asked the Minister of Transport whether the Port of London Authority's recommendation will be acted upon that stores of oil may be brought up the River Thames beyond Thames Haven to Purfleet; and whether, in order to facilitate road transport and relieve the congestion round London, he will consider the desirability of thus shortening the journeys of motor lorries from the distributive point?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply, of which I am sending him a copy, to a question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle, North (Sir N. Grattan-Doyle) on this subject on Monday.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement upon the position of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee, and matters referred to them, in view of the appointment of the Royal Commission on Transport?

Under the London Traffic Act, 1924, it falls to the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee to advise me upon all matters within the scope of that Act, and the appointment of the Royal Commission on Transport cannot derogate in any way from their responsibilities. I must accordingly continue to rely upon the Statutory Committee to advise me upon the special traffic problems of the London area, including the problem of coordinating the various forms of passenger services in that area, which, as my hon. Friend is aware, stands expressly referred to them.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) the cost per mile of streets for upkeep and maintenance in each of the Metropolitan borough councils for each of the last five years;

(2) the total amount spent by the Metropolitan borough councils for each of the last five years on the provision of new roads and for upkeep and maintenance, distinguishing between Class I, Class II, and other roads; and the amount of contribution made by the Ministry of Transport?

I will answer these questions together. Particulars of the expenditure and income of each Metropolitan borough council in respect of highways, streets and bridges are given in Part II of the Annual Local Taxation Returns for England and Wales—see page 28 of the Return for 1924–25. Separate figures for new roads, Class I, Class II and other roads are not available. The estimated total expenditure and the estimated expenditure per mile on ordinary maintenance and repairs of Class I and Class II roads and bridges in Metropolitan boroughs for the six years from 1921–22 to 1926–27 are included in Appendix 14 of the Report on the Administration of the Road Fund for the year 1926–27. Appendix I of that Report and of previous Reports shows the amount of the grants made from the Road Fund during the year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount paid out in sickness benefit since the passing of the National Health Insurance Act, 1911?

I have been asked to reply so far as concerns England and Wales. The amount paid out in sickness benefit in England and Wales under the National Health Insurance Act from the commencement to 31st December, 1927, was £102,018,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the amount paid in maternity benefit since the institution of the scheme until the close of the last financial year?

I have been asked to reply so far as concerns England and Wales. The amount paid in maternity benefit in England and Wales under the National Health Insurance Act from the commencement to 31st December, 1927, was £19,937,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for England and Scotland, respectively, the total numbers and net receipts of duty of all liquor licences, of all public-house licences, and of all beer and wine retailers' licences for the year ended 31st March, 1928?

The total number of licences for the sale of intoxicating

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of clubs and the Club Duty received in England and Scotland, respectively, during the year ended 31st March, 1928?

The number of clubs charged with Club Duty in ( a ) England and Wales and ( b ) Scotland during the year ended 31st March, 1928, with the duty received, is as follows:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what libraries in London have been receiving by way of donation copies of publications issued by the Stationery Office; what are the publications so given; what libraries in London have recently been informed that these donations will be discontinued; and what saving of national expenditure will be effected by the decision?

liquor and the number of publicans' and beer and wine retailers' on-licences issued in England and Wales and Scotland, respectively, during the year ended 31st March, 1928, with the relative amounts of duty, are as follow:

Certain House of Commons and House of Lords papers are presented to the libraries of the four Inns of Court, the Guildhall Library, the Heralds' College Library, the London Library and Sion College Library. No library has recently been informed that donations will be discontinued. The last part of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether any proposals are under consideration for the abolition of collectors of inland revenue; and whether he will give an assurance that all men displaced will be absorbed into the staff of the Inland Revenue?

Proposals to reorganise the work of certain collections are being considered. The legitimate claims of existing collectors will be safeguarded.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether it is proposed to give effect to the suggestions of the chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue for the reorganisation of the present system of Income Tax collection, with a view to increasing its efficiency and reducing expenditure?

Reorganisation is proceeding in cases where the power of ap- pointment of collectors is vested in the Board of Inland Revenue. I should welcome any extension of their sphere of action in this respect, if it were attainable without controversy.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of saving certificates which have been held for more than 10 years; and if it is the practice of his Department to intimate to the holders of such certificates that they have been held for that period?

