asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the dissatisfaction which exists in the island of St. Kilda about the postal facilities there; whether he is aware that mails have hitherto been delivered by Fleetwood trawlers, the owners of which no longer allow the captains to deliver them; and when, and how, such mails are to be delivered in the future?

During the summer months a fortnightly mail service is provided to St. Kilda by means of tourist steamers; for the rest of the year it is necessary to take advantage of such opportunities as offer themselves for sending mails by trawlers from Fleetwood or Aberdeen. As the hon. Member states, difficulties have recently arisen with regard to this method of serving the island, and I am in communication with the Scottish Office on the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that in the East Kilbride and other rural districts of Lanarkshire there is urgent necessity for increased telephone facilities among the farming community; that the present annual charges to subscribers in scattered areas prevent farmers from having the telephone installed; and whether he will consider a reduction of rates in such areas in order to meet the situation?

It is my desire that the telephone service should be developed to the furthest possible limits, and extensions have been made recently on a large scale especially in rural areas. I regret that financial considerations do not at present permit of a reduction in charges.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of employés in the engineering department of the Post Office on 1st January, 1929, and the corresponding figure for 1st January, 1930?

The number of employés in the engineering department of the Post Office on 1st January, 1929, was 32,389 and on 1st January, 1930, 31,544.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the advisability of adopting, where desired, the method of installing telephones at a nominal charge and making such small additional charge on each call as may be necessary, in view of the success of this system elsewhere?

If the present installation rental were reduced to a nominal figure it would be necessary, in order to avoid loss, not only to increase substantially the charges for calls, but also to require each subscriber to pay for a relatively high minimum number of calls each year. A tariff on these lines is not likely to prove attractive. I am not aware that such a system is in force elsewhere.

asked the Postmaster-General whether work has yet been begun on the reconstruction of the Wick wireless station?

Yes, Sir. The building work began on 24th January.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the time of the last delivery of letters in the Southsea area is 5 p.m.; and whether he will consider the possibility of instituting a further delivery at a later hour?

The last delivery commences at 4.15 p.m. and is completed by 5.45. This compares favourably with the time in other provincial towns. An additional delivery in the evening would not be warranted under present conditions.

asked the Postmaster General the number of Post Office servants dismissed for dishonesty during 1928 and 1929, respectively; and whether he will seek the co-operation of the police authorities in maintaining an accurate record of the addresses of those dismissed, in view of the fact that he does not consider his Department is able to do so owing to the constant changes of address which he finds are being made?

The total number of Post Office servants dismissed for dishonesty and other criminal offences during 1928 was 378, and during 1929, 326. I have made inquiries, but I regret to say that the hon. Member's suggestion is not practicable.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has received any information to show that foreign post offices are now accepting parcels exceeding three feet six inches in length for despatch to this country; and whether he will consider the provision of longer bags, so that the export trade from this country in fishing tackle may no longer be handicapped by the previous limitation in the size of postal packets?

I have no information that any foreign post office is making a practice of accepting parcels exceeding three feet six inches in length for delivery by post in this country. An oversize parcel is occasionally received, and if it cannot be returned to the despatching office by post, the addressee is required to have it collected from the Post Office and delivered by rail or other non-postal service. Post Office fittings are not suitable for dealing with parcels exceeding the present limits of size and they could not be replaced or adapted except at disproportionate expense.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that all letters posted on the high seas between Southampton and Capetown, whether on outward or homeward journeys, have to bear South African postage stamps; what is the cause of this; and whether he will use his influence to see that in future British stamps are used on either the outward or homeward journey?

The right hon. Member's information is not quite accurate. Letters posted on the high seas on board Union Castle Liners may be prepaid in British stamps, as on any other British ship; but, as the mail contract is with the Government of the Union of South Africa, on y postage stamps of the Union are on sale on board.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has adopted, or is proposing to adopt, steel and concrete or concrete telegraph poles?

Steel or concrete poles have not so far been adopted for the telegraph and telephone service except in a few special instances, because no such poles suitable for general adoption have yet been brought to the notice of the Post Office. I am, however, always ready to arrange for any new types of steel or concrete poles to be carefully considered.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can give any comparative prices for the retail sale of anthracite coal to the home consumer and the price of anthracite coal for export to Canada for the months of October last and January this year?

I regret that no comparable figures are available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the annual value of the total exports and imports of Immingham from 1923 to the latest available date, showing coal separately?

