asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether a roster is kept of the names of stoker ratings of the Devonport division for promotion

Three additional promotions to Warrant rank made in the supply branch; one reduction of promotion to Warrant rank was made in the cook branch, as from the 27th June, 1929, in accordance with the arrangements announced in Admiralty Fleet Order Number 3,307 of the 3rd December, 1926.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why the Export Credits Act is not extended to Manchuria, seeing that there is in that country a great and growing demand for British goods?

Manchuria is not excluded from the scope of the Export Credits Guarantee Scheme except in so

to leading stoker; and what are the regulations governing advancement to leading stoker?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part that the regulations are contained in the King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions, Chapter VIII, Section V and Appendix XVII, Part I.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the number of officers allowed for the present financial year in the accountant, supply, and cook branches; whether these are more or less than those previously authorised; if more, whether additional promotions have been effected; and, if less, from which branches and when the reductions have been made?

The following is a comparison of the numbers for which provision was authorised last year (1928) and this year respectively:—

far as textiles are concerned. This exception applies also to other Far Eastern markets.

asked the Prime Minister whether he can see his way to comply with the request of the East Sussex County Council to receive a deputation from Sussex with reference to the masts proposed to be erected across the Sussex Downs by the Central Electricity Board?

Yes, Sir. I have already agreed to meet a deputation on Monday next from the East Sussex County Council who wish to make representations to me on this subject.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the remarks made by a West Lancashire coroner at an inquest held on a pedestrian who was crossing a road at Bootle, in which he stated that at all busy crossings there should be a big white line so that drivers of vehicles approaching the crossings would know there would probably be people stepping out into the road or crossing it; and will he refer this suggestion to the London Traffic Advisory Committee?

My attention had not previously been drawn to this accident. I will refer the coroner's suggestion to the London Traffic Advisory Committee for their views.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will consider the advisability of including in any compulsory third-party insurance which he may introduce the provision of policies to cover periods shorter than one year, and concurrent with those for which motor licences are now issued?

The difficulty which the hon. Member's suggestion is intended to meet has not been overlooked.

asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been called to cases in which statues and monuments presented to and accepted by public authorities have been damaged by motor vehicles the owners of which are unable to pay compensation for such damage; and if, in any compulsory third-party insurance legislation which he may introduce, he will give consideration to the provision of compensation to cover, not only personal risk, but all damage to private and public property?

My attention has not been called to any extensive damage of this nature. The point raised in the latter part of the question has not been overlooked.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can now make a general statement on the working of the roundabout or one-way system of traffic in the Metropolitan area; whether it is proposed to extend this system; and whether any cases of either system have been discontinued?

In my view the adoption of the "roundabout" and "one-way" schemes of working has substantially relieved traffic congestion. Proposals are constantly under consideration for introducing these systems at other points where conditions are suitable. As regards the last part of the question, there has been one case of the abandonment of a "roundabout" scheme, and in one instance a portion of a "one-way" scheme has been discontinued.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominions Affairs whether he is aware that a number of youths who went to Canada under harvesting and similar schemes are now stranded there and unable to obtain employment; whether any body or authority is available to protect them from distress or interest itself in their welfare; whether, in view of the fact that some of them are aged only 18 or 19, he will consider the question of paying for their return passage to this country; and whether he will communicate with the Dominion Government with a view to these men being assisted and safeguarded against distress?

I am aware that a proportion of the large number of men who went to Canada as assisted migrants in the early part of this year are now out of employment. I have made inquiry into the matter with the assistance of the Canadian authorities, and I am satisfied that the Canadian Government or the organisations who, with the concurrence of that Government, were responsible for bringing the men to Canada, have in every case fulfilled their guarantee to find the men suitable employment on arrival. The hon. Member is, I am sure, aware that in every scheme of this kind there is inevitably a proportion of men who prove to be unsuitable to the conditions of a new country or who are unwilling to accept the work offered to them. A number of the men concerned who, in the opinion of the Canadian Government, are unlikely to settle down in Canada, have already been returned to this country, and I understand that, where necessary, this policy will continue to be followed. In the opinion of my Noble Friend, no further action on the part of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom is necessary in the matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what amount has been paid by the Palestine Government to the British Exchequer in respect of railways and other assets left in Palestine by the British forces after the war; and what has been the amount of any similar payments from other mandated territories?

