asked the Prime Minister if he will, during the present Session, introduce legislation to remove the restrictions which are hindering the development of the gas industry?

My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is in communication with representatives of the gas industry with a view to ascertaining whether a non-controversial Bill can be drafted, for introduction this Session.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, having regard to the present condition of the latch-needle industry, he will consider the question referred to, in the Safeguarding Committee's Report, as to the desirability of increasing the present duty?

The position of the hosiery latch-needle industry is being closely watched, but I can hold out no hope that any alteration of the present rate of import duty will be proposed in the near future.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that hosiery latch needles are sent into Canada in a partly manufactured state and at a later stage are shipped as Canadian needles to this country; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?

It has been stated that the hosiery latch needles imported from Canada are partly manufactured in the United States, and His Majesty's Customs -are making further inquiries into the eligibility of these needles for Imperial Preference.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many British passengers ships are fitted with submersible pumps of the type in use in His Majesty's Ship "Hood"?

All the larger seagoing passenger vessels, the keels of which were laid on or after 1st January, 1921, have been required to be provided with a submersible pump of a type approved by the Board of Trade, and a considerable number of the larger passenger vessels built before that date have been fitted with submersible pumps by the voluntary action of the owners. To ascertain the exact number of passenger ships started before and after January, 1921, which are fitted with submersible pumps would involve a great deal of labour, and, unless my hon. Friend has some particular object in view, I am doubtful whether it is worth while undertaking it. In any case, the Board of Trade could not undertake to state how many ships were fitted with any particular make of submersible pump.

asked the Minister of Health in how many cases members of boards of guardians have resigned or withdrawn as a protest against the reintroduction of stone-breaking as a task imposed on casuals?

My right hon. Friend is not aware of any instance of the kind.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has been informed of the complaint of the Chichester guardians that casuals arrive wet through after 10 o'clock at night owing to the closing of the East Preston casual ward: and whether he will take such action as will alleviate the hardship to the men and the disturbance and inconvenience thus caused to the institution?

The closing of the East Preston casual wards is temporary during reconstruction. The guardians are aware of their obligation to relieve destitute wayfarers and wanderers who cannot reasonably proceed to the next open ward, and my right hon. Friend has requested them to take steps to secure that as satisfactory temporary accommodation as possible is made available for this purpose pending the reopening of the reconstructed wards.

asked the Minister of Health whether the area of the West Riding County Council will, as a whole, suffer loss under the Local Government Bill throughout the full 20 years' period?

No, Sir. Clause 72 of the Bill proposes guarantees to secure that no county will, by reason of the Bill, suffer loss as compared with the standard year at any time.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has received a communication from the Pontardulais Chamber of Trade in regard to the flooding of roads, houses, and business premises along the Dulais River; and whether he is taking action to remedy the condition which is responsible for the recurring inconvenience and loss suffered by local residents?

My right hon. Friend has received a letter from the Chamber of Trade and he is in communication thereon with the Glamorgan County Council and the Swansea Rural District Council.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many adding machines are used at the Treasury; and how many of these were manufactured in the British Empire?

Excluding machines obtained temporarily for purposes of demonstration and test, there are four adding machines employed in the Treasury for ordinary day to day work. None of these particular machines was manufactured in the British Empire. I am not aware of any type of adding machine which is wholly manufactured in the British Empire.

asked the Minister of Health what was the average number of days' sick leave per head per annum taken by women in the writing-assistant, typing, and clerical grades, respectively, in the Ministry of Health during the years 1925, 1926 and 1927; and what was the average number of days' sick leave per head per annum in the case of each grade concerned taken on account of nervous troubles?

The average number of days' sick leave per head per annum taken by women in the writing assistant, typing and clerical grades respectively, in my Department, during the years 1925, 1926 and 1927, was as follows:

—	1925.	1926.	1927.
Writing Assistants	12·8	9·5	10·5
Typing Staff.
(a) Established	19	16·6	13·6
(b) Unestablished	13·9	10·2	13·2
Clerical Officers.	13·2	11·8	13·9

I regret that I am unable to give the information asked for in the last part of the question as it could not be obtained without an undue amount of time and labour.

asked the President of the Board of Education what was the average number of days' sick leave per head per annum taken by women in the typing and clerical grades, respectively, in the Board of Education during the years 1925, 1926 and 1927; and what was the average number of days' sick leave per head per annum in the case of each grade concerned taken on account of nervous troubles?

The answer to the first part of the question is contained in the fallowing statement:

—	—	Days per head per annum.
Leave year ending	Clerical	14·6
31st January, 1926.	Typing	13·1
Leave year ending	Clerical	10·7
31st January, 1927.	Typing	10·6
Leave year ending	Clerical	12·5
31st January, 1928.	Typing	8·5

With regard to the second part of the question, the information asked for is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will issue instructions to Employment Exchange officials that all information as to the wages and conditions respecting any vacancies must be given to applicants who are being offered situations through the Exchanges?

