asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to an inquest, held at Westminster, on Miss Laura Rodman, of High Street, Islington, who was knocked down by a steam wagon when crossing Victoria Embankment, in which the jury added a rider to their verdict that steam wagons should no longer be licensed unless the driver had a full and unrestricted view of all the road; and will he consider amending legislation giving effect to the remarks of the jury?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Motor Cars (Use and Construction) Order, 1904, provides that the driver shall not be in such a position that he cannot obtain a full view of the road and traffic ahead, but I have for some time past been in communication with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders with a view to the improvement of the range of visibility in the design of steam wagons.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will refer to the joint consideration of the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Labour, the President of the Board of Trade, and the First Lord of the Admiralty, as the heads of the Government Departments which would be most intimately concerned, any proposals or schemes that can be submitted for the construction of a mid-Scotland ship canal?

I have already explained, in answer to a question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Maryhill (Mr. Couper) on 12th November last, why schemes for the construction of a mid-Scotland ship canal are not considered practicable at the present time. If, however, the hon. Member has any further information on this matter, perhaps he would be good enough to submit it to the Minister of Transport who would, no doubt, consult any other Departments concerned as far as might seem to be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for War the numbers of civilians employed by the War Office in establishments abroad in March, 1914, 1928, and 1929?

It is regretted that, owing to the lapse of time and consequent destruction of documents, it is not possible to state how many civilians were actually employed by the War Department in establishments abroad in March, 1914. Figures regarding numbers actually employed in March, 1928 and 1929, could only be ascertained by inquiry of each of the stations concerned, as the numbers fluctuate in accordance with the requirements of the service, and in certain cases it is left to the local military authorities to engage labour sufficient to cope with the work in hand within the amount of money authorised for that purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether the Report of the Industrial Commission, headed by Sir Hugo Hirst, that recently visited Australia at the request of the Commonwealth Government, to which Government it has made its Report, and which has now been issued in Australia as a White Paper, is to be issued as a Command Paper here; and, if not, what steps he proposes to take to enable hon. Members to obtain this Report?

The Report of the Economic Mission to Australia is being issued here as a Stationery Office publication, and should be ready in the course of the next few days.

asked the Minister of Health what would be the cost to the State of extending benefit to wives of insured men who attain the age of 65 before their husbands and who therefore do not, under the existing law, benefit until their husbands reach the age of 65?

I regret that the information desired by my hon. and gallant Friend is not available, and could not be made available without somewhat elaborate actuarial calculations.

asked the Minister of Health the number of applications for widows', children's, and orphans' pensions, respectively, during the year ending 31st March, 1929?

The following particulars relate to England and Wales: From 1st April, 1928, to 21st March, 1929, the latest date for which the figures are available, 67,021 applications for widows' pensions and 1,927 applications for orphans' pensions were received. Separate application is not made for children's allowances, which form part of widows' pensions. No record has been kept of the number of children included in claims for widows' pensions.

asked the Minister of Health the number of widows', children's, and orphans' pensions, respectively, paid during the year ending 31st March, 1929?

The following particulars relate to England and Wales. The number of pensions awarded from 1st April, 1928, to 31st March, 1929, the latest date for which figures are available, was: widows (including children's allowances), 52,182; orphans, 1,755. On 31st December, 1928, the total number in payment was: widows' pensions, 207,351; children's allowances, 223,311; orphans' pensions, 12,792.

asked the Minister of Health the amount paid in widows', children's, and orphans' pensions, respectively, during the year ending 31st March, 1929?

The amounts paid in England and Wales during the year ending 31st March, 1929, will be approximately:

asked the Minister of Health whether the whole of the Report of the research committee on the world's radium supplies will be brought before the League of Nations as? a matter of international concern?

The Report of the Sub-Committee of the Committee of Civil Research is being published, and the point raised by my hon. and gallant Friend will be considered in due course.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether any tin mines have been reopened during the last six months; and, if so, the number of tin miners who have been given employment as a result of such reopening?

No Cornish tin mines have been reopened during the last six months, but prospecting work has been in progress at three mines, with a view to further production.

asked the Home Secretary the names of the various prisons where the 22,418 hours of clerical overtime were worked; the number of hours reported at each prison; and whether any of the 21,000 hours' overtime worked by the stewards and clerks in 1927 has been paid?

I will send the hon. Member the particulars for which he asks. As to the last part of the question, I would refer to the reply my right hon. Friend gave on 18th July last.

asked the Under-Seeretary of State for India the birth and death rate for the Province of Bengal for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

The latest figures available are for the calendar year 1926. The rates for births and deaths registered in the Bengal Presidency, excluding the Chittagong Hill Tracts, were 27.4 and 24.7 per mille, respectively. As the result, however, of special inquiries instituted in connection with the Census Reports, it has been estimated that more than 26 per cent. of births and deaths in the Province are unrecorded.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women employed in the chemical trade in July, 1913, 1914, and 1928, and March, 1929, respectively?

The following table gives the information desired so far as it is available:

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the automatic slot originated at Farnborough or whether it was first brought out by a commercial company?

The automatic slot, as used by the Royal Air Force, was first brought out by Handley Page, Limited.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will undertake to examine the circumstances under which notice of down-grading has been issued to Mr. H. Booker, a disabled ex-service overseas officer, who has been employed as mechanical and electrical engineer in the C.M.E.E. Division, Air Ministry, and who is now to be reverted to the grade of assistant mechanical and electrical engineer, with loss of pay and status; whether there are retained in that Department officers of home departmental service only of the grade of mechanical and electrical engineer; whether these officers are more highly qualified than Mr. Booker; if not, will he arrange that wherever down-grading is necessary, consequent upon reorganisation of that Department, it shall be effected from amongst those home departmental officers, especially in view of the Government's policy with regard to preference for ex-service officers, and, further, in view of the fact that Mr. Booker has every claim to retention in his grade, based on qualifications, record of service, and military status; and will he cause the notice of down-grading to be withdrawn in this case?

The notice of downgrading was issued after the appropriate Promotion Board had carefully reviewed the qualifications, experience, ex-service claims and confidential reports of all the temporary mechanical and electrical engineers employed in the directorate. Ex-service qualifications are, of course, given proper weight in such cases, but in the interests of the efficiency of the Department, I regret that I cannot see my way to withdraw the notice given to Mr. Booker.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any attempt is being made to limit naval personnel by international agreement; and whether he will give the active naval personnel and reserves, for a convenient date, prior to the War, and the latest numbers voted or proposed for Great Britain, Japan, the United States, France, and Italy?

As regards the first part of the question, the Draft Convention provisionally prepared by the League of Nations Preparatory Commission for the Disarmament Conference in April, 1927, contained a clause for the limitation of naval personnel. The following are the approximate figures relating to naval personnel and reserves: