asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if for the future the annual six-day holiday with pay which is to be accorded to dockyard men is to begin at dates chosen by the men themselves or at any given week by Admiralty orders, and if the dockyards are to be closed during the period; and if the staff is to receive pay and holiday, or pay only or holiday only while yard is closed?

The future arrangements for the granting of leave with pay in Admiralty establishments are still under discussion with the accredited representatives of the men concerned through the machinery of the Admiralty Industrial (Whitley) Council, and I am not yet in a position to announce the result.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what reply he has given to the appeal for an increase in wages in the Naval Ordnance Inspection Department at Woolwich?

After careful consideration of all the circumstances, the Board are not satisfied that there are adequate grounds for increasing the wages of the non-mechanic examiners in the Naval Ordnance Inspection Department at Woolwich. To avoid misunderstanding I may add that a later application on behalf of the mechanic examiners in the same Department is still under consideration.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men dismissed from His Majesty's dockyards on the unemployment register during each month in 1919; and whether especial difficulty is experienced in finding alternative employment for this class of worker?

I am having inquiries made to see if it is possible to supply my hon. Friend with the figures he has asked for, and I will communicate with him in due course. No special difficulty is experienced in placing these workers in employment, although their prospects are obviously affected by the state of employment in their respective occupations in their own and other districts.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the average number of men established and unestablished, respectively, employed in His Majesty's dockyards in 1913, and during each year since 1920?

The average numbers of workmen employed in the Vote Eight Departments of His Majesty's dockyards are approximately indicated in the Navy Estimates for each year, and the numbers taken from the Estimates are as follow:

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the recent cases of the treatment of flour by chlorine; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

My attention has not recently been drawn to this matter, and I am not proposing to take any action at the present time.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what have been the additions to, or reductions in, the numbers of hired workmen employed in His Majesty's dockyards during each month in 1913 and 1929, respectively?

The information in so far as it is available is given in the following statement which relates to the Vote Eight Departments in His Majesty's dockyards at Portsmouth, Devonport, Chatham and Sheerness.

asked the Minister of Health the approximate capital value of the Exchequer subsidy in respect of houses erected during the quarter ended 31st December, 1929?

The approximate capital value of the Exchequer subsidy in respect of houses completed under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924, during the quarter ended 31st December last is £1,950,000.

asked the Secretary for Mines the respective average prices of coal for home consumption and for export during the last five years; and how far these prices have been affected by the subsidy given to export coal under the five-counties scheme?

Figures of the average price of coal sold at home are not available. The average declared value per ton (f.o.b.) of all coal exported during the last five years was as follows:

					s.	d.
1925	…	…	…	…	19	10
1926	…	…	…	…	18	7
1927	…	…	…	…	17	10
1928	…	…	…	…	15	7
1929	…	…	…	…	16	2

The figure for 1926 was affected by the national dispute. I regret that I cannot answer the last part of the question. As I informed the hon. Member on 22nd November, there are many factors which affect the selling prices of coal and the extent to which changes in prices may be attributed to any particular factor must always remain a matter of opinion.

Public Elementary Schools in England and Wales.
Date.			Number of classes with number on registers—
			Over 40 but not over 50.	Over 50 but not over 60.	Over 60.	Total over 40.
31st March, 1928	…	…	45,602	16,517	169	62,288
31st March, 1929	…	…	49,479	10,798	85	60,362

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air which aerodromes in Egypt are occupied at the present time by the Royal Air Force in whole or in part?

The aerodromes occupied by the Royal Air Force are at Aboukir, Abu Sueir, Heliopolis, Helwan and Ismailia.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the case at Bromley in which a sentence of three months' hard labour was imposed on a man without previous

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will furnish a Return giving the names and accommodation of all the nursery schools in England and Wales recognised under the Board's regulations, the average attendance, and the average annual cost per child at the latest convenient date?

I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of a reply which I gave to the Noble Lady the Member for Kinross (Duchess of Atholl) on 19th December, which will, I think, give him the information which he requires.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will furnish a Return giving the comparable figures for 1928 and 1929 for England and Wales, showing the number of classes in public elementary schools having 41 to 50, 51 to 60, and over 60 pupils?

The figures are as follow:convictions for the offence of sleeping out; and whether he will consider this case with a view to the reduction of the sentence?

My attention has been called to this case, and I have had inquiry made. I am calling for further reports, and when I have received them I will consider further what, if any, action I ought to take in the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General the amount spent during the 12 months ended to the last convenient date in bringing before the public the advantages of the telephone service; and what proportion of this sum is paid to the specially trained canvassing staff and what proportion is for advertising?

The amount expended by the Post Office during the 12 months ended 30th September last is estimated at about £158,000, which consists nearly wholly of salaries and wages paid to the canvassing staff. The advertising (other than that in Post Office buildings) takes the form of printing and distributing leaflets, pamphlets and other publicity literature; and no reliable figure is readily available of the cost, the delivery being largely performed by postmen.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will give a list of the joint industrial councils, Whitley Councils, and similar bodies now functioning in industry in this country?

I am sending the hon. Member a list of the Joint (Whitley) Councils now in operation within the knowledge of my Department. The only changes since the list was given in columns 564–566 of the OFFICIAL REPOBT for 22nd March, 1928, are the formation of the Joint Industrial Council for the printing ink and roller-making industry, the abolition of the Interim Industrial Reconstruction Committee for the artificial stone industry and the constitution of the Joint Industrial Council for the cast stone industry, and the establishment of a district council for the West of Scotland textile industry.