asked the Secretary for Mines if his attention has been drawn to the claim of a member of the German Dye Trust that the production of rubber from coal on a commercial basis had possibilities of becoming a reality; and, if so, what action is he prepared to take to encourage and help scientific research and experiment in this country in the foregoing direction?

I have seen the report referred to. I understand that processes by which a material resembling rubber, in its physical and chemical properties, can be made from coal have been known for many years, but that they have not been exploited owing mainly to the high cost of production in comparison with the price and superiority of the natural product. The Government already make a grant to the Research Association of British Rubber Manufacturers, which is fully informed as to the position, and I see no reason for further action.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the reparation coal deliveries by Germany to France, Belgium and Italy, respectively, per month during 1928?

I have been asked to reply. The quantities of reparation coal, etc., delivered by Germany to

						Quantities in metric tons delivered to—
Month, 1928.						France.	Belgium.	Italy.
						(i) Coal.
January	…	…	…	…	…	415,043	95,807	419,700
February	…	…	…	…	…	406,128	93,402	425,951
March	…	…	…	…	…	401,200	94,443	425,702
April	…	…	…	…	…	402,988	93,649	469,659
May	…	…	…	…	…	285,866	94,428	311,357
June	…	…	…	…	…	233,885	83,919	260,954
July	…	…	…	…	…	500,171	80,091	292,456
August	…	…	…	…	…	376,073	80,686	308,749
September	…	…	…	…	…	380,183	71,374	314,743
						(ii) Coke.
January	…	…	…	…	…	271,927	2,308	—
February	…	…	…	…	…	311,154	3,570	—
March	…	…	…	…	…	325,100	2,476	—
April	…	…	…	…	…	236,851	3,014	9,465
May	…	…	…	…	…	339,252	1,635	8,245
June	…	…	…	…	…	212,932	—	9,423
July	…	…	…	…	…	347,646	2,787	12,542
August	…	…	…	…	…	311,811	2,603	16,097
September	…	…	…	…	…	298,503	756	25,440
						(iii) Coal Briquettes.
January	…	…	…	…	…	1,064	1,117	—
February	…	…	…	…	…	245	1,837	—
March	…	…	…	…	…	280	2,256	—
April	…	…	…	…	…	285	2,333	—
May	…	…	…	…	…	138	2,952	1,225
June	…	…	…	…	…	572	1,081	485
July	…	…	…	…	…	80	1,193	320
August	…	…	…	…	…	20	1,573	1,779
September	…	…	…	…	…	70	1,249	3,742
						(iv) Lignite Briquettes.
January	…	…	…	…	…	33,494	—	—
February	…	…	…	…	…	30,337	—	—
March	…	…	…	…	…	18,753	—	—
April	…	…	…	…	…	25,748	—	—
May	…	…	…	…	…	12,009	—	—
June	…	…	…	…	…	25,436	—	—
July	…	…	…	…	…	53,306	—	—
August	…	…	…	…	…	28,643	—	—
September	…	…	…	…	…	41,241	—	—

asked the Secretary for Mines the average pit-head price of coal produced in France, Holland, Spain and Germany, respectively, during 1927?

I regret that the information is not available except in regard to Germany, where the average pit-head price in 1927 was 14s 1d. per metric ton.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is taking any steps to protect the public against the dangers arising from excessive hours of labour worked by the drivers of motor vehicles?

I have no powers to regulate the hours of labour worked by the drivers of motor vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has received representations from the Abercynon Chamber of Trade calling his attention to the dangerous condition of a portion of the Cardiff Road from the lower end of Glancynon Terrace to the Travellers' Rest, Abercynon; is he aware that this piece of road is one of the dangerous spots in the County of Glamorgan, a number of accidents, some of which were serious, having occurred there this year; and, as an improvement can be made to this road with very little cost, will he give the county council the authority to proceed with their scheme for widening this road?

I have received the representations to which the hon. Member refers, and have been in communication on the subject with the Glamorgan County Council. I understand that the council are unable on financial grounds to proceed with the scheme at present.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has received Reports from his inspecting officers as to the causes of the accidents at the two termini when trains ran into buffers; if so, whether he can make any statement on the subject and as to whether the buffers used are able to stop effectively the heavy type of engine now used on most railways?