The information asked for in the first part of the question could only be obtained by an elaborate investigation which would not, I think, be justified. The answer to the second part is in the negative. The expiration of the ten-year period does not necessarily mean that certificates must then be encashed. Certificates of the first issue may, if the holder so desires, be retained until 31st March, 1932. Certificates of the second and third issues may be held until the expiration of ten years from the date of issue of the last purchased certificate of the same issue.

asked the Minister of Health for the details of the statistical calculation according to which it is estimated, in Command Paper 3134, that in the rural district of Easington, County Durham, the Government proposals as to the transformation of the grants in aid and reform of local government will result in an increased rate in the pound for this necessitous area?

The figures relating to the rural district of Easington, given on page 34 of the White Paper to which the right hon. Member refers, show a decreased rate in the pound as the estimated result of the scheme, and not an increased rate. On the basis of the figures for 1926–27, the estimated decrease is 3¼d. in the pound in the first year, rising to 4¼d. ultimately.

asked the Minister of Health the amount of rate in the £ levied by each rural authority in the county of Leicester at the last convenient date; and the estimated amount which will be levied by these authorities when the rating relief proposals are put into operation?

As to the first part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the particulars set out in column 2 on page 6 of Part V of the recently published statement of "Rates levied by Local Authorities (England and Wales)," a copy of which I am sending to him. As to the second part of the question, I would remind my hon. Friend that the general trend of the effect of the Government's proposals upon the rates in the £ levied in typical rural areas is indicated in the illustrative tables on pages 30 to 57 of Command Paper 3134. It is a very lengthy matter to work out the particulars of a county, and it would be quite impossible in the time available to give a statement for every county.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the developments in the Dulais Valley, Neath, in the anthracite coalfield, and that housing schemes are formulated by the company and by private enterprise; is he aware that there is no sewerage scheme at Crynant and that the Neath Rural Council have previously applied for sanction to proceed with the work; and will he take immediate steps in this matter with a view of finding employment for the large number of unemployed workers in the Neath area?

I am aware generally of the position in this valley. It is not clear that it would be prudent for the council to undertake the heavy cost of a sewerage scheme at the present time, but I have directed that one of my engineering inspectors shall visit the district and report to me on the matter.

asked the Minister of Health for the year 1924–25, and subsequent years, the amount of rates raised by local authorities, the Govern- ment grants received by local authorities, and the amounts included therein in respect of highways and bridges?

The term "Government grants" is taken to out of the Local Taxation Account and out of the Road Fund.

asked the Minister of Health the total expenditure of all local authorities in England and Wales; and the amount of their receipts from Government grants for the last three years for which figures are available?

The following statement gives the information asked for by my hon. Friend:

The total expenditure shown above includes expenditure on the "trading" undertakings of the local authorities, e.g., the electricity and gas supply undertakings carried on by them. The term "Government grants" is taken to include, in addition to voted moneys, sums paid out of the Local Taxation Account and out of the Road Fund.

asked the Minister of Health what was the number of per-

The following statement gives the information asked for by my hon. Friend:

sons in receipt of Poor Law relief in the United Kingdom for the years ended 1st January, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, and 1928, respectively; and the number of persons in receipt of Poor Law relief in the whole of the County of Stafford for the same years?

The following table gives the available information as regards England and Wales and the Union County of Stafford. For particulars as to Scotland, I would refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Scotland, and as regards Northern Ireland to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Victor John Shaw, aged 11 years, of 134, Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, was vaccinated by the public vaccinator for Coulsdon on 11th June, 1928, and that he died on 26th June; and whether he will cause an inquiry to be made at which the possible connection between the vaccination performed and the inflammation of the brain, that caused the boy's death, may be thoroughly investigated?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The death was certified by the coroner, after inquest and postmortem examination, to have been due to sunstroke.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of

emigrants from this country, men, women, and children, in each of the years up to 1927 since 1910, but excluding the War years, to all countries altogether, indicating how many of these emigrants proceeded to the various British territories overseas?

The numbers of British subjects (of 12 years and upwards, and children under 12, respectively) who were recorded as leaving permanent residence in the United Kingdom to take up permanent residence in places outside Europe, during 1913 (the earliest year for which this information is available) and during each year from 1919 to 1927, distinguishing the numbers who proceeded to the parts of the Empire specified, are shown in the following table:

asked the Minister of Health whether he is now prepared to set up a Committee to consider the question of controlling the marriage of the mentally deranged, the feebleminded, and persons otherwise unfitted to propagate the race?

