asked the Minister of Labour the actual cost to the Exchequer of grants given by the Unemployment Grants Committee for each year up to date, and the estimated cost in future years in respect of grants promised up to 30th June, 1928?

The following statement gives the information for which the hon. Members asks:

TABLE I.
Actual cost to the Exchequer of Grants made by the Unemployment Grants Committee.
Financial Tears.				£
1920–21.	…	…	…	26,636
1921–22	…	…	…	1,698,311
1922–23	…	…	…	570,046
1923–24	…	…	…	1,034,336
1924–25	…	…	…	1,750,102
1925–26.	…	…	…	2,132,242
1926–27.	…	…	…	2,389,430
1927–28.	…	…	…	2,699,298

TABLE II.
The estimated cost to the Exchequer in future years in respect of Grants approved by the Unemployment Grants Committee to 30th June, 1928.
Estimated maximum Annual Subsidy in
1928–29	1929–30 to 1933–34	1934–35 to 1938–39	1939–40 to 1943–44.
£3,075,00	£2,950,000	£1,860,000	£470,000

asked the Minister of Labour how long the question of securing better accommodation at the Employment Exchange at Penarth has been receiving active consideration; and when he expects to arrive at a definite decision in the matter and take the necessary action to alter the present state of affairs?

Negotiations have been in progress for the past 12 months for the acquisition of a building for this Employment Exchange, but what was regarded as a likely scheme has recently had to be abandoned. In these circumstances, I cannot say when it will be possible to obtain new premises, but the matter will be actively pursued.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will furnish the latest figures he has of the number of unemployed people in Penarth, and give the highest and lowest numbers for the year 1922 to the latest date in 1928, inclusive?

		Number of Men trained in Building Trade Classes.				Number of Men placed in Employment.
Training Centre.		1926.	1927.	1928.	Total.	(a) Building Trades.	(b) Other Occupations.
Claydon	…	170	163	114	447	280	136
Brandon	…	12	85	84	181	128	21
Birmingham and Dudley	…	1,0715	716	424	2,216	986	1,199
Wallsend	…	396	686	479	1,561	958	504
Bristel	…	—	—	85	85	77	8
		1,654	1,650	1,186	4,490	2,429	1,868
Records of the average wage obtained are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether there is any difference of training given at the building trade instructional centres of Brandon and Blaydon compared with that given at Birmingham, Wallsend, Dudley and Bristol; and, if so, the difference and the purpose of such differentiation?

At Brandon and Claydon the majority of the trainees are trained in farm work for settlement on the land overseas. There are also building trade courses, including carpentry, bricklaying and plastering, for about 50 men at each centre who intend to take up employment in rural or suburban districts in this country. At the other centres named, which prepare men only for employment in this country, instruction is given not only in the building trades but in a considerable variety of other trades.

It has not been possible in the time available in tabulate the information desired, but as soon as it is complete I will send it to my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of trainees who were trained for the building trades at each of the Government instructional centres during the years 1926, 1927 and 1928, respectively; how many of these have been placed in employment and the average wage obtained by these men?

The following table gives the information asked for, so far as it is available:

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of men invalided from the Navy from 1st January to 30th September, 1928, inclusive; and the number of these men serving under the old scale of pay and those under the new scale, respectively?

The number invalided is 930 approximately, but no statistics are available as to numbers under each scale of pay.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will give the figures showing the total number of men employed in Devonport Dock-yard in each of the months of this year?

The numbers of workpeople at the several dates were:

—		Established.	Hired.	Total.
1928.
28th January	…	3,290	6,842	10,132
25th February	…	3,275	6,743	10,018
31st March	…	3.260	6.703	9,963
28th April	…	3,250	6,709	9,959
26th May	…	3,241	6,690	9,931
30th June	…	3,234	6,684	9,918
28th July	…	3,224	6,787	10,011
25th August	…	3,214	6,827	10,041
29th September	…	3,202	6,891	10,093
27th October	…	3,195	6,962	10,157

These figures relate to Vote 8 Departments and are in correspondence with those given in reply to the hon. Member's questions on 1st July, 1927, and 24th February, 1928 (OFFICIAL REPORT, cols. 766–7 and cols. 1957–8, respectively).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that a civilian is employed as a messman in His Majesty's Ship "Furious," Atlantic Fleet; and whether this is in accordance with the Admiralty's policy?

There is no civilian messman in His Majesty's Ship "Furious," but the messman at his own expense employs an ex-officers' steward to assist him.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of warships built, or ordered to be built, for the period March, 1925, to March, 1928; the quantity of the work undertaken at His Majesty's dockyards; and the amount of the work given to private firms?

In the period named orders for the British Navy were placed for eight cruisers, of which four were allocated to the Royal Dockyards and four to contract; twelve submarines were ordered of which two were allocated to Dockyard construction and ten to contract. In addition nine destroyers, a repair ship, a depot ship, two minesweepers and four gunboats were ordered, all of these being built by contract.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the number of British ships that have been attacked by Chinese bandits during the 12 months ended to the last convenient date, with the number of passengers on these ships who have been killed or injured during these attacks?

Apart from numerous instances of firing on British steamers on the Upper and Middle Yangtze, of which it is not possible to give exact statistics, there have been during the past twelve months two attacks by Chinese pirates or brigands on British ships on the high seas and four on the rivers. As far as my information goes, in the course of these attacks there have been one passenger killed, one wounded, and twelve kidnapped.

asked the Minister of Health whether the five cases of post-vaccinal encephalitis (four of which were fatal), referred to on page 145 of the Rolleston Committee's Report, were vaccinated with Government lymph.