I have received the Reports of the inspecting officers appointed to inquire into the accidents at Euston and Charing Cross stations, to which the hon. Member probably refers. In both cases the inspecting officer places the responsibility for the accident upon the driver of the train concerned for not having it under proper control. I am advised that buffer stops which have to withstand contact from engines with heavy trains attached are designed only to meet stresses due to collision by trains travelling at low speeds such as may be caused by slight misjudgments on the part of enginemen. It would not be practicable to provide buffer stops that could be relied upon to arrest the motion of trains at higher speeds without damage.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the consumers of electricity for domestic purposes in the area supplied by the Clyde Valley Electrical Power Company are asked to accept new bases of charges that mean an increase of 33⅓ per cent.; and whether he can protect the consumer under the Act of 1926?

I am informed by the Electricity Commissioners that they have received representations in regard to this matter and are taking steps to investigate them, and I will, in due course, inform the hon. Member of the result of these investigations.

asked the Postmaster-General if he has received repeated complaints of the postal facilities in the Withington district of Manchester, both as to the late delivery of the morning mail and the early hour at which the last collection from pillar boxes is made; and will he take steps to give the same facilities as in other business districts.

No recent complaints have been received. The first delivery is generally completed by 8.45 a.m. except in outlying districts where housing development is proceeding, and on occasions of abnormal pressure. A somewhat earlier completion is anticipated when revised arrangements are brought into force, probably within the next few months, and it may be possible at the same time to provide an additional collection from the Withington Post Office at 8.30 p.m.; but the present time (7.45 p.m. at the town sub-office) is the latest which will admit of connection with the general night mail despatch from Manchester.

asked the Postmaster-General what are the hours worked by night operators in the telephone department on each night of the week in London and, if there is any difference, in the provinces.

Full time night telephonists, both in London and the provinces, give a weekly attendance of 45 hours. In the majority of eases the men give three long attendances (8 p.m.-8 a.m.) and three short attendances (8 p.m.-11 p.m.) each week; but various other arrangements of hours are adopted as local circumstances dictate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is in a position to state whether any actuarial calculations have been made as to the effect on the Post Office revenue of a return to the penny post; what percentage increase in actual business done might be anticipated from the diminution of cost to the letter writer; and what effect on employment in the Post Office service such additional business might be reasonably expected to have.

I have been asked to reply. In framing an estimate of the effect upon the Exchequer net receipt from the Post Office of a return to penny post there are numerous factors which have to be taken into account, besides those mentioned by my hon. Friend, and it is not possible to deal with them within the limits of a Parliamentary answer. I may say, however, that the figure of £6,750,000 to £7,250,000 given by my right hon. Friend last Thursday is based upon the expected revenue for the year 1929–30, and includes not only the cost of reducing the Imperial letter rate to 1d., but also the postcard rate to ½d., as well as the additional expenditure of all kinds needed to deal with increased traffic.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of applications that have been made to his Department for registration under the Cinematograph Films Act, 1927?

If the hon. Member's inquiry relates to films in respect of which applications for registration have been made, the total number of such applications up to 26th November is 1,518.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can give an estimate of the amount of British coal which would be required by iron and steel works, and the extra number of men who would consequently be employed, if the 3,000,000 tons of raw steel which is annually imported into this country were produced here and the extra freights which would be carried by the railways, and to w hat extent the latter would gain?

The net imports of iron and steel and manufactures thereof in the first 10 months of 1928 amounted to 2,473,000 tons. The rate of import of all classes of such iron and steel products is thus at present about 3,000,000 tons for the current year. It is not possible, on account of differences in practice, to make a close estimate of the amount of coal which would he required if this additional quantity of iron and steel were manufactured in this country, but the amount would probably lie between 7,000,000 and 10,000,000 tons. I am unable to state the extra employment and the extra railway freights which would ensue, but, according to estimates made by the trade, the production in this country of 3,000,000 tons of steel billets gives employment to some 110,000 men.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the percentage of British exports consigned to the Crown Colonies, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Ceylon, and the Irish Free State, and Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Dutch East Indies, China, Japan, United States of America, Brazil, Argentine, and Chile in 1913 and each of the last five years?

