asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that a consignment of crude precipitated phosphate of lime, a by-product of gelatine manufacture, which was landed at Grimsby on 27th August last, was detained by His Majesty's Customs on the plea that it was liable to key industry duty that the importing firm have made representations to His Majesty's Customs and have produced evidence to show that the consignment consisted solely of a crude raw material not coming within the category of purity to which the duty applies; that up to the present the matter has remained under the consideration of the Department; that no definite decision has been given, and that the consignment is still being detained and the British manufacturing firm hampered in the carrying on of its industry; and whether the decision in this case can be expedited and the consignment released without further delay?

A decision has now been arrived at that the material in question must be regarded as liable to duty under Part I of the Safeguarding of Industries Act, 1921. The importers have been informed accordingly. The delay in reaching a decision, which is regretted, was due to the necessity for a careful investigation and consideration of the facts of the case. I may add that immediate delivery of the consignment in question could have been obtained by the importers at any time, on a deposit being made to cover any duty which might prove to be payable.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the quantity of sheet iron such as is used in the hollowware industry that has been imported into this country during each month of the present year, and from which countries it has chiefly come?

I regret that this information is not available. Sheets under one-eighth inch thick suitable for use in the various sections of the hollowware industry are not distinguished as such in the trade returns, but are included with similar sheets for other purposes under a number of different headings according to the process of manufacture.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the hardship of an old age pensioner being under the necessity to make a fresh application for a pension after being an inmate of a Poor Law institution for medical or surgical treatment for a period exceeding six months; and whether it would he possible, on the withdrawal of the book, for the pension officer to issue an emergency form to the master of the institution in which the pensioner is an inmate, and for such form to be handed to the pensioner on his discharge and be available for one payment, and for a new book to be issued to the pensioner immediately on production of the emergency form at the pension issue office?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to a similar question asked by the hon. Member for Newcastle-on-Tyne, East (Mr. Connolly) on 15th November.

asked the Minister of Health the estimated cost of pensions of £2 a week to insured workers at 60 years of age?

I assume that by the words "insured workers" my hon. Friend refers to insured persons inclusive of those who by reason of sickness, unemployment and old age are not working at the present time. Discrimination within the class of insured persons is, of course, impossible, and the cost of a pension of £2 a week to the class is estimated, approximately, at £160,000,000 a year. If, however, this pension were to be substituted for the pensions to insured persons and their wives under the existing system, and if the sickness and disablement benefits of National Health insurance were discontinued at the age of 60, the new cost would be about £130,000,000 a year. This sum would steadily increase for a long period with the growth of the insured population at the higher ages.

asked the Minister of Health the assessable value of the existing Lincoln Poor Law Union, showing separately the assessable value for the county borough of Lincoln and those parts of the existing union not included in the county borough of Lincoln?

The following figures show the assessable value as ascertained for the purposes of the Agricultural Rates Act, 1923, according to the valuation lists in force on 1st April, 1928:Part of Lincoln Poor Law Union in—

	£
County borough of Lincoln	338,478
Administrative county of Lincoln, parts of Kesteven	63,561
Administrative county of Lincoln, parts of Lindsey	47,095
Total for Poor Law Union	449,134

asked the Minister of Health the terms of the Clauses in the Foreign Meat Regulations dealing with the disease of caseous lymphadenitis in imported mutton, and the instructions to inspectors of meat and food when carcases are found to be infected; and whether the whole carcase or only the affected parts have to be destroyed?

The effect of Articles 7, 8 and 9 of the Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations is that the Medical Officer of Health of a port or riparian sanitary authority may examine imported meat and apply to a justice to order its condemnation if he is of opinion that it is diseased or unsound or unwholesome or unfit for human consumption. A memorandum issued by my Department as to the criteria to be adopted in the inspection of meat recommends the condemnation of the entire carcase and all the organs if evidence of caseous lymphadenitis is found. I am sending the hon. Member copies of the regulations and the memorandum referred to.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that during the months of August and September last approximately 70,000 Chilean sheep originally intended for the London market, and which were known to be affected with the disease of caseous lymphadenitis, were diverted into the port of Liverpool owing to the unsatisfactory system of meat inspection in that port; that, in consequence of the landing of this consignment of sheep, thousands of joints of mutton were sold to the public of Lancashire and Cheshire; and whether, in view of the magistrate at Marylebone Police Court severely censuring the local food inspector on 4th January last for permitting the sale of such diseased mutton, he will hold an inquiry into this matter?

I have no information as to the facts stated in the first part of the question, but I am aware

—			Number of persons in receipt of		Total.
			Institutional relief (including casuals but excluding lunatics in county and borough asylums).	Domiciliary relief (excluding persons in receipt of medical relief only).
1. Parish of Devonport	…	…	245	1,917	2,162
2. Parish of Plymouth	…	…	668	2,675	3,343

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that the site of the premises in Pocock Street, Southwark, now in the occupation of the Stationery Office, is very suitable for the erection of workmen's dwellings; whether he has been approached by the London County Council in reference to this site; and whether, in view of the grave housing shortage in Central London he will endeavour to secure the termination of the occupation of these premises by the Stationery Office with a view to facilitating the use of the site for housing purposes?

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons in receipt of parish relief in Devonport and Plymouth, respectively, specifying the various categories, during the month of November, 1928?

The following statement shows the number of persons in receipt of Poor Law relief on the last Saturday in November, 1928, in the parishes of Devonport and Plymouth.

