asked the Secretary for Mines, the average weekly earnings of all persons employed in the mines of Great Britain and South Wales, respectively, for each year from 1920 to 1928?

The average weekly earnings of all persons employed during each of the years 1920 to 1928, excluding periods affected by national disputes, were as follow:—respectively, for the year 1913 and for each year from 1920 to 1928?

The information is as follows:—

asked the Minister of Health, if he is aware that at the Oakes Colliery, Alfreton, two men were dismissed without notice, and that when they applied for their health insurance cards they were refused and withheld from the men approximately 14 days; and whether he intends to take any action to prevent any similar occurrence in the future?

Inquiry is being made into this matter, and I will inform my hon. Friend of the result.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will take steps to assure miners who suffer from anthracosis shall have compensation at least to the same extent as those who suffer from silicosis and under the same conditions?

By anthracosis, I understand the hon. Member to mean the blackened condition of the lungs which is sometimes caused by inhalation over a considerable period of coal dust. I have at present no evidence that this condition disables the workman, but an inquiry is in progress under the direction of the Health Advisory Committee of the Mines Department, and the matter will be further considered when the results of this inquiry are available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air, whether, in the trials of His Majesty's airships R101 and R100, pack parachutes will be worn by crews in the same way as are worn by the crews of heavier-than-air aircraft?

Parachutes will be carried, not on the person, since that would impede work, but in a convenient place in the airship for each member of of the crew.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air when the Air Ministry will conclude their consideration of the findings and recommendations of the Court of Inquiry into the loss of the air liner "City of Ottawa"; and if, in view of the remarks of the members of the Court that public safety demands the adoption of some of these recommendations, he will urge the necessity of an early decision?

I can assure the hon. and gallant Member that the decisions of the Air Ministry in regard to the action to be taken upon the recommendations in the Report will be reached with as little delay as possible.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, the number of workpeople in His Majesty's dockyards who may be discharged as a result of the proposed restriction in this country's shipbuilding programme?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to-day to the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Greene).

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if, arising from the situation created by the proposed restriction of this country's naval shipbuilding programme, definite arrangements have been made for alternative work in His Majesty's dockyards; and, if so, will he give information of such alternative work?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to-day to the hon. Member for Chatham.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what number of the industrial employés of the Admiralty who are engaged abroad receive an annual holiday of at least one week's duration with pay?

The number of industrial employés in Admiralty establishments abroad who have not less than a week's leave with pay a year in addition to paid holidays is about 1,000. The leave is not necessarily taken as a week's holiday.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will consider introducing legislation at an early period to secure that on the death of a naval pensioner arrangements could be made to secure the continuance of the pension to the widow and children for a reasonable period?

As the naval pensioner receives his pension quarterly in advance, it is the rule that if the death takes place within two days from the end of the quarter a month's additional pension may be paid to the widow. I regret that I am unable to recommend any extension of existing arrangements.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of men employed by the Admiralty who have been sent out to Singapore under agreements?

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the increasing unpopularity of grog amongst naval ratings, he will consider the desirability of introducing an alternative supply of beer?

All ratings who do not desire to take up the rum ration to which they are entitled receive, in lieu, a money allowance (grog money) at the rate of 21s. a quarter or 3d. a day for broken periods. In shore establishments ratings can purchase beer at the wet canteen.

The number of industrial workpeople employed by the Admiralty who have been sent out to Singapore under agreements is 42.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total sum expended upon the naval base of Singapore, both from British and Imperial sources, year by year, since the beginning of the scheme, distinguishing in each year between domestic, British and other contributions?

The information desired by the right hon. Member is given in the following table.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is contemplated making any further reduction in naval officers?

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the possibility of a further special retirement scheme for officers, in addition to the scheme for lieut-commanders now in force. No such scheme is at present under consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many catapults for launching aeroplanes, so far as is known, are fitted to American and Japanese battleships and cruisers, respectively; and whether the aeroplanes of any of the navies are fitted with devices so that they can float should they fall into the water?

