asked the President of the Board of Education the number of recognised independent schools in England and Wales, respectively; how many of these were inspected, according to the provisions of the Act of 1921, during 1928; and how many failed to be approved?

I do not quite understand what category of schools the hon. Member describes as "recognised independent schools" nor what provisions of the Education Act he has in mind. If he will communicate with me, I will give him such information as is available.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of young people receiving secondary education now in publicly assisted schools and, for comparison, the number five years ago?

On 1st October, 1928, there were 393,181 full-time pupils in grant-aided secondary schools in England and Wales as compared with 358,531 on 1st October, 1923.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of classes in elementary schools now containing more than 50 pupils each and, for comparison, the number five years ago?

The number of classes containing more than 50 pupils on 31st March, 1928, was 16,686, as compared with 24,958 on 31st March, 1924. The figures for 31st March, 1923, are not strictly comparable, but there was a reduction in the number of large classes in the year 1923–24.

asked the President of the Board of Education the average num- ber of pupils per teacher in the elementary schools now and, for comparison, the number five years ago?

The average number of pupils per teacher in elementary schools was 29.7 in 1927–28 and 31.4 in 1922–23.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether a Report on the recent tour of officials of the Coalfields Distress Committee in parts of the Northumberland and Durham coalfield has been prepared; and whether it is proposed to issue that Report to the public?

No Report has been prepared, and therefore the second part of the question does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether there is any intention of extending the time of service beyond the superannuation age of any present employés in the Sasine Department, Edinburgh; if so, on what grounds; and whether he is aware of the objections of the staff to any such extensions on the ground that they interfere with the normal settled system of promotion?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to a question by the hon. Member for the Edge Hill Division (Mr. Hayes) on the 19th instant, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many tuberculous ex-service men are known to the Ministry to be in Scotland and to be in the Lothians area?

I have no information as to the total number of ex-Service men suffering from tuberculosis, but the number of cases of ex-Service men in Scotland suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis which has been accepted as in any degree connected with their War service is about 2,700. No separate record exists of the number of these cases in the Lothians.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if the cottages belonging to the Admiralty at Stornoway have been sold, or if it is the intention of the authorities to dispose of them?

The cottages in question have been sold to the Stornoway Trustees (the Superiors) who had an option under the terms of the Feu Charters on which the premises were held.

asked the Minister of Health when he proposes issuing an instruction to the local authorities in London as to the new form of supplemental and quinquennial lists?

I hope to be in a position at an early date to communicate with the Metropolitan Boroughs Standing Joint Committee and the London County Council as to the form of valuation list to be prescribed.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give the rates in the pound for the relief of the poor required in the county boroughs of East and West Ham and in Walthamstow and Leyton under present conditions and as they would be under the scheme proposed by him of making one union of East and West Ham and merging the other districts in Essex?

The rates levied in 1928–1929 in East Ham county borough, West Ham county borough, Leyton municipal borough and Walthamstow urban district, for the purposes of the guardians of the West Ham Union were 6s. 7d., 6s. 6d., 0s. 6d., and 6s. 3d. respectively It is estimated that if the county boroughs of East Ham and West Ham had comprised one union, and if the municipal borough of Leyton and the urban district of Walthamstow had together with other areas in the administra- tive county of Essex formed a county area of charge for Poor Law purposes, these rates would have been about 7s. 8d. in East Ham and West Ham and 2s. 10d. in Leyton and Walthamstow. In considering conditions in these areas under the proposed scheme, however, account must be taken of the relief given by the Local Government Bill under the guarantee to county boroughs and the provisions for mitigating loan liability which would reduce the total rate charges in East and West Ham. The reduction is estimated on the basis of the latest available particulars at the equivalent of a rate of about 1s. 6d. in the £.

asked the Minister of Health the benefit accruing to non-county boroughs in rate relief under the Local Government Bill in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Middlesex, and Gloucestershire mentioning the boroughs by name and giving the estimated relief in each case?

Such information as is available, based on the figures for 1926–1927, will be found for the non-county boroughs in Lancashire and Nottinghamshire in the White Paper Cmd. 3134, and for those in Yorkshire (North and West Ridings), Derbyshire and Gloucestershire in the White Paper Cmd. 3227. A further White Paper will be published shortly which will contain particulars relating to some other counties not included in the two previous White Papers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, seeing that in a, number of cases the owners of industrial hereditaments will pay more in Petrol Duty than they will receive in rate relief under the Local Government Bill, whether provision will be made for some rebate of the Petrol Duty in these cases?

The Petrol Duty was proposed as a general tax for reasons which were fully stated in the Budget speech. Its incidence is not related to the relief afforded in particular cases under the de-rating scheme, and no question arises of an adjustment such as the hon. Member has in mind.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses built under the 1919 Housing Acts up to the end of 1928, by local authorities and private enterprise, respectively?

