asked the Under-secretary of State for India the Section of the Indian Penal Code under which Mr. Gandhi was arrested on 5th March?

Mr. Gandhi is to be prosecuted for abetment of an offence under Section 66 (11) of the Calcutta Police Act, namely, the unauthorised lighting of a bonfire in a public place. I have learned since last week that though Mr. Gandhi was not taken into custody, he was technically arrested at his residence in order to enable him to give recognisances.

asked the Under-secretary of State for India the minimum amount at stake in civil litigation in India which is held to justify an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council; the approximate date at which such minimum was fixed; and whether any increase in such amount is contemplated to correspond with the decline in postwar currency values?

A suit to be appealable to His Majesty in Council must ordinarily involve a value of not less than Rs. 10,000. This figure was first fixed at least as early as 1838. Its revision is not at present under consideration.

asked the Home Secretary the number of prosecutions for exceeding the speed limit against the drivers of motor omnibuses which have taken place in the counties of Stafford, Warwick, Derby and Worcester during the past six months; and in how many instances more than one prosecution against the same man has occurred?

As regards the first part of the question, I regret that the figures are not available, and to obtain them specially would entail an expenditure of time, labour and money which would not be justified. As regards the second part of the question, it would not be possible to say whether a man had been prosecuted in more than one district.

asked the Minister of Transport whether a time limit can be given on certain streets after the expiration of which all horse traffic will be prohibited during the working hours of the day; and whether, in the negotiations with the shopkeepers who conduct business on the Bond Street highway, he will point out to them the danger to pedestrians through the inequalities of the privately-owned parts of the pavement outside many of their shops and request them to level these to the regular pavement for the convenience and safety of their customers?

The question of the exclusion of all horse-drawn traffic during the working hours of the day from certain streets in London has been considered upon more than one occasion, but having regard to existing requirements of trade and the conditions under which certain forms of traffic are operated, I do not think such a proposal is practicable, at any rate at the present time. As regards the second part of the question, relating the alleged unevenness of the footways in Bond Street, this is a matter for the Westminster City Council, who are the highway authority, and to whom I am sending a copy of my hon. and gallant Friend's question and of my reply.

asked the Minister of Transport for what purpose new Regulations concerning motor-cycle number plates are being considered?

The new Regulations now under consideration concerning motor-cycle number plates are intended to meet the strong representations of chief officers of police throughout the country urging that the letters and figures on the existing motor-cycle number plates are too small for the ready identification of a moving vehicle, and that the illumination of the front plate instead of the back plate is unsatisfactory.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that on the amalgamation of railways conversion schemes had to be entered on owing to different electrical systems having been previously adopted; and whether the electrical systems on the Southern and Great Western railways are such as to obviate any such difficulty in the future?

I am aware that the constituent railways of the Southern group were not electrified on the same system and that the company have found it desirable to alter the system on certain sections. As regards the future, the general question to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers has recently been exhaustively reviewed by the Railway Electrification Committee (1927), and I would refer him to their published Report.

asked the Minister of Transport the costs of maintaining first and second-class roads in Scotland; and what proportion of these costs are borne by local rates?

The estimates for 1927–28 of the cost of maintenance and ordinary improvement of Class I and Class II roads in Scotland were as follow:

Class I Roads.	Class II Roads.
£2,136,744	£742,771

The proportion of these costs covered by grants from the Road Fund averaged 55.2 per cent. in the case of Class I roads and 34.8 per cent. in the case of Class II roads. Taking Class I and Class II roads together, the proportion borne by grants from the Road Fund was almost exactly 50 per cent. The figures given above do not include expenditure on new construction and certain major improvements.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has any new proposals for regulating traffic in the small streets surrounding Covent Garden Market, with a view to relieving the congestion there and reducing the waste of time and inconvenience involved?

Arrangements are being made for the introduction of one-way working, i.e., from east to west, in Maiden Lane, but I regret that it is not considered practicable, at any rate at the present time, to make any further arrangements of this nature with a view to relieving the congestion in the neighbourhood of Covent Garden Market.

asked the Minister of Transport when a Report is to be made as to the electricity stations which have been decided upon as selected stations by the Central Electricity Board?

The Board have informed me that the stations so far selected by the Board are those set out in their published schemes.

asked the Minister of Transport the areas for which the Central Electricity Board has fixed tariffs of charge?

The Board inform me that no tariffs have yet been fixed for any area.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of and deaths from post-vaccinal encephalitis have been reported to his Department since September, 1927, when the Rolleston Committee on Vaccination ceased taking evidence?

