to appear before the medical board at Cambridge appear before a board comprised of only two doctors, one being the D.C.M.S. from Northampton; that often no examinations take place; and if it is usual for the medical boards to be composed of the medical men from the area in which the patient resides?

Medical boards of the Ministry are normally composed of two medical men. The statement in the second part of the question to the effect that "often no examinations take place" is not understood, and I should be glad if the hon. Member will furnish me with the instances in which complaint has been made on this score. With regard to the last part of the question, medical boards are usually composed of medical men from the area in which the boarding centre is situated, though specialists may in some cases have to be drawn from another area. In this connection I may say that the hon. Member would appear to be misinformed with regard to the presence of the D.C.M.S. from Northampton on the medical board at Cambridge, because there has been no D.C.M.S. at Northampton since February last.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is now in a position to make a statement regarding the stabilisation of War pensions?

I expect to be in a position to make a statement next week.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are no women, other than clerical workers, employed by the Office of Works; and whether, in view of the large numbers of women workers for whose welfare the Government are responsible, he will take steps when future vacancies occur to secure the appointment of women by promotion, transfer, or otherwise, to responsible posts under the Office of Works?

There are no posts in the Office of Works from which women are definitely excluded by reason of their sex, but the First Commissioner cannot bind himself beforehand as to how he will fill appointments when they become vacant.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the quantity of foreign coke contracted for by the Air Ministry in November, 1926, and the country or countries in which the contract was, or contracts were, placed?

The contract was for 1,875 tons of Westphalian gas coke; it was placed with a British firm trading in this country.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what are the duties upon which the lady visitor attached to the office of the Public Trustee is employed?

I would refer the hon. Lady to the answer which I gave to a, similar question addressed to me by the hon. Member for Edgehill (Mr. Hayes) yesterday.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that wounded ex-service men with one child or more have been discharged from Government Departments in the interests of economy and single women employed to do their work, although in some cases the actual net saving is only 2s. 1d. per week; and whether, in view of these circumstances, he is willing to revise the existing procedure?

I am not aware that any such action has been taken. If the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of the cases to which he refers, I shall be happy to inquire into them.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of temporary male and female clerks employed in each Government Department in Portsmouth?

The particulars are not immediately available. I am having inquiries made, and will communicate the result to the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many men and women, respectively, above the clerical grade are employed at the Treasury; how many of each sex have been appointed by transfer from other departments of the service; and how many under Clause 7 of the Reorganisation Report since the Resolution of the House giving men and women equal opportunities in the Civil Service?

96 men and five women are employed in the Treasury in established posts above the clerical grade, of whom 54 men and three women had previous established service in other Government Departments before appointment to the Treasury. I assume that the reference in the latter portion of the question is to Clause 7 of the Order in Council of 10th January, 1910. This Clause has been repealed and replaced by Clause 10 of the General Regulations made by the Civil Service Commissioners under the Order in Council of 22nd July, 1920. Since the date of the resolutions referred to, one male officer has been appointed to the Treasury under the above Clause. This officer was transferred from another Government Department.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date was the junior executive grade first opened to women; what is the present number of men and women, respectively, in that grade; and how many vacancies have been filled by the appointment of men and women already in the service?

The junior executive grade has been open to women since its creation in 1920, on the reorganisation of the Civil Service. The number of officers at present serving in the junior executive grade is approximately 2,230 men, and 33 women. With the exception of a few women admitted to the executive grade as the result of a special competition in 1922, limited to candidates with previous temporary service, all the existing junior executive officers were appointed to that grade from existing established classes.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether those paragraphs of the Treasury circular of September, 1918, relating to the employment of Grade 4 temporary women clerks, have since been cancelled in a later Treasury circular or are still effective?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which was given yesterday to the hon. Member for Edge-hill (Mr. Hayes), of which I am sending her a copy.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Government have received representations for the purpose of amending the Friendly Societies Act in relation to the policies issued by industrial assurance companies and collecting societies?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for the Hillsborough Division (Mr. A. V. Alexander) on 19th July, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, with a view to effecting a reduction in the cost to the Exchequer of travelling by Members of Parliament, he will cause inquiries to be made respecting the substitution of the existing system of issuing vouchers?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given yesterday to the hon. Member for Tottenham, North (Mr. R. Morrison).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the hardship inflicted on a subsidiary company, registered after 5th April, 1925, which took over the business of a parent company, the parent company thus becoming a holding company only, holding all the shares of the new company without there being any change in ownership or management, whereby the subsidiary company is excluded from relief under Section 29 (3) of the Finance Act, 1926, and is also denied any relief under Section 28 of the Finance Act, 1927; and whether he will consider introducing legislation, with retrospective effect, in order that such companies may receive relief under one or other of the sections named?

I am not aware of the case to which my hon. Friend refers, but if he cares to send me the necessary particulars I will gladly have it investigated and let him know the result in due course. I would remind my hon. Friend that over the whole field of industry taxpayers have gained very considerably from the change of basis for assessment to Income Tax under Schedule D from the three years' average to the preceding year, and that provision has been made, so far as reasonably possible, to meet any cases in which, owing to exceptional circumstances, hardship might result from the change. My right hon. Friend could not undertake at this date to introduce further legislation on this matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total number of workers employed in beet sugar factories by the firms which are in receipt of the sugar-beet subsidy, and the average yearly duration of their employment?

The total number of workers employed in beet sugar factories in the year ending 30th September, 1928, by the companies which are in receipt of subsidy is 8,768. Of these workers 1,825 are engaged during the whole year and 6,943 were seasonal workers employed during the last campaign for an average period of 106 days.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, as depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank making withdrawals now no longer receive separate payment forms but their own application forms initialed in authorisation of the withdrawal, he will say what saving it is estimated will be effected thereby?

The printing of the authority for payment on the notice of withdrawal in lieu of the issue of a separate warrant has resulted in a saving which is estimated at £7,500 per annum.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has yet received from the consultative committee their report on text books for elementary schools; if not, when does he expect to receive the report; and when will it be published?

I understand that the report will probably be ready for presentation in September, and I hope that it will be possible to publish it soon afterwards.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many local education authorities provide medical treatment for school children; how many make no provision; and have the Board of Education any information as to the number of beds available for institutional treatment of children requiring medical treatment after medical inspection?

All local authorities now make provision for the medical treatment of school children, and full particulars are given in the Chief Medical Officer s Annual Report, to which I may perhaps refer the hon. Member. As regards the latter part of the hon. Member's question, I am sending him a copy of the Board's List 42, which gives particulars of the accommodation in hospital schools certified by the Board under Part V of the Education Act, 1921.

asked the Attorney-General whether the gentleman recently appointed as Joint Registrar of the County Court at Mold has a thorough knowledge of the Welsh language; and, if not, who will bear the expense of providing an interpreter for the use of the Welsh-speaking population using the Court?

The gentleman who at present holds the Registrarship of the County Courts of Chester, Mold and Wrexham does not speak Welsh, nor does the gentleman who has now been appointed to assist him as Joint Registrar. An interpreter for Welsh suitors and witnesses in these Courts is provided at the public expense.