Up to the end of 1928, 170,058 houses had been completed by local authorities, and 4,545 by private enterprise, under the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919; under the Housing (Additional Powers) Act, 1919, 39,186 houses had been completed by private enterprise.

asked the Minister of Health the number of working-class houses built since the Armistice to the end of 1928 without State assistance?

Returns as to houses erected without State assistance are obtained half-yearly to the end of March and September respectively. The houses are riot classified in the returns as working-class and non-working-class houses, but are shown under certain limits of rateable value. The following is a summary of the information obtained:

asked the Minister of Health whether the rural district council of the Isle of Wight have yet furnished the information asked for on 24th January in connection with their administration of the Housing Act, 1925?

No, Sir. The detailed information for which the hon. Member asked will no doubt take time to compile, but the council were asked to furnish it as soon as practicable.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of his statement that the practice of placing two casuals in one cell is open to serious objection, whether he is aware that at Wisbech on 2nd March, 1928, three men were bolted into one cell, which was in such a verminous state that the men would not lie clown all night; and that three men were made to sleep in the bathroom of the Aylesbury casual ward on the night of 18th February, 1928; and will he take steps to put an end to this practice?

My attention has not been called to any incidents corresponding with those described by the hon. Member as having occurred about a year ago. I may say, however, that about the date mentioned in the first part of the question I received a complaint that the Wisbech casual wards were verminous. In any case, both the Aylesbury and Wisbech wards were inadequate and unsatisfactory, and I have recently approved proposals for substantial improvements in each of them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he intends to publish a memorandum regarding the liability for Income Tax of Dominion and foreign visitors to this country; and, if so, when?

As my hon. and gallant Friend is aware, an official memorandum explaining as far as possible the law and practice on this subject has recently been published.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the approximate cost of a rebate to beer and ale brewed with home-grown barley and hops, sufficient to admit of a reduction of a penny per pint on the retail selling price?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Colonel Howard-Bury) in reply to a similar question today.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the estimated yield for 1928–29 and for a full year of the Customs Duty imposed in 1928 on hydrocarbon oils; and the yield of the Excise Duty on existing stocks at 1st May, 1928?

The figures asked for are, respectively, for 1928–29, £8,700,000, for a full year, £13,400,000, and for Excise Duty on existing stocks at 1st May, 1928, £3,600,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will state for each Government Department, what was the average number of days of sick leave per head taken by men and by women clerical officers and by members of the established typing grades, respectively, employed in such Department in each of the last three years; and what was the average number of days per head in the case of each grade taken on account of gastric and nervous trouble, respectively?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 18th February to a, similar question by the hon. Member for East Woolwich (Mr. Snell).

asked the under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, the terms of settlement of scaffolders' wages, in connection with the difficulties which have arisen during the renovation of the Houses of Parliament

The question of the scaffolders' wages at the Houses of Parliament is at present being discussed between the contractors and the operatives, and I am not yet in a position to state that a settlement has been reached.

asked the Home Secretary whether he proposes now to introduce legislation to carry out any of the recommendations of the Street Offences Committee's Report?

The important recommendations of this Committee are still under consideration.

asked the Home Secretary what were the numbers of licensed clubs and of public-houses, respectively, in South Wales and Monmouthshire at the end of 1928; and what increase or decrease do these figures show over the corresponding figures for the end of 1920?

On 1st January, 1921, there were 4,503 on-licences and 347 clubs in Monmouthshire and six of the Southern Counties of Wales. The corresponding figures on 1st January, 1927 (the latest published figures), are 4,250 and 528. Full details are to be found in the Annual Volumes of Licensing Statistics.

asked the Home Secretary the names and location of the firms who made application to operate the two-shift system of working under the Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act, 1920?

I would refer the hon. Member to the list of these Orders which has been placed in the Library. The list covers all the firms for which Orders were made up to 31st December last, and I propose to supplement it at intervals of three months.

asked the Home Secretary why Constable Pearce, of the C Division, Metropolitan Police, was dismissed in November last; and whether it is proposd to take any further steps against him?

Pearce was required to resign for two offences of making false entries in his official diary. No further steps are contemplated.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the action of the Post Office authorities with reference to the proposed alterations about to be carried out at the head post office at Chippenham; whether he is aware that some of the most prominent local building contractors were not invited to tender, although they had previously fulfilled contracts for the Post Office, and that their names were included in the King's Roll; and can he say what methods are adopted in selecting firms which are asked to tender?

I am having inquiries made regarding the question raised, and will communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend in due course.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men, boys, women, and girls insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts in England and Wales on 31st December, 1928?

It is provisionally estimated that at the end of December, 1928, there were approximately 7,009,000 men, 426,000 boys, 2,415,000 women and 361,000 girls insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts in England and Wales, exclusive of persons insured under special schemes for the banking and insurance industries, for which separate figures for England and Wales are not available.