I cannot undertake at the present time to initiate an inquiry of this kind. The last part of the question raises very wide issues.

asked the Attorney-General on what ground a non-Welsh-speaking gentleman was appointed as registrar of the County Courts at Mold and Wrexham, involving, as the appointment does, the payment out of public funds of an interpreter; and why, in view of the fact that the Judges are Welsh-speaking, the same rule does not apply in the appointment of registrars?

I am informed that a knowledge of the Welsh language is not regarded as an essential qualification for appointment to the registrarship of the County Courts held at Mold and Wrexham, because the number of Welsh speakers who resort to those Courts as litigants or witnesses is inconsiderable. The cost of providing an interpreter out of public funds during the last six months at Mold was nothing, and at Wrexham 45s. A competent knowledge of Welsh is required of the Judge of Circuit 29 upon which these Courts are situated, because the Circuit also comprises other Courts at which Welsh is commonly used.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for North-East Leeds, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, whether he has received any representations from the parish of Southleigh; if he is aware of the dissatisfaction that has been caused locally by the projected amalgamation for ecclesiastical purposes of the adjoining parishes; and if any steps can be taken to allay this dissatisfaction?

The union of the benefices of Farway, Northleigh, and Southleigh was directed by an Order in Council gazetted 18th April, 1924, and wade under the Union of Benefices Measure, 1923. The union of Northleigh and Southleigh took effect on 24th January, 1928, and the further union with Farway will take effect on the next vacation of Farway. An appeal against the union was made by Southleigh: this was heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and dismissed before the Order was passed. No subsequent representations against the union have been made to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and under the circumstances they would have no power to deal with any such representations.

asked the Postmaster-General the grounds on which he proposes to employ in the telegraph department of the Post Office a considerable amount of casual and part-time labour at a lower rate of pay than that of the permanent staff; and whether, in view of the present industrial situation, he will see that a better example is set to the private employer?

It has always been the practice to employ temporary force in Telegraph Offices during the summer months to meet season pressure. The provision of permanent staff for this work would involve considerable wastage of force during the rest of the year.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a telephone subscriber, Park 5632, was called by the operator at about 11.45 p.m. on 25th July, to receive a call from Bridport 87, and that on his answering the call, and in spite of waiting at the telephone for more than half an hour, no call was put through; and whether he will insure that his Department provides the facilities in respect of long-distance calls which it offers to telephone subscribers?

I am informed that the call in question was originated at 10.44 p.m., but, unfortunately, owing to an error at Bristol, was booked to Paddington 5632 on which line there is no subscriber. This mistake was subsequently discovered and the Park subscriber was called at 11.45 p.m. but the telephonist could not gain the attention of the Bridport subscriber, and after ringing the Bridport number for twelve minutes, advised the Park subscriber that no reply was forthcoming but that he would be rung if and when a reply could be obtained. Efforts to obtain the Bridport subscriber were continued up to 12.30 a.m. but without success. I am making further inquiries as to the cause of the initial delay.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty seeing that the widow of a man killed while in civilian employment may draw compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Acts in addition to pension under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, if he will, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, make provision that the widow of a rating killed on service shall draw pension under the Contributory Pensions Act in addition to the small pension payable under the Orders in Council and the regulations, or, alternatively, that the Admiralty shall pay to the widow a lump sum, not less than would be payable under the Workmen's Compensation Acts to the widow of a civilian killed in accident at work, as all ratings contribute to the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, and the widows and children do not benefit by the contributions if the death of the husband and father is due to service?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War (OFFICIAL REPORT, Column 1938).

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the numbers of men and women borne on the books of the Admiralty in the home dockyards on 31st March, 1927, 31st March, 1928, and on 21st July, 1928, with their respective trades or grades?

The numbers borne on the books of the home dockyards at the respective dates were:—

The numbers are not readily available for all the various trades and grades, and their preparation would involve an expenditure of labour which is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the loss of life amongst certain workers employed in a match factory owned by Messrs. Alston and Company, Limited, in Trinidad, as the result of a recent explosion; and what steps are being taken in that colony to prevent the recurrence of such accidents?