The amount so paid by Palestine was £1,000,000. I presume that the right hon. Gentleman intended Iraq to come within the scope of the second part of his question, although it is not administered under mandate. The Iraq railways constructed during the war by His Majesty's Government still remain their property, although actually administered by the Iraq Government. A sum of about £648,000 has already been paid to His Majesty's Government in respect of railway stores taken over and other railway indebtedness. It has been agreed to transfer the Port of Basrah, which was also constructed by His Majesty's Government during the war, to a Port Trust, at a valuation of approximately £541,000. The Port is at present administered as a Department of the Iraq Government pending the setting up of the Port Trust, and in respect of the capital valuation of the Port a sum of approximately £108,000 has already been repaid to His Majesty's Government together with a further sum on account of interest. A sum of £162,542 was paid by the Tanganyika Government to the War Office mainly in respect of railway equipment and stores.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the negotiations with regard to the constitution of new holdings and enlargements from the farm of Sciberscross, in the parish of Rogart, Sutherland, have yet been completed; and, if so, whether it has been decided that the scheme should be put into operation?

The statutory procedure for the compulsory constitution of new holdings and enlargements on the farm of Sciberscross is not yet complete and I am therefore not in a position to state whether the scheme will be put into operation.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether any changes have taken place during the previous two years in the strength of the garrison at Aden; and can be give particulars?

The changes during the period in question have been the withdrawal of two battalions of Infantry (one British and one Indian), a heavy battery, Royal Artillery and an Indian Cavalry troop and the addition to the garrison of an Armoured Car Section (Royal Air Force), an Anti-Aircraft Section of the Royal Artillery and a locally recruited force of levies.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he can state the position with reference to the civil air service to be operated over Persian territory?

The former difficulties have been overcome, and with the consent of the Persian Government the air service between Cairo and Karachi has been in regular operation through Persian territory, once a week in each direction, since 5th April last.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the amount of debt in the case of each county and each county borough at the present time?

Particulars as to the outstanding loan debt on the 31st March, 1927, of the London County Council will be found on page 8 of Part II of the Annual Local Taxation Return for England and Wales, 1926–27, of each of the remaining County Councils on page 42 of Part III of those Returns, and of each County Borough Council on page 190 of Part II of those Returns. The Local Taxation Returns for 1927–28 will be published in due course.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether, approximately, to what extent the five-counties scheme has, on the one hand, raised the selling prices of different classes of coal in the area covered by the scheme, and, on the other hand, decreased the cost of production?

I regret that I cannot answer the hon. Member's question. There are many factors which affect the costs of production and selling prices of coal, and the extent to which the changes in these figures may be attributed to any particular factor must always remain a matter of opinion. The following comparison between average costs of production and average proceeds per ton for the total area covered by the Central Collieries Commercial Association's scheme in the March quarter, 1928 (the last quarter before the scheme came into force), and the corresponding period of 1929 may be of interest to the hon. Member:

I ought perhaps to remind the hon. Member that during the March quarter, 1929, the demand for coal was stimulated by cold weather throughout Northern Europe.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will give the estimated annual consumption of British coal during the present year under the following headings: export, excluding bunkers; domestic consumption; gas works; and remaining coal consumed within the country?

The following estimated figures, based upon the records available for the first 10 months of the year, contain the information for which the hon. Member asks:

Particulars are only collected annually of the quantity of coal consumed at gas works, and the figure for 1929 is therefore not available; in both 1927 and 1928 the figure was just under 17 million tons. The estimated quantity of coal consumed for domestic purposes, including miners' coal, is approximately 40 million tons per annum.