The total declared value of the exports of coal from Immingham during each of the years 1923 to 1929, was as follows:

	£
1923	3,233,815
1924	1,379,546
1925	988,558
1926	226,401
1927	461,934
1928	851,525
1929	1,741,352
	(Provisional).

Official figures covering all imports and exports through Immingham are not compiled.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he has any information as to the total amount of money spent per annum in organised research into the technical and economic problem of the coal industry by Government Departments and associations of coalowners and others in this country; and what are the corresponding figures for Germany?

Countries to which consigned.		Total Quantity Exported.
		1912.	1913.	1920.	1927.	1928.	1929.
		Tons.	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.
France	…	10,190,948	12,775,909	11,690,922	9,262,022	9,064,963	13,045,033
Italy	…	9,180,208	9,647,161	2,905,217	6,792,244	6,622,331	7,094,808
Germany	…	8,394,864	8,952,328	13,457	4,241,032	5,367,903	5,520,944
Russia*	…	4,046,644	5,998,434	92,879	19,362	24,452	33,787
Belgium	…	1,546,768	2,031,077	671,385	2,232,771	2,259,581	4,139,634
Netherlands	…	2,096,494	2,018,401	239,067	2,314,451	2,430,777	3,123,368
The figures for the years 1912, 1913 and 1920 are in respect of the former Russian Empire, while those for 1927 to 1929 relate to the Soviet Union (Russia).
Note.—The figures for 1929 are provisional.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many persons are employed per £1,000,000 of capital in agriculture and in the coal, railway, iron and steel, cotton, tobacco, and brewing trades?

It is estimated that not less than £100,000 a year is being spent by Government Departments in this country on research into technical and economic questions directly affecting the coal-mining industry. In addition a sum of over £50,000 a year is being spent on research work directed solely to the health and safety of workers in coal mines, but which nevertheless is frequently of considerable value from a technical and economic point of view. I will send my hon. Friend a list of associations and other bodies outside Government Departments which are known to be carrying on research work closely affecting the coal-mining industry. Information is not available of the total amount of money expended by these organisations although it is known to be considerable, nor is information available of the expenditure in Germany on these problems.

asked the Secretary for Mines the quantity of coal exported to France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Belgium, and the Netherlands in 1912, 1913, 1920, 1927, 1928, and 1929?

The following table shows the total quantities of coal exported from the United Kingdom and consigned to the countries specified during each of the undermentioned years.

I regret that there are no general figures available of the kind that my hon. Friend asks for. He will, however, find some information relating to the capital and number of employés engaged in agriculture in the Report on the Agricultural Output of England and Wales for 1925 (Cmd. 2815), and figures in respect of the capital expenditure and number of employés of the railway companies of Great Britain are given in the Railway Returns for 1928, and in the return of the staff of railway companies for 1929, respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if it is the intention of the Government to give the proposed Consumers' Council powers to control distribution of supply and fix maximum prices; and when he proposes to communicate the terms of reference and the powers of such Council to the House?

I cannot as yet add anything to the statements which I have previously made in the House.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will explain why in January, 1930, with English wheat selling at 9s. 7d. per cwt., the 4-lb. loaf was 9d., when in January, 1914, English wheat was selling at 7s. 3d. per cwt. and the 4-lb. loaf was only 5¾d.; and whether

—		1926.	1927.	1928.	1929
Cotton Yarns.
	lbs.	7,898,473	9,827,711	12,193,249	15,056,098
	£	820,4158	921,429	1,241,119	1,355,510
Cotton Piece Goods (including flags, handkerchiefs and shawls in the piece).
	sq. yds.	56,178,238	72,345,453	82,943,300	83,255,999
	Linear yds	49,553,412	64,486,921	73,302,800	73,734,370
	Cwts	200,852	255,479	291,249	290,216
	£	4,034,442	4,451,198	5,043,174	5,125,104
Note.—The imports of piece goods consist mainly of goods dyed in the piece, and may include some piece goods of United Kingdom Manufacture which had been sent to the Continent to be dyed and then re-imported.
The figures for 1929 are provisional.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the quantity and value of raw wool, greasy and scoured, exported from and imported

The price of the loaf is dependent upon many factors besides that of the price of wheat, among which the more important are milling and baking costs which have undoubtedly increased since 1914. I am not aware of any special investigation of the factor of rates and taxes. I would add that the price of the 4-lb. loaf in the London area was reduced from 9d. to 8½d. yesterday.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the quantities and values of cotton yarn and cotton piece goods imported into this country during 1929; and whether and, if so, to what extent they represent an increase over the years 1926, 1927, and 1928?