I am sending, to be placed in the Library, a series of reprints from the Board of Trade Journal giving the figures for which my hon. Friend asks, for the years 1913, 1924–7, and the first nine months of this year. Owing to the difficulty of making the necessary adjustment for 1923 in respect of our trade with the Irish Free State, the corresponding figures for that year have not been calculated.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider the advisability of the introduction of legislation to abolish certain restrictons which are hampering the gas industry and, in particular, to give gas

Countries from or to which consigned.	Imports of Food and Drink (a) into the United Kingdom.					Domestic Exports of Articles Wholly or Mainly Manufactured from the United Kingdom.
	1923.	1924.	1925.	1926.	1927.	1923.	1924.	1925.	1926.	1927.
	Million £.
Canada	40·0	52·2	55·7	50·0	38·4	23·2	23·1	22·7	22·3	23·6
Australia	19·6	22·4	35·6	26·0	24·8	54·1	56·8	56·2	57·5	57·4
New Zealand	30·6	29·0	31·0	29·1	29·4	18·1	17·8	20·1	17·7	16·8
British India	31·5	38·8	32·9	26·1	31·5	82·0	86·2	81·3	76·6	79·5
Union of South Africa	4·5	3·1	6·9	4·3	4·4	25·5	27·9	28·0	29·4	27·7
Irish Free State	28·1†	41·7	35·9	34·6	36·4	14·3†	26·2	22·2	20·0	20·2
Other Britsh Countries	32·2	29·7	29·6	30·4	33·2*	43·1	46·7	53·5	46·7	50·4*
Total British Countries	186·5†	216·9	227·6	200·5	198·1*	260·3†	284·7	284·0	270·2	275·6*
(a) Including Feeding Stuffs for Animals.
* Excluding Iraq in 1927. The imports of food and drink consigned from Iraq in 1927 amounted to £904,000, while the domestic exports of articles wholly or mainly manufactured consigned to Iraq amounted to £3,464,000.
†Prior to 1st April, 1923, these figures exclude the trade of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with the Irish Free State.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the quantity of frozen mutton imported from Patagonian

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to Hp-answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sutton, Plymouth (Viscountess Astor) on 8th November, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the President. of the Board of Trade the value of the food supplies imported into Great Britain from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and other parts of the Empire in each of the last five years; and the value of the manufactured goods Great Britain exported to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and other parts of the Empire in each of the last five years?

The following table shows the declared values of the total imports of food and drink into, and the domestic exports of articles wholly or mainly manufactured from, the United Kingdom, consigned from and to the undermentioned British countries during each of the years 1923 to 1927.Chile for each month during the current year; the various ports at which it was landed; and the quantity landed at each port?

The particulars desired are not available in regard to Patagonian Chile separately, but it is understood that the great bulk of the imports shown in the following table come from that district. The total quantities of frozen mutton and lamb imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and registered as consigned from Chile during each of the months January to October, 1928, were as follow:

	Cwts.
January	—
February	—
March	—
April	26,569
May	113,314
June	72,855
July	32,895
August	66,412
September	35,500
October	3,519
Total January to October	351,064

Of this total, 223,064 cwts. consisted of frozen mutton, and 128,000 cwts. of frozen lamb. These imports were entered at two ports only—London and Liverpool, the proportions being about 40 per cent. at London and 60 per cent. at Liverpool.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the percentage of British exports taken by

Exports of British Produce and Manufactures.
Proportion consigned to British Countries.
						A.	B.
Years.						Exports from Great Britain and Northern Ireland.	Exports from British Isles (see above).
						Per cent.	Per cent.
1913	…	…	…	…	…	(Not recorded, Estimated about 40.)	37·2
1923	…	…	…	…	…	—	36·3
1924	…	…	…	…	…	42·1	37·7
1925	…	…	…	…	…	43·3	39·2
1926	…	…	…	…	…	48·5	44·7
1927	…	…	…	…	…	46·1	42·6

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 19th November, 1928; col. 1395, Vol. 222.] supplied the following statement:The variations in the proportions of the exports of British produce and manufactures shown as consigned to foreign countries and to British countries, respectively, depend in part on the changes in the countries classed as foreign and as British which have occurred since 1913, and also in part on the transfer of Southern Ireland in 1923 from the area which produced the "British exports" to the area which took them. Accordingly, the following table shows, in column A, the proportions of the recorded exports from Great Britain and Northern Ireland which were consigned to British countries in each of the years 1924 to 1927 and, in column B, figures showing the recorded exports from Great Britain and the whole of Ireland to other British countries in 1913 and 1923, and approximately corresponding figures for later years. In column B, the exports from Irish Free State ports direct to British countries overseas, which would affect the percentages only slightly, have not been taken into account; and the exports to Palestine, the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Iraq, the South-West Africa Protectorate, Tanganyika, Nauru and Western Samoa have also been left out of account for the post-war years, as these countries formed parts of various foreign countries in 1913, and separate figures of exports to them in that year are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour the wages offered to the men taught carpentry and bricklaying at the Birmingham and Dudley training centre at the expiration of their training?

