asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the officers of the Inland Revenue are appearing before valuation committees on behalf of the Treasury and endeavouring to obtain the exclusion of one-man businesses from the category of industrial heritages under the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act, 1928; whether this action is taken with the approval of the Government; and whether he can see his way to instruct the Inland Revenue officers not to contest the view of the assessors that these one-man businesses should be regarded as industrial heritages?

I have been asked to reply. I am aware that there is a difference of opinion on the point mentioned, and to remove any doubt it is proposed to amend the Local Government (Scotland) Bill by the addition of a provision to the effect that lands and heritages shall not be excluded from the definition of industrial lands and heritages by reason only of the fact that the owner or occupier is the only person working therein, or that no other person working therein is in his employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress, if any, is being made on the construction of the road in connection with the township of Lower Breakish, Skye; and whether he can give any date when it will be completed?

As I informed the hon. Member on 29th January, the Skye District Committee has accepted the offer of a grant from the Department of Agriculture for Scotland in aid of the construction of the road. As the line of the road will pass through land in the occupation of crofters, the approval of the Scottish Land Court to the resumption of the necessary ground is required before the district committee can put the work in hand. I understand that the application to the Land Court will be made on an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that Messrs. MacBrayne, Limited, have intimated that they do not intend to run the usual summer steamboat service between the Broomielaw, Glasgow, and Lochgoilhead; that the summer service has been in operation for the last 25 years at least and its stoppage will cause great inconvenience to many holiday makers from Glasgow; that it is the intention of the MacBrayne Company to run a small motor-boat, whose carrying capacity is 200 passengers compared with a carrying capacity of 1,600 passengers of the steamer which sailed daily during the summer; and whether he will make representations to the company to continue the service as formerly?

I understand that the service referred to in the first part of the question was a summer tourist service run in supplement to the services of the mail motor-vessel mentioned in the third part, which in July and August makes an additional trip to Lochgoilhead. I understand that the vessel which was chartered for the special summer service has been broken up, and that the company have no steamer available at present. I am also informed that the service has been maintained at considerable loss for some years. As I indicated in the debate last night, I shall inquire further into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of shorthand-typists and typists, respectively, employed by his Department in each town outside the London area where such staffs are employed?

If the hon. Member refers to staff in these grades on the establishment of the Scottish Office, the answer is "none." If, however, he has in view the various Departments in Edinburgh for which I am responsible, I could only give the information after an inquiry which would involve considerable trouble. The printed Estimates for 1929 will, of course, show the numbers of personnel in these grades in the various Departments so far as not paid out of lump-sum allowances.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total exports, including re-exports, to Russia from Great Britain, Germany, France, and the United States for the calendar years 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, and 1928, quoted from the Government returns of Great Britain, Germany, France, and the United States, and expressed in British currency?

The following statement shows the value of

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men on the live register of the Hull Employment Exchange under the classification of clerks, and men in similar work when employed (Classification 172), &c.?

At 25th February, 1929, there were on the register of the Hull Employment Exchange 107 men classified as general clerks (Classification 172) and eight men classified as book-keepers, cashiers, etc. (Classification 175).

asked the Minister of Labour whether in view of the desire expressed by trade union and kindred organisations in the area, he will reconsider his decision in relation to the setting up of a Court of Referees in the Westhoughton township?

I am not aware that the position has altered since the hon. Member was written to on the subject on 14th February last. If at any

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can show the highest percentage of insured persons recorded as unemployed at the 10 Employment Exchanges in Great Britain where these percentages were highest as at the last convenient date?

At 11th March, 1929, the 10 Employment Exchange areas in Great Britain with the highest percentage rates of unemployment were: Merthyr Tydfil 47.5 per cent.; Blaina 46 per cent.; Jarrow 43 per cent.; Blaydon 35.4 per cent.; Port Talbot 33.2 per cent.; Tonypandy 32.1 per cent.; South Shields 27.7 per cent.; Dowlais 27.5 per cent.: North Shields 27.2 per cent.; Gateshead 27.1 per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed on the live register at Port Talbot?