I am informed that four of the cases were vaccinated with Government lymph, and one was not. The latter case and three of the four former cases were those in which death occurred.

asked the Minister of Health, county by county, what use has been made by county councils of the Housing (Rural Workers) Act, 1926; what applications have been received and granted in each case; and what steps he is taking to stimulate this quick and economical means of improving the housing of agricultural workers?

The following statement shows for each county which has reported progress, the number of dwellings included in applications for assistance made under the Housing (Rural Workers) Act, 1926, up to 30th September, 1928, and the number of dwellings in respect of which assistance has been promised.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the United States of America was ever invited to participate in the Tangier Conference; what is the position of the United States in regard to the final protocol; whether the American members of the International Legislative Assembly will be officially appointed; and whether the United States of America recognises the jurisdiction of the international tribunal of four European magistrates and one British magistrate set up under Article 48?

The answer to the first and last parts of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part, the United States of America are not bound by the provisions of the Protocol of 25th July, 1928. As regards the third part, the United States not having acceded to the Convention of December, 1923, the question of the appointment of American members of the International Legislative Assembly has not arisen.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the length of negative cinematograph film imported during the year 1927, giving the length of such film which was re-exported?

The total length of negative cinematograph film imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year 1927 was 8,118,763 linear feet. The re-exports during the same year amounted to 4,622,959 linear feet.

asked the Postmaster-General the gross and net revenue de- rived during the first year of operation from the beam wireless services to Canada, India, South Africa, and Australia, respectively?

The imperial beam wireless services are organised in my Department as a single business, and, as many of the items of expenditure are common to two or more services, it is hardly possible to give separate statistics for each service. For the year beginning 6th September, 1927, which was the first year during which all four services were in operation, the total gross revenue was approximately £440,000, and the net revenue (before charging depreciation and interest on capital) was approximately £166,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the yield to the Treasury from betting taxation for the separate months of June, July, August, September and October, 1928; and the increase or decrease these figures snow on the same months in 1927?

The approximate net amounts derived from betting taxation in the months referred to by the hon. Member in 1927 and 1928 were as follow:

—		1927. Amount.	1928. Amount.	Increase or Decrease.
		£	£	£
June	…	356,800	319,700	-37,100
July	…	272,800	256,300	-16,500
August	…	267,900	271,000	+3,100
September	…	245,700	230,300	-15,400
October	…	244,000	198,300	-45,700

asked the Minister of Transport whether the census of railway-owned and privately-owned wagons has yet been completed; and, if so, how the figures compare with the last census in 1918, both in regard to the proportions held and the size of the wagons?

The census has not yet been completed as there are still a few returns outstanding. It is hoped, however, that it will shortly be possible to tabulate the results.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give an estimate of the number of persons employed as agricultural labourers in England and Wales and Scotland for each of the years 1913 to 1927, inclusive?

Statistics of agricultural workers were collected by the Departments concerned in 1908, 1913 and

NUMBER of WORKERS on AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS exceeding one acre in extent as returned in each of the undermentioned years in England and Wales and Scotland.
ENGLAND AND WALES.
		Regular Workers.			Casual Workers.
Year.		Males 21 years old and over.	Males under 21 years.	Women and girls.	Males 21 years old and over.	Males under 21 years.	Women and girls.	Total workers.
		No.	No.	No.	No.	No.	No.	No.
1921	…	456,783	155,289	73,180	103,994	27,259	52,678	869,183
1923	…	426,925	138,898	59,477	79,099	24,990	42,998	772,387
1924	…	441,491	140,772	62,276	88,533	26,461	46,930	806,463
1925	…	441,944	137,469	59,940	90,870	23,878	49,237	803,338
1926	…	455,904	135,508	62,949	79,193	19,738	41,607	794,899
1927	…	452,835	134,238	62,629	67,078	18,034	39,635	774,449
SCOTLAND.
1921	…	58,812	23,287	21,772	7,729	3,815	11,483	126,898
1923	…	57,561	22,879	20,293	6,242	3,283	9,766	120,024
1921	…	58,014	22,073	20,098	5,801	2,958	8,398	117,342
1925	…	59,750	22,896	19,619	7,276	3,188	9,333	122,062
1926	…	60,803	22,483	19,692	8,534	4,434	10,149	126,095
1927	…	59,826	22,273	19,486	5,859	3,379	8,452	119,275

asked the Minister of Transport whether any estimate can be made as to railway charges on a typical Sheffield steel product per ton after the rate aid is in full operation as compared with pre-aid and pre-War charges?

I regret that I am unable to furnish my hon. and gallant Friend with the comparison asked for in the question, but I understand that the reduction in railway freight charges on the materials used in the manufacture of a ton of steel, proposed under the Railway Freight Rebates (Anticipation) Scheme, is roughly estimated to amount, on the average, to between 2s. and 2s. 6d. a ton. The present railway charges on these materials are generally about 60 per cent. above those in operation prior to the War.

asked the Home Secretary what is the estimated present annual increase of the population of England and Wales and Scotland?

I have been asked to reply. According to the published official estimates, the average annual increase in population between the date of the 1921 Census and mid-1927 is approximately 234,000 in England and Wales. As regards Scotland, I suggest that a question should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.