The following table shows the total quantities and declared values of cotton yarns and cotton piece goods, respectively, imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during each of the years 1926 to 1929.into all foreign countries and Dominions for which returns are available for each of the last completed three years?

According to statistics published by the International Institute of Agriculture, the total quantities of wool imported into and exported (including re-exported) from 71 countries, British and foreign (including the United Kingdom) were as follow:

Year			Total Imports.	Exports and Re-exports.
			Million lb.	Million lb.
1925	…	…	2,271·0	2,221·2
1926	…	…	2,518·8	2,419·8
1927	…	…	2,700·7	2,572·6

Similar co-ordinated summaries are not available in respect of the value of the wool, or for later years. The distinction between "greasy" and "scoured" wool is not made with sufficient generality in the official statistics of exports and imports published by the various countries concerned to permit of the compilation of aggregate figures showing these classes separately.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the index number of production for each quarter of 1929 and, for comparison, for each quarter of 1928?

The figures asked for have already appeared in the Board of Trade Journal for 21st February, 29th August, and 28th November, 1929, for each quarter mentioned except the December quarter of last year. The figures for that quarter will be published as soon as the necessary information is complete, probably about the end of the present month.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether in view of the fact that warm fabrics, known as artificial furs, can now be obtained which are cheaper, lighter, and heathier than real fur, and the manufacture of which will encourage a home industry, he will consider reducing or prohibiting the importation of furs into this country, the procuring of which involves cruelty?

As I informed my hon. Friend in answer to a question on 9th December last, the course he suggests does not appear to be practicable.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the dumping of German baths in this country which is estimated to have resulted in the throwing out of work of 10,000 men; and whether he proposes to investigate the conditions under which these imported articles are produced with the object of taking counter action if possible?

My attention has been called to the recent importations of porcelain enamel baths, but I notice that these were less both in weight and value in 1929 than in any of the three immediately preceding years. No useful purpose would be served by a special inquiry into the conditions abroad in this particular trade. As the hon. Member is aware, the Government do not intend to propose any new Safeguarding Duties.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, with a view to developing trade with the Dominions and foreign countries, the Government are prepared to adopt a policy of reciprocal bulk purchase on the lines of the recent arrangement with the Argentine Republic?

The objects of the Anglo-Argentine Trade Agreement were described in a Press notice issued by the Foreign Office on 10th September last. Should any opportunity present itself of making arrangements on similar lines with other countries His Majesty's Government would undoubtedly welcome it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can make any statement relative to the present amount of imports into Russia, stating the countries of origin; what is the value of British exports and imports to Russia; and how do these figures compare with those of 1925 and 1920, respectively?

The following statement shows the value of the total imports of merchandise over all frontiers into the Soviet Union (Russia) during each of the years ended September, 1925 and 1928, and the 10 months ended July, 1929, distinguishing the countries whence the

—			Year ended September, 1925.	Year ended September, 1928.	Ten Months ended July, 1929.
			Thousand £.	Thousand £.	Thousand £.
Total Imports	…	…	78,216	99,766	70,547
Of which from—
United Kingdom	…	…	11,968	5,018	3,748
Germany	…	…	11,099	26,239	16,427
France	…	…	996	3,786	2,618
Italy	…	…	567	974	734
United States	…	…	21,818	19,826	11,137
Finland	…	…	2,016	1,750	946
Persia	…	…	5,636	6,602	5,679
Turkey	…	…	366	1,482	1,188
China	…	…	1,823	4,762	2,962
Mongolia	…	…	387	1,282	1,338
Japan and Formosa	…	…	289	571	489
Other Countries	…	…	21,251	27,474	23,281
Conversions from the original currency have been made at the rate of 9·25 gold roubles to £1, in 1925, 9·47 gold roubles to £1, in 1928, and 9·458 gold roubles to £1, in 1929.

The following Table shows the total declared value of merchandise imported into and exported from the United Kingdom and consigned from and to the Soviet Union (Russia) during each of the years 1921, 1925 and 1929.
—		1921.	1925.	1929.
		£	£	£
Total Imports	…	2,694,674	25,322,033	26,506,801
Exports: United Kingdom—
Produce and Manufactures	…	2,181,007	6,239,717	5,766,564
Imported Merchandise	…	1,210,283	13,017,212	2,798,544
Note.—The above figures for 1921 relate to the trade of the British Isles as a whole, while those for 1925 and 1929 relate to the trade of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Comparable figures for the year 1920 are not available, since in that year the official trade statistics affecting Russia covered the territory of the former Russian Empire.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of motor cars exported from Great Britain during the month of January, 1930, and the number exported during the corresponding period of 1929?