With regard to the first part of the question, no catapults are fitted in any Japanese battleships and one cruiser only has been fitted with a catapult, which is understood to be for experimental purposes. The position in the United States Navy is that 12 battleships are fitted with two catapults each and six have one each and will be fitted with two, and 10 cruisers have two catapults each and eight cruisers building are being fitted with two each. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative, all planes being float planes or amphibians.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he can give an estimate of the number of civilians who will find employment at Pembroke Dock in the establishment of the air base; and whether, in all cases where employment is found, preference will be given to local men who are at present unemployed through the closing of the dockyard?

As regards the first part of the question, the total number of civilians who will be directly employed by the Air Ministry at Pembroke is not likely at first to exceed 40, rising to 60 or 70 as soon as an Air Force unit is stationed there, which cannot be for some time to come. Some indirect employment may result, before an Air Force unit arrives, from work on structural adaptations, and afterwards from the ordinary local requirements of the unit, but I do not feel able to forecast what the number so employed would be. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative as regards direct employment by the Air Ministry.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has considered the scheme for making a new road from King's Ferry bridge to Queenborough, Isle of Sheppey; and, if not, will he expedite the consideration thereof, in view of the fact that the local conditions are such as will enable the proposed work to be put in operation immediately?

I have not yet received particulars of this scheme, but will give it consideration if the highway authorities concerned will submit their proposals.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the Logie-Letters road, in the Lochbroom district of Ross-shire, is left in an uncompleted stage, thus causing hardship to the community who are left without any road for transport, and will he give his immediate consideration to this grievance and allocate a grant sufficient to cover the cost of completion of the road?

I am aware that there is an uncompleted section of this road, but I understand that it is not a public highway. If the highway authority consider that the completion of the road is an urgent necessity, the first step would be for them to arrange to take it over. They would then be in a position to make an application for financial assistance from the Road Fund provided they are prepared to make an adequate contribution towards the cost.

asked the Minister of Transport, when he anticipates the road work aimed at the relief of unemployment will commence; and which projects so far as can be seen at present, will first be taken in hand.

Negotiations are now proceeding with a large number of highway authorities with a view to accelerating the initiation of further works on roads and bridges. I am unable to say which of the many projects under consideration will be started first.

asked the Lord Privy Seal, whether the provision of financial assistance to local authorities or private concerns for the purpose of aiding the construction of provincial civil airports in England and Scotland can be considered in conjunction with other schemes for work to be undertaken during the coming winter for the relief of unemployment.

In so far as such works are carried out by local authorities it will be open to them to make application for assistance under the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Bill. Indirectly Government assistance is already being offered for such projects under the agreement which is being made with National Flying Services Limited.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he is proposing to take in the development of the telephone system, with a view to providing work of national importance; and how many

I am not in a position to make a statement at present.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of applications for unemployment benefit refused during April, May, and June, 19259, respectively, at the Pontefract and Castleford Employment Exchanges, and the principal reasons for such disallowances?

The following table shows the number of disallowances of claims to benefit made at the Pontefract and Castleford Employment Exchanges, respectively, during the period 9th April, 1929, to 8th July, classified according to the grounds of disallowance:

asked the Minister of Labour how many pensioned civil servants have been appointed as chairmen of courts of referees, together with their names, the amounts of their pensions, and the dates of their appointments?

I am having this information extracted and will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) in which of the education areas of Scotland there are juvenile advisory committees for placing young persons in employment;

The attached list gives the names of the juvenile advisory committees in Scotland, the education areas in which the headquarters of these committees are situated and the name of the education authority represented on the committee. As regards the extent to which the activities of the committees in burghs with a population below 30,000 cover the rural areas, detailed information is not at present available, and I will communicate with the Noble Lady after further inquiry on this point.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of young people transferred from distressed areas to Lancashire, particularly to the Rochdale, Oldham, Ashton and Manchester areas; and was any grant of money received from the Lord Mayor's Fund in these cases?