It is already the practice of the Employment Exchanges in offering a vacacy to persons on the register to communicate any information in their possession as to the wages and conditions attached to it.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that applicants for benefit at Employment Exchanges are being compelled to prove that they are genuinely seeking work, although such applicants are only temporarily unemployed owing to breakdown of machinery, repair, or extended holiday; and whether he will issue instructions that the first statutory conditions should be waived in such cases?

The condition which requires claimants for unemployment benefit to be "genuinely seeking work" is a statutory one, and I have no power to waive it. I understand that the statutory authorities in applying it pay due regard to circumstances such as those specified in this question.

asked the hon. Member for Monmouth, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, for each county in Wales, the number of acres of planted land which were denuded of trees during the War and the number of acres in each county which have since been replanted?

The report on the Census of Woodlands, recently published by the Stationery Office, gives the acreage, set out in the following table, of felled or devasted woodlands in each county in Wales. The greater part were felled or devastated during the War. The number of acres in each county which have since been planted by the Forestry Commission are set out in the following table:

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the statement, made at a meeting of the Teesdale Education Committee, that at Cockfield school children were suffering from malnutrition to such an extent that some of them were faint and exhausted after a, brief period of phyiscal exercises; and whether he will make full inquiry and state what action he proposes to take, and when?

My attention has not previously been called to this case, but I have set on foot inquiries, and I will let the hon. Member know the result.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is prepared to repatriate a Maltese-born British subject stranded in this country without means of subsistence?

I have no funds at my disposal for the purpose indicated in the question. The matter is one for the Government of Malta.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received a petition addressed to him on 18th September, on behalf of the Buganda Kingdom Batake Community, in the Uganda Protectorate, and signed by numerous elders, heads and sub-heads of clans and members of the Batake community; whether he has replied to the petition, if received; and will he cause an inquiry to be made into the grievances alleged in the petition?

After careful examination of the petition referred to, I am satisfied that there are no grounds for questioning the policy of the Government of Uganda in the matters to which it relates, and that there is no necessity for the holding of an inquiry as suggested in the petition. The Governor of Uganda is being asked to convey a reply in this sense to the petitioners on my behalf. I may add that the Governor has received and forwarded to me a letter from the Kabaka of Buganda dissociating himself from the petition which was made without his consent or prior knowledge, and also letters from several recognised heads of clans in Buganda indicating that signatories to the petition do not in fact represent the clans on whose behalf they purport to have signed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can indicate the nature of the instruction given in the primary schools of the Tonga Islands; and whether other subjects are taught in addition to reading, writing, arithmetic, singing and needle work?

The primary schools provide elementary education on a vernacular basis. The Tongan syllabus introduced in 1927 is compulsory in all the schools. An English syllabus is also provided for use in any school where there is a teacher competent to take it. The subjects laid down in the syllabus are reading, spelling, dictation, composition, grammar, writing, mathematics, geography, history, drawing, singing and music, moral instruction, health, native arts, needlework, carpentry, and agriculture.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether in the Tonga Islands compulsory education for all Tongans between the ages of six and 14 years is effectively enforced; if not, in what particulars the enforcement fails; whether compulsion applies to girls as well as boys; and whether he can give the number of boys and girls between the ages of six and 14?

The Education Act applies to girls as well as boys. The other information requested is not available in the Colonial Office, and inquiry is being made of the High Commissioner for the. Western Pacific.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if, under the Act providing for the education of the native children of the Tonga Islands, any middle schools for the purpose of providing an elementary education in England have yet been established; and, if so, whether particulars are available?

No Government middle schools had been established by the end of 1927. I am inquiring of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific whether any have since been opened.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies which universities are available for the students of Tonga Islands in connection with the scholarship scheme: whether the scheme includes travelling expenses; whether the selection is based exclusively on competitive examination; and what number of students are offering themselves for examination?

The Tongan Government scholarships are tenable at any educational institution, training institution, school or college in Australia or New Zealand selected by the scholar and approved by the Education Board. Scholars are allowed the cost of passages at the commencement and termination of the scholarships. Applicants whose certificates and testimonials are found to be satisfactory are required to take the scholarship examination. A report on the examination is made by the Board of Examiners to the Education Board. The applicants are then interviewed by the Education Board for the purpose of arriving at an opinion as to the suitability of the applicants for education abroad, and a, report is forwarded to the Premier of Tonga. The information requested in the last part of the question is not available in the Colonial Office, but inquiry will be made of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs how many typewriters are at present in use in the offices of the Empire Marketing Board; and how many are of British manufacture?

The situation has not changed since I replied to a question on this subject by the hon. Member last Monday.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the fact that the roads serving the Shinness holdings were handed over to the holders by the Board of Agriculture in an unsatisfactory condition and of the serious financial difficulties with which these holders are faced owing to the fall in the value of sheep-stock, he will now authorise the necessary work to be undertaken by the Board of Agriculture to put the roads in a proper state of repair?

As stated in the reply given to the hon. Baronet on 14th June last, my information is that these roads were handed over to the holders in a proper state of repair, but the holders have since failed to carry carry out their obligation to maintain them. I am not prepared to authorise any further expenditure by the Board on the repair of these service roads in present circumstances. If, however, the county council were prepared to add them to the list of county highways and to meet part of the cost of the work required before that could be done, the Board would be prepared to consider the question of making some contribution.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether seeing that, notwithstanding delays and the conditional sanction of the Ministry of Transport to enter upon the Crown property involved, his Department has objected to the London County Council and the Woolwich Borough Council proceeding further with the completion of the Shooter's Hill by-pass road pending completion of technical legal details, as to which there has already been serious delay, and in view of the urgency of the work upon its merits and as a relief to unemployment, whether the Department will now withdraw its opposition?

On 17th November last, the Department agreed to give possession of the land, in advance of formal completion, on condition that the terms of the draft contract were agreed to by the purchasers. The First Commissioner understands that the work is now proceeding; he has never had any desire to impede it, but he felt bound to enter a protest when possession was taken without permission or the acceptance of the condition referred to.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can supply particulars of the actual cost for the years 1926–27 of maintenance of all roads in the areas of the West Riding County Council and the North Riding County Council, respectively?

The actual cost in the year 1926–27 of the maintenance of all roads (main and district) in the area of the West Riding County Council was £1,536,000. The corresponding total for the North Riding was £540,000. The totals include the cost of such improvements as were charged to income account.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, in view of the success which has attended the co-operative marketing of agricultural produce on the Continent and in at least two cases in Scotland, what efforts are being made by his Department to carry on among farmers an educational campaign in favour of co-operative methods?

Comprehensive reports on the co-operative marketing of agricultural produce in this country and in the United States have been issued by my Department in its current Economic Series of publications. The other reports in this series which deal with the marketing of specific commodities give prominence to the question of co-operative marketing according to circumstances. Nearly 65,000 copies of these reports have been sold to date. A special free leaflet has also been widely circulated describing the working of the co-operative egg - packing station at Cheltenham. I can assure the hon. Baronet that no opportunity is lost of pointing out the advantage of co-operative organisation generally, and especially in the developments now proceeding in regard to schemes having for their basis the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act of last Session.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number and value of live cattle exported annually from England and Wales for breeding purposes during the past five years?

The number and declared value of cattle (including calves) for breeding, the produce of the United Kingdom, exported from the United Kingdom^* during the years 1923 to 1927 and 1928 to 30th November are as follow:

Year.	Number.	Declared Value.
		£
1923	4,262	135,407
1924	6,501	159,398
1925	6,827	227,395
1926	6,601	179,208
1927	5,551	237,651
1928 (to 30th November)	2,977†	143,047†
* Great Britain and Northern Ireland only from 1st April, 1923.
† Provisional figures.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give any information as to bounty-fed products that enter the British market in competition with our farmers?

So far as I am aware, the only countries which give bounties on agricultural products exported to Great Britain in competition with the British farmer are Australia, New Zealand and Lithuania. In Australia assistance is given under the Export Guarantee Act, 1924–25, to the export of canned peaches and Chanez grapes. The subsidy takes the form of a guaranteed minimum price, the State making up any difference within certain limits between the price obtained and the guaranteed price. In New Zealand assistance is given to the export of apples and pears on somewhat similar lines to those obtaining in Australia for canned peaches and grapes. Tit addition, the export of carcases of pork from New Zealand has been assisted during the current year to the extent of a refund by the State of ½d. per 1b. on the overseas freight to Great Britain. As regards Lithuania, it is understood that the Government has agreed with the "1VIaistas" Company to bear up to 75 per cent. of any losses which the company may incur on the export of bacon and pork.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the accident at the Bank of Engand and to the recommendation of the jury that in their opinion the powers of the London County Council should be extended to ensure better supervision of the demolition of old buildings; and whether he proposes to take action on the lines suggested?

Yes, Sir, my right hon. Friend's attention has been drawn to this unfortunate accident. The question of strengthening the law for the protection of workmen engaged on demolition work has been noted for considera- tion in connection with the Factories Bill, but my right hon. Friend will also consult with the London County Council on the subject.

asked the Home Secretary the number of street accidents to children for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

I can give only the figures for London (Metropolitan Police District and City of London). The figures for the 12 months to 30th September last are—killed 238, and injured 10,877.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any representation has been made to Japan by His Majesty's Government concerning the forcible detention by the Japanese of 50 locomotives and 400 cars belonging to the Tientsin-Pukow Railway Company; and, in view of the paralysis of t7ade through lack of railway stock, whether it is the intention of the Government, to insist on the return of this stock?

His Majesty's Government have made no representations to Japan regarding the rolling stock of the Tientsin-Pukow Railway that is interned between Tsinan and the broken bridge over the Yellow River, since the material in question is the property of a Chinese State Railway, and British interests are only indirectly concerned. I feel sure that the Japanese authorities have no desire to hamper the international trade carried on over the railway, and that this rolling stock will be put into circulation again as soon as practical considerations make this possible.