The total number of touring cars and commercial vehicles and complete chassis therefore of United Kingdom manufacture, registered as exported from the United Kingdom during the month of January, 1930, was 3,191 as compared with 4,231 during January, 1929. No reliable deduction can be made

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is his intention to take any steps to establish a decimal system of weights, measures and coinage in this country?

I have no such proposals in contemplation. The metric system of weights and measures is already legal for most purposes. The question of a decimal coinage is a matter for the Treasury.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the present position of the negotiations with the Australian Government with regard to the recently imposed prohibitive duty on steel traps?

I have received a considerable number of complaints of hardship arising out of the recent increases in the Australian tariff. As I explained in answer to a question by the hon. Member for Pudsey and Otley (Mr. Gibson) on 17th December last, general representations on the subject have already been made to the Commonwealth Government, and, in addition, a more detailed memorandum has now been prepared and forwarded to that Government for their consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a White Paper specifying for each Dominion and Colony the tariff duties chargeable upon British goods entering the Dominions and Colonies, and showing any preferences granted by such Dominions and Colonies to British as compared with foreign goods?

A statement of the kind asked for by the hon. and gallant Member, involving as it does a reprint of every Dominion and Colonial Customs Tariff in force, would take up a large volume or volumes, and would quickly become out of date owing to changes in tariffs which are constantly being made. These tariffs are at all times available for reference at the Department of Overseas Trade, and, having regard to the expense involved, I do not feel able to comply with this request.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has for any recent year statistics based upon British prices which would indicate the relative wholesale and retail prices in foreign countries and the Dominions?

I regret that the information asked for by the Noble Lord is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total amount of the preferential rebates granted by each of the Dominions, Colonies and Protectorates in respect of imported British goods for the latest year in each case?

The latest information available was given in reply to questions by the hon. Member for Moseley (Mr. Hannon) on 22nd July, 1920, and by the hon. Member for the Eastern Division of Hull (Mr. Muff) on 25th July, 1927. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of these replies.

asked the Minister of Transport the ground on which the Kingston-Swanley traffic road was diverted from the Park Langley golf course, West Wickham?

I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member's question of 30th January on this point.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the revised route of the Kingston-Swanley traffic road at the Park Langley estate, West Wickham, was selected without giving the owners of property on the estate any notice or any opportunity of making representations; that the decision has caused depreciation of the value of that property; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. A local inquiry will be held by an inspector of the Ministry of Health before the scheme is formally adopted, when all interested persons will have an opportunity of making representations with regard to the proposals.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has any statement to make respecting the progress of the negotiations for the construction of a tube railway between Liverpool Street Station and Ilford?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 5th February by my hon. Friend the Minister of Transport to the hon. and gallant Member for North East Bethnal Green (Major Nathan), a copy of which I am sending to him.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he is aware that, owing to the closing down of the Ebbw Vale Steel and Iron Company, some hundred shop assistants are under notice to leave their situations; and if he will consider steps to find alternative use for these works?

I was not aware that the decision to close down temporarily part of the steel works of this company had led to the result suggested. According to my information, the closing is temporary and is part of a necessary reorganisation; the proposal in the last part of the question does not, therefore, at present arise.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether, in the interests of employment in Great Britain, he will use his influence with the High Commissioner of India to secure that contracts placed by the India Store Department should specify, wherever possible, for British manufacture?

I cannot add anything to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for India on 18th November last to the hon. Member for Moseley (Mr. Hannon) of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will take steps to place fishermen who work on drifters on an equality with regard to unemployment insurance with fishermen who work on trawlers?

The Unemployment Insurance Acts do not apply to members of the crews of fishing vessels who are wholly remunerated by a share in the profits or the gross earnings of the working of the vessel. Except in so-far as this provision may be operative, the Acts draw no distinction between fishermen who work on drifters and those who work on trawlers. The provision is statutory and cannot therefore be altered without fresh legislation.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she will consider the desirability of issuing instructions to managers of Employment Exchanges that where local men of a particular occupation are unemployed such men shall be sent to local employers requiring the services of men of that occupation in preference to men belonging to outside districts?

