Written Answers
Contributory Pensions Act
asked the Minister of Health whether his attention had been called to the claim to a widow's pension which has been made by Mrs. G. N. Parke, of 1, Britannia Road, Kingswood, Bristol, claim No. 66,421/28; whether he is aware that Mr. Parker commenced to pay health insurance contributions in 1915; that he joined the Army in August, 1915, and remained with the forces until 30th August, 1919, when he was trained under the Government scheme for ex-service men; that from January, 1923, to August, 1924, he was engaged in the building trade; that from August, 1924, until 19th March, 1926, he was unemployed and signed regularly at the Eastville Employment Exchange; that on 19th March he sailed for Canada where he remained until December, 1926, when he returned to England and began work at the beginning of January, 1927; and that he was again unemployed from July, 1927, until October, 1927, after which he worked
| District | Month to the end of which the figures relate. | Amount of Total Deficiency. | ||||
| 1929. | £ | |||||
| Scotland | … | … | March | … | … | 5,250,907 |
| Northumberland | … | … | February | … | … | 2,131,027 |
| Durham | … | … | February | … | … | 6,185,159 |
| South Wales and Monmouth | … | … | January | … | … | 10,870,608 |
| Yorkshire | … | … | March | … | … | 7,821,046 |
| North Derby | … | … | February | … | … | 906,312 |
| Nottingham | … | … | February | … | … | 924,340 |
| Leicester | … | … | February | … | … | 2,227,558 |
| Cannock Chase | … | … | March | … | … | 921,532 |
| Warwick | … | … | February | … | … | 38,776 |
| Lancashire and Cheshire | … | … | February | … | … | 1,712,241 |
| North Staffordshire | … | … | February | … | … | 1,576,899 |
| Cumberland | … | … | February | … | … | 670,094 |
| North Wales | … | … | February | … | … | 723,295 |
| South Staffs, and East Worcester | … | … | December (1928) | … | … | 81,097 |
| Forest of Dean | … | … | January | … | … | 286,883 |
in the building trade until March this year, when he died; whether he is aware that, although Mr. Parker was insured for the purposes of the Act until 21st January, 1926, and that he again entered into insurance on 4th January, 1927, the claim to a pension has been rejected on the ground that the only period which is relevant is that which commenced on 4th January, 1927; and whether he will cause the matter to be reconsidered?
I find that Mrs. Parker appealed against the rejection of her claim for a widow's pension to the Referees appointed under the Act, who upheld the rejection. All the material facts cited in the question were duly considered before the original decision was given, and I have no power to review any decision unless new facts are brought to my notice.
Coal Industry (Financial Statistics)
asked the Secretary for Mines the amount of debit standing against each district in the coal-mining areas at the end of March, 1929?
The information asked for has been supplied to me by the Mining Association of Great Britain and the Miners' Federation of Great Britain. The figures for the principal districts up to the latest date for which the information is available are as follow:
Government Departments (Ministry Of Health)
asked the Minister of Health the total number of staff employed by his Department upon the administration of the National Health Insurance and Contributory Pensions Acts?
The total number of staff employed in my Department upon the administration of the National Health Insurance and Contributory Pensions Acts is 3,592.
Scotland
Migration
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of people who emigrated from Scotland in the years 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, and to
| Period. | Emigrants from Scotland. | ||||
| Total (all ages). | Of 18 years of age and over. | ||||
| Males. | Females. | Wives or housewives (not otherwise described) included in previous columns. | |||
| 1924 | … | 39,156 | 13,530 | 14,334 | 6,805 |
| 1925 | … | 37,891 | 12,323 | 14,064 | 6,702 |
| 1926 | … | 48,640 | 17,878 | 16,967 | 8,125 |
| 1927 | … | 43,498 | 16,447 | 15,410 | 6,855 |
| 1928 | … | 38,278 | 15,059 | 13,291 | 5,851 |
| 1929 (January-March) | … | 8,062 | * | * | * |
| *Not yet available. | |||||
Fishing Industry
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what amount of debt it is proposed to remit under the Budget proposals in the case of each fishing harbour in Scotland?
I refer to the Reply which I gave on 25th April to a Question on this subject by the hon. Member for Aberdeen East (Mr. Boothby).
Quarantine Station, East India Dock (Grant)
asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what contribution
March, 1929, respectively; and the number of males over 16 years of age for each year, and the number of single women over 16 years of age for each of the same years?
The following table shows the numbers of British subjects who were recorded as leaving permanent residence in Scotland to take up permanent residence in places outside Europe in the years 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 and 1928, and in the first quarter of 1929, distinguishing men and women over 18 years of age. Particulars of persons between 16 and 18 years of age are not available. The conjugal condition of persons leaving the country is not shown in the passenger lists on which the statistics are based, but the numbers of the women who described themselves as "wives or housewives" are given separately in the table.will be made by the Empire Marketing Board towards the upkeep of the quarantine station which is being erected at the East India Dock, London, through which pedigree stock intended for export to the Dominions will pass immediately before shipment?
The maximum authorised grant from the Empire Marketing Fund for the maintenance of the quarantine station is at the rate of £3,250 per annum for a period of five years. Actual expenditure, however, since the opening of the station in April, 1928, has been considerably below this level.
India (Opium, Export)
asked the Under Secretary of State for India, the number of pounds of opium which were exported from India, including medical opium sent to this Country, during the year 1928; and the net opium revenue of the government of India for this period.
The quantity of medical opium exported from India to the United Kingdom in 1928 was 71,200 pounds. The latest figures available for exports of provision opium are those for 1927, and are given below. As the hon. Member no doubt knows, these exports are being progressively diminished by 10 per cent. per annum.
| Countries of destination. | 1927. |
| lbs. | |
| Straits Settlements | 319,200 |
| Netherlands East Indies | 151,900 |
| Siam | 219,100 |
| British North Borneo | 9,100 |
| Ceylon | 4,900 |
| Hong Kong | 30,800 |
| French Indo-China | 277,480 |
| Sarawak | 13,720 |
| 1,026,200 |