Men who have passed through the carpentry and bricklaying classes at the centres named have been placed in a variety of trades and districts. The first placing is usually on probation with a commencing wage of 1s. to 1s. 4d. an hour.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed registered at each Employment Exchange in Glasgow, and the percentage relative to the population in each district?

The following table gives the numbers on the registers of the Employment Exchanges in Glasgow at 12th November, 1928. Since the boundaries of the various areas served by these Exchanges are not conterminous with those of the wards or constituencies

Insured persons in Great Britain classified as belonging to the engineering industry,* recorded as unemployed.
Date.			Men.	Boys.	Women.	Girls.	Total.
1928.
24th September	…	…	88,366	2,031	4,469	261	95,127
22nd October	…	…	83,904	1,740	4,061	262	89,967
* Including General Engineering, Engineers' Iron and Steel founding; Electrical Engineering; Marine Engineering; Constructional Engineering; and Construction and Repair of Motor Vehicles, Cycles and Aircraft.

Figures for November are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of Joint Industrial Councils now operating, and the trade or industries with which such councils are concerned?

Since 22nd March, 1928, when I circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT, in reply to a similar question a list of Joint (Whitley) Councils which, according to the information available to me, were then in operation, there have been two alterations. The Interim Indus-

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women from the engineering trade registered as unemployed in September, October, and November, 1928?

The following statement gives the information for which the hon. Member asks:trial Reconstruction Committee for the Artificial Stone Industry has been reconstituted and is now known as the Cast Stone Industry Joint Industrial Council, and the West of Scotland textile industry has been added to the list of district councils.

asked the Minister of Labour the rates of wages and the work- ing hours of the week generally operative in the artificial silk industry for men and women?

I regret that I have no further information beyond that given to the hon. Member on 4th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what would be the number of county councillors in the respective counties under the proposals contained in the Local Government Scotland) Bill?

The question of the number and apportionment of county councillors is under my consideration, and provisional schemes are in course of preparation, but I am not yet in a position to give particulars.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can give a list of the burghs and counties of Scotland which have not established infant welfare and maternity centres within their administrative areas?

While in the opinion of the Scottish Board of Health every area in Scotland would benefit by the adoption of a maternity service and child welfare scheme providing as a minimum for the services of a medical officer and a health visitor, there are many areas where the provision of a centre is impracticable. I am therefore sending the hon. Member a list showing separately: (1) the areas in which there is no scheme in operation, (2) the areas in which the scheme adopted does not provide for the services of a medical officer and health visitor, and (3) the areas in which a scheme is in operation but no centre has been established.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of schools transferred or established under Section 18 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1918, giving the numbers for the respective education authorities?

The following table shows the number of schools, not all of them being denominational schools, transferred to education authorities under Section 18 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1918.

Authority.		No. of Schools.
Burghs.
Aberdeen	…	5
Dundee	…	8
Edinburgh	…	18
Glasgow	…	37
Counties.
Aberdeenshire	…	14
Argyll	…	6
Ayr	…	23
Banff	…	8
Berwick	…	1
Bute	…	2
Caithness	…	—
Clackmannan	…	2
Dumbarton	…	12
Dumfries	…	5
East Lothian	…	2
Fife	…	11
Forfar	…	2
Inverness	…	14
Kincardine	…	5
Kinross	…	—
Kirkcudbright	…	3
Lanark	…	38
Midlothian	…	13
Moray	…	3
Nairn	…	1
Orkney	…	—
Peebles	…	2
Perth	…	9
Renfrewshire	…	18
Ross and Cromarty	…	2
Roxburgh	…	3
Selkirk	…	3
Shetland	…	1
Stirling	…	9
Sutherland	…	1
Westlothian	…	9
Wigtown	…	3
Total	…	293

Since 1918 the education authorities named have established the following number of denominational schools:

Authority.		No. of Schools.
Burghs.
Edinburgh	…	2
Glasgow	…	4
Counties.
Ayr	…	1
Dumbarton	…	1
Fife	…	2
Midlothian	…	1
Renfrewshire	…	1
Total	…	12

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of troops, British, French, and Belgian, at present stationed on the Rhine?

According to the latest figures received, the number of Allied troops on the Rhine was approximately as follows: British, on 1st November, 6,100; French, on 1st October, 47,500; and Belgian, on 10th October, 5,500.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the present staff of the medals branch of the War Office, and what reductions have been made since 30th July, 1927; and what are the ranks of the officers at present employed in this branch, together with their total pay and allowances?

The staff of the medals branch on 30th July, 1927, consisted of two officers and 32 civilians: the comparable figures on 22nd November, 1028, were one officer and 21 civilians. The pay and allowances of the officer at present employed amount to £765 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the present staff of the remount department and what reductions have been made during the past year?

The establishment for 1928 is 62 officers, three other ranks and 450 civilians, as compared with 82 officers, five other ranks and 5.50 civilians for 1927, a reduction of 20 officers, two other ranks and 100 civilians.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of employés engaged in War Department establishments, giving the number of such employés who are pensionable?

The total number of persons employed by the War Department at home, including the War Office staff, is approximately 33,000, of whom approximately 3,200 belong to pensionable classes.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department as representing the First Commissioner of Works the reason for the delay in appointing ten temporary technical assistants to the posts of established technical assistants in the supplies division of His Majesty's Office of Works, as provided for in the reorganisation scheme of November, 1927; if he can now give a date on which these appointments will be made; and whether, in view of the delay, they will be antedated?

Owing to disagreement on the Departmental Whitley Council as to the scale of salary appropriate to these posts, the Staff Side has intimated its desire to submit the matter to the Industrial Court, and terms of reference have been agreed. The appointments will be made as soon as possible after the issue of the award of the Court, which will, no doubt, deal with the question of antedating.

asked the Home Secretary (1) if he can furnish a full list, outside the textile industry, of all firms which have been granted facilities under the two-shift. system for girls and young women, together with the nature of the employment and the number employed in each case;(2) if he can furnish a list of the textile firms which have been granted facilities under the two-shift system for girls and young women, together with the number employed in each case?

I will answer these questions together. In order to meet these and similar requests, my right hon. Friend proposes to place in the Library a list of Orders made under the Section which he will supplement at intervals of three months. The list will give the name of the firm and address of works, the industry and process or department affected, and the date of the Order. It is not possible to give the number of persons employed in each case; as I have previously explained on several occasions, the Orders do not limit the number of persons who may be employed under them.

asked the Minister of Health whether any steps are being taken to provide housing accommodation for the workers to be employed at the proposed Ford motor works at Dagenham?

I have at present no information in regard to this matter. My hon. Friend will, perhaps, be aware that in this neighbourhood the London County Council have erected over 13,000 houses and have also some 1,000 houses in the hands of the contractor, and my

District.	Description.	Price at
		April, 1914.		January, 1924.		October, 1928.
		s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
London (Willesden)	Fletton (delivered site)	22	6	59	3	59	0
Birmingham	Common (Local) (at yard)	27	6	55	0	60	0
Bristol	Common (Local) (at yard)	24	0	60	0	50	0
Leeds	Common (Local) (at yard)	25	0	45	0	40	0
Manchester	Wire-cut (delivered site)	28	0	55	0	50	6 and
						52	3
Newcastle-upon-Tyne	Common (Local) (at yard)	29	0	55	0	40	0
Swansea	Common (Local) (delivered site).	36	3	59	0	57	6

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the overcrowded condition of many tenements; whether the officers of his department have reported on the fact that many of these tenements are verminous; and have any recent regulations been made in the matter?

I am aware that overcrowding still exists in certain districts. No reports relating specifically to the verminous condition of tenements have been made by officers of my department. As regards the last part of the question, I may refer the hon. Member to Section 46 of the Public Health Act, 1925, and to Section 10 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1922, which give ample powers to local sanitary authorities to secure the cleansing of verminous houses.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give prices in July, 1914, and to-day of several kinds of bricks such as are used by local authorities in their housing schemes?