Apart from special cases arising under the transfer scheme, it is the general rule of the Employment Exchanges that so far as local men are industrially suitable they are first to be submitted for local vacancies. The selection of the man to be engaged, however, must obviously rest with the employer, and the Exchange must pay due regard to his requirements.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of young persons under 21 years of age registered at the Brighouse Employment Exchange and at the Elland and Greetland sub-offices at the latest date for which figures are available: and how many of these young persons are attending training centres?

The following table shows the numbers of young persons under 21 years of age on the registers of the Employment Exchanges mentioned at 3rd February, 1930:

Employment Exchange.		Males.	Females.	Total.
Brighouse	…	62	70	132
Elland	…	8	29	37
Greetland	…	23	33	56

asked the Lord Privy Seal what steps, if any, he is taking to meet the decrease in employment occasioned by the further abandonment of naval construction?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question to-day.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of cases in which claims for unemployment benefit were considered, allowed, and disallowed by the boards of assessors since their formation, and a comparable period for similar decisions given by the courts of referees prior to the establishment of the boards?

The boards of assessors make recommendations to the insurance officer for the purpose of the initial decisions by him on the question whether the claimant is genuinely seeking work or satisfies the transitional conditions that he is normally employed in an insured trade and has had a reasonable period of employment in the past two years. The number of cases dealt with by boards of assessors in Great

Great Britain.
—	11th Sept., 1928, to 14th Jan., 1929 (18 weeks).	10th Sept., 1929, to 13th Jan., 1930 (18 weeks).
Disallowances by Insurance Officers on grounds of not genuinely seeking work and transitional conditions.	154,744	80,449*
Cases dealt with by Courts of Referees on all grounds of disallowance:—
Total number of cases considered	79,913	64,703
Number recommended for:—
Allowance	33,397	24,172
Disallowance	46,516	40,531
*These include certain types of cases which, under the procedure, are not dealt with in the first place by Boards of Assessors.

asked the Minister of Labour if she proposes, when introducing legislation to ratify the draft convention limiting the hours of work in industrial undertakings to eight in the day and 48 in the week, adopted at Washington on 28th November, 1919, to give effect at the same time to the recommendation concerning the establishment of Government health services adopted on the same date?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The recommendation to which my hon. Friend refers was, I understand, intended to secure the establishment of a medical branch in connection with factory inspection. It was duly considered by the Government in 1920 on a report from the official delegate

asked the Minister of Labour the definition of the work dealt with by the trade board concerning stamped or pressed metal ware; and whether an extension will be considered in suitable cases?

The definition of this trade is set out in the Trade Boards (Stamped or Pressed Metal Wares) Order, 1924. I am sending the hon. Member a copy, together with an explanatory circular issued when the Order was made. As regards the last part of the question, I should wish to know more precisely what kind of extension is suggested before I could give a definite answer. No extension of the definition of this trade is under consideration at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the grant in respect of the derating of harbours under the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929, is to be used to reduce harbour dues or in aid of local rates; and whether instructions are being issued to guide town councils who are also habour authorities as to the utilisation of the grant?

The block grant to the extent to which it includes an amount equal to losses on account of rates (including rates on harbours) will be paid to rating authorities and applied by them to meet expenditure which otherwise would have been met out. of rates. If the hon. and gallant Member has in mind the disposal of the rate-relief to harbour authorities in consequence of derating, I would refer him to Section 136 of the English Local Government Act, which applies also to Scotland, for the law as to the transmission of the benefit of such relief. I do not propose to issue instructions on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what difficulties are being placed in the way of the Government formulating an agricultural credits scheme for Scotland; by whom are those difficulties being raised; and what action is being taken to remove the difficulties?

As I explained in answer to a question by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Sir R. Hamilton) on 28th January, the difficulties which have arisen are due to failure to obtain a sufficient measure of support from the Scottish banks in raising the capital necessary for the formation of a company under the Scottish Act. It is not easy to find a way out of these difficulties, but the question is being actively explored.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements have been made to permit of an appeal by any person considering himself or herself aggrieved by reason of the recent withdrawal of blind pensions a Shetland?

I am advised that the decision of the Department of Health in these eases is final, and that there is no further right of appeal so far as the questions already raised are concerned. The only way in which a case can be re-opened is by the aggrieved persons lodging a fresh claim to a pension, in which event there is a fresh right of appeal to the Department by either the Pension Officer or the claimant, against the decision of the local pension committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the names and accommodation of grant-aided nursery schools in Scotland; the average attendance; and the average annual cost per child at the latest convenient date?