During the period from 1st October, 1927, till 31st December, 1928, 65 cases in which symptoms suggestive of disease of the central nervous system following within a month of vaccination have been brought to the notice of my Department. Of these cases, 32 were fatal. All cases of this kind are reported to the Departmental Committee, but I am not yet able to say how many of these 65 cases are regarded by the Committee as cases of encephalitis following vaccination.

asked the Minister of Health if he will investigate the circumstances attending the statement of the Chief Medical Officer that the number of deaths from small-pox in the first half-year of 1928 were given as 37; and whether he is aware that conflicting figures have been given?

The figure of 37 deaths from small-pox in the first half-year of 1928, given in the Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report for the year 1927 were, as explicitly stated in the Report, provisional and before complete returns were available. The figure was based upon a system of classification set out in the Report.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has yet considered the resolution passed and forwarded to him by the grand council of the National Citizens' Union that he should cause an inquiry to be held into the possibility of legalising the sterilisation of mentally deficient persons under certain conditions and subject to proper safeguards; and whether he has any statement to make upon the matter?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question put to me by the hon. and gallant Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Colonel Wedgwood) on 27th February.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons who have been rehoused under the various slum-clearance schemes in England and Wales for the four years ended 31st December, 1928?

Information in regard to the matter referred to by the hon. Member is only available from 1st April, 1925. Between that date and 31st December, 1928, it is estimated that approximately 31,000 persons have been rehoused in new dwellings erected in connection with slum-clearance schemes in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what is the total amount of expenditure to date on the airship R 101; what amount is it anticipated will be required to complete this airship; and whether he can give corresponding figures for the other new airship?

As regards airship R 101, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the statement on Airship Development on page 53 of the Air Estimates, 1929. As regards R 100, the contract price is £350,000, of which £235,000 has been paid to date, the balance payable for completion under the contract being thus £115,000.

asked the Postmaster-General whether any consideration has been given to a reduction of the charge per parcel under the cash-on-delivery system and the system being made available for letter post and boot post; and has he any information as to the collections under the system in other countries?

The present cash-on-delivery charges are only sufficient to cover the working costs of the service, and no reduction in the scale of fees is at present practicable. Under the present arrangements packets may be sent cash-on-delivery by registered letter post prepaid at the ordinary letter rate of postage or at the reduced rates for printed papers and newspapers where applicable. The cash-on-delivery service is kept constantly under review; and information is obtained from time to time of the working of the system in other countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what was the average number of days of sick leave per head during each of the last three years in the case of women clerical officers, writing assistants, and members of the established typing grades, respectively, employed in his Department; and what was the average number of days of sick leave per head in the case of each of the grades concerned taken on account of gastric or nervous trouble, respectively?

The following table gives the information requested in the first part of the question:

—	Average number of days sick leave per head.
	1926.	1927.	1928.
Women clerical officers.	15·9	14·0	14·8
Writing assistants	18·0	10·6	16·8
Established typing staff.	13·1	16·7	14·2

To furnish the information requested in the last part of the question would involve the scrutiny of some hundreds of medical certificates, and I do not think that the labour involved would be justified.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the average number of days of sick leave per head during each of the last three years in the case of women clerical officers, writing assistants and members of the established typing grades, respectively, employed in his Department; and what was the average number of days of sick leave per head in the case of each of the grades concerned taken on account of gastric or nervous trouble, respectively?

The aver age number of days of sick leave per head during the last three years in the case of women clerical officers, writing assistants and members of the established typing grades is as follows:

—	Year ended 31st January.
	1927.	1928.	1929.
Clerical Officers	7·0 (a)	8·7	8·9
Writing Assistants	8·5 (b)	9·7 (c)	5·4
Established Typing Grades.	9·9	8·5 (d)	10·7 (e)
(a) Excluding one woman who had 142 days' sick leave.
(b) Excluding three women who had 270,144, and 102 days' sick leave respectively.
(c) Excluding two women who had 171 and 138 days' sink leave respectively.
(d) Excluding three women who had 206,117, and 100 days' sick leave respectively.
(e) Excluding three women who had 137, 132, and 107 days' sick leave respectively.

I regret that I am unable to give the information asked for in the last past of the question.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what are the provincial differentiations that govern the payment of civil servants and officers of the Civil Service serving outside London; and what are the numbers of persons serving in Grades 1, 2 and 3 of "P" class, respectively?

So far as the general established classes of the Civil Service are concerned, the arrangements for provincial differentiation at basic rates exclusive of cost-of-living bonus are as follow: Members of the General Clerical, Executive and Administrative classes, Superintendents, Chief Superintendents and Controllers of Typists:

Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin.	5 per cent. below London rates.
Other Provincial Centres.	10 per cent. below London rates.
	London.
Writing Assistants.	18s., 20s., 22s. by 2s. to 36s. p.w.
Typists	22s., 24s., 26s., 28s. by 2s. to 36s. p.w.
Shorthand Typists.	28s. by 2s. 6d. to 46s. p.w.
	Outside London.
Writing Assist ants.	17s., 18s., 20s. by 2s. to 34s. p.w.
Typists	20s., 22s., 24s., 26s. by 2s. to 34s. p.w.
Shorthand Typists.	26s. by 2s. to 32s. by 2s. 6d. to 42s. p.w.