The answer to the first and second parts of the question is in the negative. I regret that the requirements of the Stationery Office render it impracticable to contemplate removal from the premises in Pocock Street, upon which an expenditure of upwards of £50,000 has been incurred.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the interim Chinese tariff has been officially communicated to the British Government; what reply in that case has been received; and whether the visit of Sir Miles Lampson to Nanking is indica- tive of recognition of the Nationalist Government of China by His Majesty's Government?

In a Note dated 5th December the Minister for Foreign Affairs notified His Majesty's Minister that the new Chinese Customs tariff had been promulgated and would come into force on 1st February. With the exception of certain articles which are subject to special rates, the rates of duty appear to be identical with those of the interim schedule accepted by the foreign delegations in 1926. The Commercial Secretary at Shanghai has been instructed to make a detailed examination of the tariff and report any discrepancies. No reply, so far as I am aware, has been returned to the Note of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Sir Miles Lampson's visit to Nanking does not indicate recognition of the National Government of China by His Majesty's Government, butde jure recognition would be a necessary consequence of the signature of any treaty which might be concluded as the result of the negotia-

Estimated number of Persons who at 2nd January, 1928, ceased to be insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts in Great Britain through having reached 65 years of age.
Industry.	Men.	Women.	Total.
Fishing	900	10	910
Mining:
Coal Mining	34,610	—	34,610
Iron Ore and Ironstone Mining and Quarrying	620	—	620
Lead, Tin and Copper Mining	230	—	230
Stone Quarrying and Mining	1,800	—	1,800
Slate Quarrying and Mining	460	—	460
Mining and Quarrying, not separately specified	690	20	710
Clay, Sand, Gravel and Chalk Pit Digging	640	—	640
Non-Metalliferous Mining Products:
Coke Ovens and By-Product Works	500	—	500
Artificial Stone and Concrete Manufacture	650	10	660
Cement, Limekilns and Whiting Works	770	10	780
Brick, Tile, etc., Making	4,480	80	4,560
Pottery, Earthenware, etc.	2,430	200	2,630
Glass Trades:
Glass (excluding Bottles and Scientific Glass) Manufacture	370	50	420
Glass Bottle Making	640	20	660

asked the Minister of Labour the estimated changes since 1923 in the numbers of registered unemployed in Great Britain due to legislative and administrative changes in unemployment insurance, showing additions or decrease in every case?

The information in reply to this question is being compiled and will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as practicable.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons in each insurable industry who have ceased to be insurable under the Unemployment Insurance Acts on account of being over 65 years of age?

pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 11th December, 1928, col. 1935)supplied the following statement:

asked the Minister of Labour the names of local authorities who have presented schemes in response to the circular of 9th November, 1928, on works for the relief of unemployment and the transfer of labour from depressed areas, and the number of men, women, and juveniles who are expected to obtain work as a result?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. Lawson) on the 11th December, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of hours overtime worked in his Department for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

In the 12 months ended 30th November, 1928, the recorded number of hours overtime worked by officers of the Department was 722,545.

Year.				Average Price* of British Wheat per Quarter of 504 lbs.		Average Retail† Price of Bread per 4 lbs.	Average weekly wages of agricultural labourers (see below).
				s.	d.	d.
1878	…	…	…	48	9	7½	Estimated at approximately 12s. to 14s. per week.
1879	…	…	…	46	0	7
1880	…	…	…	46	7	7
1881	…	…	…	47	7	7
1882	…	…	…	47	4	7½
1883	…	…	…	43	8	7
1923	…	…	…	44	3	8¾	28s.
1928	…	…	…	45	4‡	9§	31s. 8d.
* Average price in England and Wales, ascertained from returns received under the Corn Returns Act, 1882, and the Corn Sales Act, 1921.
† The average prices for the years 1878–83 relate to London only, and for 1923 to the United Kingdom.
‡ During the 49 weeks ending 8th December, 1928.
§ During the first eleven months of 1928 (from the "Ministry of Labour Gazette").

Definite information is not available as to the average rate of wages of agricultural labour in the earlier years shown in the above table, but the estimate of 12s. to 14s. per week is believed to represent approximately the average earnings of ordinary farm workers in England and Wales. From inquiries made in 1898 the average earnings were calculated to be about 16s. 10d. per week. In 1923 the average rate of wage (excluding extra seasonal earnings) of ordinary agricultural workers was about 28s. per week. The figure of 31s. 3d. shown for the current year represents the average of

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will give the years during which the average price of wheat has been between 40s. and 50s. for the last 50 years; and if he will give the average price of bread during that period, together with the average wages of agricultural labour?

The following table shows the years since 1878 in which the price of a quarter (504 lbs.) of British wheat has been between 40s. and 50s. together with the average price of wheat and bread in those years, and the average wages of ordinary agricultural labourers in England and Wales.the weekly minimum rates for ordinary workers fixed under the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act, 1924.

asked the Secretary of State for War what amount of salvage money was or is to be paid to the Trinity House vessel "Alert" for her work with the gun-barge "Gog"?

Up to the present no claim for salvage has been received from Trinity House.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many miners and their families are now living in the War Office training centre under the British Legion scheme; whether it is possible to accommodate and train more; and, if so, how many?

As stated in my answer to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Abingdon (Major Glyn) on 13th November last, it has been found possible to offer the British Legion accommodation for approximately 40 families. Thirty-three families have already arrived at Chisledon under these arrangements, and I understand others are expected shortly. I have no information how many miners are included in these numbers.After making provision for these families and for serving soldiers, there is accommodation at Chisledon for 400 single men.