I am not aware of the explosion and loss of life referred to. There is legislation in the colony for the supervision of machinery, and I have no doubt that any further safeguards that may be required will be provided for, should investigation show them to be desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received, through the Governor of Trinidad, a protest from the Trinidad Working Men's Association against the expenditure of about £8,000 sterling on a proposed railway extension to the Bronte Estate, Limited, owned by Messrs. Gordon, Grant, and Company, Limited; and whether, seeing that this expenditure was opposed by all the elected members of the Trinidad Assembly with one exception, he proposes to refuse permission to spend this money?

I have received a protest relating to a proposed extension of the railway from San Fernando to the Bronte Estate, which has been carefully considered. I see no reason to interfere in the discretion of the Governor and of his financial advisers in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proportion of the inhabitants of Cyprus belong to the Hellenic race and what proportion to the Ottoman race; whether negotiations are still proceeding with the Hellenic Government in regard to the union of Cyprus with Greece or whether negotia- tions have been discontinued; whether, in determining British policy in regard to the future of Cyprus, the wishes of the majority of the inhabitants of the island have been taken into consideration; and for what reason the British occupation of the island is being prolonged?

Approximately one-fifth of the inhabitants of Cyprus are Moslems. The greater part of the remainder are Christians of the Greek Orthodox faith. With regard to the rest of the question, no negotiations are proceeding with any foreign Power in regard to the future of Cyprus; nor is it proposed to enter into any such negotiations. His Majesty's Government will continue to govern the island in the general interests of the inhabitants as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Air seeing that the widow of a man killed while in civilian employment may draw compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Acts in addition to pension under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, if he will, in conjunction with the Minister of Health, make provision that the widow of an airman killed while on service shall draw pension under the Contributory Pensions Act in addition to the small pension payable under the Regulations, or, alternatively, that the Air Ministry shall pay to the widow a lump sum not less than would be payable under the Workmen's Compensation Acts to the widow of a civilian killed at work, as all airmen contribute to the Contributory Pensions Act, and the widow and children do not benefit by the contributions if the husband and father dies or is killed on service?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given him yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War in response to a similar question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will suggest to the United States Government that Russia be invited to participate in the Kellogg Pact?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which was returned on 30th July to the question on this subject by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for North Norfolk (Mr. Buxton).

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that Employment-Exchange officials are sending to jobs men who are in receipt of unemployment benefit, in preference to men whose benefit has been stopped, many of whom are married men with families; whether instructions have been issued by his Department to this effect; and will he see that at least equal treatment is meted out to unemployed persons?

The only class of case in which preference is given to men.' in receipt of benefit in submission for employment is that referred to in my reply to the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) on 5th July, in which I described the special arrangements made for finding openings for a limited number of men from the depressed areas in other parts of the country. In these cases, there is sometimes unavoidably a short interval before employment commences, and the payment of benefit enables them to bridge this interval.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the officials at the Port Talbot employment exchange have advised unemployed men who are desirous of having their cases reviewed under the provisions of the 1927 Act that it is no use their asking for this review unless they have eight stamps during the last two years; and whether he will draw the attention of the officials in question to the actual provisions of the Act.

The qualifying number of contributions during the transitional period is, in general, 8 during the last two years or 30 in total. I have no reason to suppose that the Port Talbot Exchange is applying this incorrectly, but I will make inquiry and. let the hon. Member know the result.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any transferees have been sent to the Borough Employment Exchange, Walworth Road; and, if so, from what towns they have been sent, the occupations they previously followed, and the nature of the employment that has been found for them.

Twelve men were sent forward to the Borough Employment Exchange in the period 4th June to 23rd July, under the special arrangements described in my reply to the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) on 5th July. The local office areas from which they came are as follows:—Aberdare, Abertillery, Blackwood, Blaenavon, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Pontnewydd. Their occupations prior to transfer were those of collier, collier's assistant, timber man's assistant, builder's labourer and motor lorry hauler. They found work as bar learners, porters and general and builders' labourers.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women, respectively, unemployed in each county burgh, royal burgh, and administrative county in Scotland from 1924 to 1927, inclusive.

To extract the whole of this information would involve an excessive burden of clerical work, but I am having a Table prepared giving information which, I think, will meet the hon. Member's requirements, and will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT when completed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the protests he has received respecting the inadequacy of the representation of producers upon the poultry advisory committee, he proposes to take steps to give producers a larger share of membership.

I think that the protests to which my hon. Friend refers were due largely to misapprehension of the real position; but in deference to the views of the National Poultry Council, I am prepared to increase by two the representation of producers on the Poultry Advisory Committee.