Twenty-three boys have been transferred from the depressed mining areas to employment in Lancashire, of whom three received assistance from the Lord Mayor's Fund; six of the boys were placed in Rochdale; none in either Oldham or Ashton. In addition, 19 girls have been transferred to domestic service, including one in Oldham, two in Manchester, and four in Ashton.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in connection with grants towards road work under any of the Government's new proposals, she will avoid imposing conditions which bring any men from depressed areas into districts where there is already a large number of the same class of men unemployed; and whether, for this purpose, she can state exactly what is the definition of a depressed area?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; with regard to the second part, a depressed mining area is one in which a large proportion of the population is unemployed and unlikely to find employment in the area in future.

asked the Minister of Labour how many American electricians are working in Great Britain on permits; and what are the special circumstances held to justify this competition with British workers?

I assume that this question relates to the entry of American electrical engineers who are concerned in the installation of sound film projecting apparatus in various cinema halls. The total number of such engineers is 81. The majority of these men are actively engaged in training British engineers of whom the companies employ in all 239. The majority of the men in question have been allowed to land for short periods only, ending on 30th September next. I am advised that the apparatus to be installed is of a highly technical character and that the number of British subjects competent to deal with it is at present inadequate.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she is aware that the hostel staff at the Lampits Training Centre, Carstairs, Lanarkshire, work at present a seven-day week; and, if so, whether she will have inquiry made into the working conditions prevailing at the hostel?

I am looking into the question of the hours worked by this staff, but I should mention that they receive one day off a month, 14 days' annual leave with pay and the usual public holidays.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the difference per ton of copper bar, pipe, or wire of British and Continental manufacturers; and, seeing that the British prices are so much higher than the Continental, will he have inquiry made into the case?

I understand that for raw copper there is no substantial difference in price between British and Continental goods, but that for more finished goods differences in quality make exact price comparisons difficult or impossible. I do not think there is any necessity for an inquiry, but if my hon. Friend will communicate with me on any detail he has in mind, I shall be glad to give him such additional information as I can.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether His Majesty's Government propose to arrange for copyright reciprocity between this country and Soviet Russia as part of any trade agreement?

The question of copyright will be borne in mind in any negotiations which may be entered into with the Soviet Government.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies the average quantity and value of raw cotton imported into the United Kingdom and retained for home consumption in the periods 1906–08, 1911–13, and 1926–28; the quantity and value from Empire sources; and the ratio of the latter to the former?

The following table shows the average annual imports of raw cotton retained in the United Kingdom during each of the periods 1906–08, 1911–13 and 1926–28, distinguishing those from British countries and the proportion of the total that they represent.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what action is being taken by the Empire Marketing Board, or otherwise, with reference to the cultivation of tung-oil trees in the Empire; and is he aware of the urgency and importance of the introduction of this new industry for the provision of raw material for home industries?

Inquiries as to the possibility of cultivating tung trees on a commercial scale in the Empire were made by the Imperial Institute in 1917, and have been followed up in recent years with the active co-operation of the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Paint Beseareh Association. In 1928 supplies of seed obtained from Florida by the Director of the Paint Research Association were distributed to the following countries in the Empire where experimental trials have since been started, namely, Australia, New Zealand, Union of South Africa, India, Southern Rhodesia, Ceylon, Kenya, Tanganyika, Nyasaland, Nigeria, Cyprus, Palestine and the West Indies. With the aid of a grant from the Empire Marketing Fund to the Royal Botanic Gardens, further supplies of seed have been sent this year to most of these countries. The Empire Marketing Board is fully alive to the economic potentialities of this important product for the purposes referred to by the hon. Member and is now considering, in consultation with the Tung Oil Sub-Committee of the Imperial Institute, the directions in which it can most usefully co-operate in intensifying and developing the work already in hand.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that three cases of foreign scissors, consigned to Messrs. Trummel, of Manchester, were delivered at Goole, on 4th April this year and are still retained there by the Customs, who have hitherto been unable to decide whether or not they are subject to duty under the Safeguarding Act; and whether he is prepared to give a decision on the matter of these cases and to take action to prevent such delays in future?

The scissors referred to were declared at the time of importation to be exempt from Customs Duty because their value was less than three halfpence each. The importer's declaration of value was questioned and, pending inquiry, he was offered delivery on deposit of a sum to cover the estimated duty. The duty chargeable in respect of the scissors has since been fixed by the Customs, and it is open to the importer to clear the goods on payment of it.