Figures are not available for July, 1914, but the following statement shows the prices of bricks in certain districts at April, 1914, January, 1924, and October, 1928, the latest date for which information is available.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider the possibility of amending Section 1 of the Blind Persons Act, 1920, so as to enable blind persons to obtain the pension at an earlier age than 50?

The Advisory Committee on the Welfare of the Blind are at the request of my right hon. Friend investigating the whole question of assistance to the unemployable blind, and he does not propose to consider any Amendment of the Blind Persons' Act until he has received the recommendations of the Committee.

asked the Minister of Health what has been the average annual death rate per 1,000 of the population from small-pox during the 10 years 1918– 1927 in each of the following countries: England and Wales, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Egypt, India, and Japan?

The average annual death rate from small-pox during the period in question was for England and Wales 0.0005, for Switzerland 0.0004, and for the Netherlands 0.00006, per 1,000 population. The information at my disposal does not enable me to give the rate for the other countries named.

asked the Minister of Health the number of marriages effected in registry offices during the years 1925, 1926, and 1927, and those recorded during this year?

I regret that the information asked for is not available. Such figures have for some years past been compiled and published at quinquennial intervals, and were last published under this arrangement for 1924.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many men and boys offered themselves as recruits to the Admiralty during 1927; how many were accepted; and how many were rejected on medical grounds?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply of the 14th February last (OFFICIAL REPORT, Columns 724–5) to the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury).

asked the secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has yet approved the Native Lands Trust Bill for Kenya Colony; and whether he proposes to lay this Bill in its final form upon the Table of the House?

The Native Lands Trust Bill is now being held up pending dis- cussion which I hope to have with the Governor of Kenya personally when he is in this country at the beginning of next year. As regards the second part of the question, I will have a copy of the Bill as enacted placed in the Library.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what charge is imposed for the visa of a visitor to England from the United States?

The charge imposed on a United States citizen visiting this country for a visa is 10 dollars. United States tourists travelling to this country third-class in parties are given transit visas valid for 14 days at a fee of only one dollar.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many men and boys offered themselves as recruits for the Royal Air Force during 1927; how many were accepted; and how many were rejected on medical grounds?

8,356 men presented themselves for recruitment and 2,171 boys sat for education test during 1927. Of these, 2,453 men and 1,030 boys were finally accepted, and 4,042 men and 192 boys were rejected on medical grounds.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has received representations from grocers' and provision dealers' associations to the effect that the compulsory marking of currants, sultanas, raisins, eggs, oatmeal, and oat products is not in the interests of consumer or distributor; and what action he proposes to take?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part, I would ask the hon. Member to await the Debate which is to take place tonight.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that private annuities exceeding £25, partly contributed by the employer and partly by the employé, payable to the widows of employés are chargeable with Estate Duty under the Finance Act, 1894. Section 2, whereas such pensions, to which voluntary contributors or insured persons have subscribed, payable under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, are exempt; and whether he is prepared to take the necessary steps to remove the hardship thus incurred by such widows in the payment of such duty.

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. It has always been held that there is a clear distinction between an annuity payable on the death of an employé consequent upon a private arrangement made by him and his employer and an annuity payable upon the death of a deceased person under a statute of general application; and I am not in a position to introduce legislation with the object of assimilating the position as regards liability to Estate Duty.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost to the State of the social services (of education, old age pensions, widows' and orphans' pensions, unemployment benefit, health insurance benefits and other medical welfare, or institutional benefits, and housing subsidies) before the War and at the present day; and what does the cost of such social services amount to per head of the estimated population for each of these periods.

It is estimated that the total Exchequer contribution in the years specified towards the cost of the social services other than War Pensions named in the annual return of expenditure on Public Social Services in Great Britain was as follows:—

				£
1911	…	…	…	28,451,000
1927	…	…	…	119,242,000

The usual annual return containing these figures will be issued shortly. The 1911 figure represents an expenditure per head of the population of approximately 14s., and the 1927 figure one of approximately 54s.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount that has been expended annually for the last three years on advertising National Savings Certificates.

The information asked for is as follows:—

				£
1925	…	…	…	52,200
1926	…	…	…	51,700
1927	…	…	…	48,900