At 11th March, 1929, there were 3,716 persons on the registers of the Port Talbot Employment Exchange, of whom 2,393 were wholly unemployed and 1,323 temporarily stopped.

asked the Minister of Pensions approximately the number of ex-service men who have made application for pensions owing to disability alleged to be due to War service and have been refused pension owing to the operation of the seven-years' limit.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 15th November, 1928, to a similar question by the hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Wardlaw-Milne), of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Postmaster-General whether consideration has been given to the laying of a new cable between this country, Jersey and other Channel Isles?

I am not yet in a position to add anything to the reply given on the 14th instant to a question on the same subject by my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle, North (Sir N. Grattan-Doyle).

asked the Postmaster-General the amount paid for the conveyance of mails between the Isle of Man and the mainland?

As the hon. Member will see from the Estimates for Revenue Departments (page 65), the amount due to be paid for the conveyance of mails between Liverpool and the Isle of Man during the current financial year is estimated at £11,600.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of motor lorries at present in the use of the Post Office authorities; and whether the whole of these lorries are of British manufacture?

The number of motor lorries in use by the Post Office is 252, and all of them are of British manufacture.

asked the Postmaster-General when it is expected to complete the cable to the Isle of Man and telephone communication be opened up between the Isle of Man and the mainland?

If no unforeseen difficulty arises, I hope the cable to the Isle of Man will be laid and telephone communication with the mainland opened up in July next.

asked the Postmaster-General how many of the typewriters bought yearly by the Post Office are British and how many are of foreign make?

The Post Office does not buy typewriters for normal office purposes, the supply of such machines to the Post Office and other Departments being within the province of the Stationery Office. In July, 1927, and on several subsequent occasions the Post Office has placed orders (aggregating 311 machines) for typewriters to be used on telegraph circuits, with keyboards modified to correspond with those of the keyboard perforators used for telegraphic-purposes. On each occasion British firms have been invited to submit samples; not all have submitted a sample, and none of them has produced, up to date, a sample which the technical staff of the Post Office could regard as satisfactory. In each case the foreign order was placed on my personal sanction. I shall continue to give British firms every opportunity of tendering; but in the meantime the needs of the Telegraph Service must be met, and there has been no alternative to the purchase of the suitable machines offered by American firms.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is prepared to grant a Return showing the individual elementary schools in receipt of a grant, built before 1903, which have not yet received an adequate supply of drinking water; what individual elementary schools in receipt of a grant, and built since that year, have not yet complied with the building Regulations issued by the Board in that year, which require that an adequate supply of drinking water shall be provided for all new schools, specifying, in the case of provided schools defective in this respect, which local authority is responsible for the schools, and, in the case of non-provided schools defective in this respect, what body of managers is responsible for the fabric and upkeep of the buildings; and stating at what date representations have been made to local authorities or managers in respect of this matter, and what local circumstances or difficulty have delayed or may delay the provision of an adequate supply of drinking water for elementary schools in receipt of grant?

No, Sir. The preparation of a Return, such as the hon. Member suggests, would involve an amount of labour out of all proportion to the usefulness which it could serve.

asked the Minister of Transport whether it has been brought to his notice that Haw Lane, Bledlow Ridge, has been reported upon as a death-trap by the Automobile Association, the Royal Automobile Club, the parish council, the county education authorities, and private individuals; that the rural district council has declined to deal with the matter during the last six years, although accidents are frequently occurring; whether he has taken any action in the matter; and whether he will make representations to the local authority with a view to the necessary action being taken to render the road safe for the public?

Haw Lane has no classification value, nor is it even a scheduled road. I have been in communication with the Wycombe Rural District Council, and have been informed that, in view of the many more important roads needing attention, they are unable to deal with Haw Lane at present.