As regards members of the temporary clerical and typing grades and "P" class clerks, the rates of pay applicable to employment in the London area, Intermediate Centres and Provincial Centres, respectively, are shown in the Annexe to the current Bonus Revision Circular, of which I have already furnished my hon. and gallant Friend with a copy. As regards the last part of the question, the numbers are approximately as follow:

Grade I	225
Grade II	1,225
Grade III	5,850

asked the Minister of Labour the amount of money spent under all heads upon unemployment during each year since 1919, and the average number of persons unemployed under all heads for the same years.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th February, 1929; col. 398, Vol. 225], supplied the following:The information desired, so far as it is readily available, is hereafter given.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether collectors of taxes are acting on official instructions in threatening with distraint on furniture an unemployed tenant of property, who is unable to pay Property and Land Tax in respect of premises leased by him from a superior landlord?

If my hon. Friend will give me particulars of the case to which he refers, I will cause inquiry to be made, and will communicate the result to him in due course.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount received from the Entertainments Duty for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

The net amount of Entertainments Duty received in the 12 months ended 28th February, 1929, was approximately £6,091,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount received for Estate Duties, etc., for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

The net receipt of Estate, etc., Duties in the 12 months ended 31st March, 1928, was £77,100,624.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if, in cases of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease where it could be shown that special loss would fall on farmers by reason of the stand-still order, he will consider reducing the area to one of five miles radius earlier than normally would be the case by taking special precautions?

The present practice with regard to the declaartion of infected areas when an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is confirmed is to schedule an area having a radius of approximately 15 miles from the infected premises. This is maintained for a period of 14 days from the date of the outbreak when, in the absence of the spread of infection from the initial centre, it is reduced to five miles. The period of 14 days is fixed in relation to the period of incubation of foot-and-mouth disease to allow of the development of any latent case of infection which may exist in the area unknown to the Ministry at the time of the initial outbreak and could not safely be reduced. This procedure has the approval of the Departmental Committee on Foot-and-Mouth Disease which reported in 1925.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the principal items of State expenditure in relation to agriculture in England and Wales since the Government took office?

It would be very difficult to give reliable figures relating to expenditure during the latter part of the financial year 1924–25 after the Government had assumed office. The following statement gives the principal items of State expenditure in relation to Agriculture in England and Wales in the period from 1st April, 1925, to 31st March, 1929—partly estimated as regards the current financial year.

Service.	Expenditure in four years period.
	£
Collection of Agricultural Statistics	148,000
Agricultural Education	1,288,000
Agricultural Research	1,164,000
Eradication of Diseases in Animals*	603,000
Live Stock Improvement	194,000
Land Settlement†	4,111,000
Allotments‡	110,000
Land Drainage	267,000
Agricultural Wages Regulation§	145,000
Agricultural Credits and Co- operation║	2,825,000
Improvement of Marketing	30,000
Rural Industries Development	35,000
Beet Sugar Subsidy	11,335,000
Relief of Agricultural Rates	18,678,000
Total	£40,933,000

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will name the members of the committee which has been sot up to undertake research on the River Tees into the general question of river pollution; whether the committee has yet started work; and how long a period has been given for experimentation before issuing the Report?

The Committee which has been set up by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to undertake research on the River Tees into the general questions of river pollution is a Sub-Committee of the Department's Water Pollution Research Board. The names of the members of the River Tees Survey Committee are:—

• Professor G. C. Bourne, F. R.S. (Chairman).
• Dr. E. J. Allen, F.R.S.
• Professor V. H. Blackman, F.R.S.
• Dr. H. T. Calvert (Director of Water Pollution Research).
• Rear-Admiral H. P. Douglas, C.B., C.M.G.
• Dr. E. S. Russell.
• Dr. R. E. Slade.
• Mr. H. E. Wright.

The Committee has already held two meetings, and the investigation will be continued for a period of one year in the first instance. The questions of issuing a Report and of further investigation will then be reviewed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount in pounds sterling of the imports into Great Britain from Russia for the years 1924 to 1928, exclusive; the amount of re-exports; and the amount of exports from Great Britain to Russia during the same period?

The following table shows the total declared values of merchandise imported into and exported from Great Britain and Northern Ireland, consigned from and to Russia, during each of the years 1924 to 1928.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether any official representative of his Department will accompany the delegation of British manufacturers who are shortly to visit Russia to investigate the possibilities for British trade?

The answer is in the negative.