The grant-aided nursery schools in Scotland, all of which are integral parts of infant departments of state-aided schools, are:

School.	Accommodation.
Glasgow, Hayfield Public School	24
Glasgow, Dalmarnock Public School	36
Glasgow, Strathclyde Public School	40
Glasgow, Eastpark Public School	40
Greenock, Craigieknowes Public School	50
Paisley, East Public School	60
	250

The total average attendance at these schools is 160, and the average annual cost per child is £ 16 13s. 8d.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the present cost-of-living figure on which officers' pay is based; and what is the figure on which it is proposed to base it in July next?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave yesterday to the hon. and gallant Member for Abingdon (Major Glyn), of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many men have been discharged by his Department from temporary civilian labour during the last two months?

I am not in a position to give this information, which could only be obtained with considerable labour from the various establishments concerned. But from the latest figures available at the War Office it appears that between 1st October, 1929, and 1st January, 1930, the net decrease from all causes in the number of industrial employés of both sexes and all ages in War Department establishments in the United Kingdom was approximately 170 on a total of 24,000.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the conditions under which senior naval pharmacists signed their original agreements, entitling them to first-class sea passages, will be restored; and whether the instructions contained in Admiralty Fleet Orders, dated 1st November, 1929, will be rescinded in this respect?

The present arrangement has been in force for over 20 years. The question of re-grouping senior pharmacists under the rules relating to sea passages for civilian officers has been under review on several occasions in recent years, but it is not proposed to make any change in the present arrangement.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when it is expected that work will be commenced on the two destroyers allocated to Portsmouth; whether this work will occasion any increase in the number of men to be employed at the dockyard; and, if so, to what extent?

Work will actually be started in a month or so. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative, and the third part does not therefore arise.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs if he has received any information as to how many persons are to-day unemployed in Canada, Australia, and South Africa; what communications have been received by the Dominions Office as to the possibility of accepting immigrants during this year; and, if so, what skilled trades should applicants belong to in order to have favourable consideration?

In reply to the first part of the question, I am not in possession of any precise information as to the number of persons unemployed in Canada, Australia and South Africa. In reply to the second part, assisted passages to Canada and guaranteed employment are available for juveniles for farm work and women for household work, and for these classes there is a large demand. Assisted passages are also available for families experienced in farm work or who can be accepted under a land settlement scheme. In addition, His Majesty's Government in Canada intimated some few months ago that they were themselves prepared to place in farm employment during the coming season 3,000 single men who will be trained and provided with free passages, etc., by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia have intimated that they have found it necessary to suspend temporarily assisted migration except for the purpose of reuniting families and for juveniles, farm workers and single women household workers requisitioned by the State Governments. There is no assisted migration to South Africa where, generally speaking, the openings for settlers from the United Kingdom are limited to those with capital. In reply to the last part of the question, the above are the only categories of settlers to whom assisted passages can be granted during the present year. Those who pay their own passages to the Dominions, including persons travelling to Canada at the special reduced ocean passage rate of £10, are free to engage in any kind of employment on arrival.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will issue a tabular statement, with statistics, of the reserve funds now standing to the credit of the various islands of the West Indies; and the nature of the investments of these funds?

Reserve funds to the credit of various islands of the West Indies held by the Crown Agents for the Colonies as on 6th February, 1930, are as follow:

	Total Nominal Stock.
Colony.	£	s.	d.
Antigua	13,094	7	2
Grenada	54,460	0	0
	(Approx.)
Montserrat	10,681	7	10
St. Kitts Nevis	11,194	1	8
St. Vincent	16,988	2	8
Trinidad	263,630	0	0
	(Approx.)

These funds are invested in British, Dominion and Colonial Government stocks, and do not include any further sums which may be held locally as reserve or surplus funds. The statement of assets and liabilities of the Island of Barbados shows a sum of £100,000 on reserve fund account as on 31st March, 1928. The statement of assets and liabilities of the Virgin Islands shows a sum of £10,090 10s. 10d. on reserve fund account as on 31st March, 1928. Detailed information is not available as to how these sums are invested.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the cost of printing the catalogue of the British Museum has yet been ascertained?

The estimate for printing and binding the Museum's new general catalogue is approximately £175,150. This is exclusive of other costs of production.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total expenditure per head of the population of this country during the years 1913–14 and 1928–29, respectively, on the following services, namely, fighting forces, civil estimates, education and police?

My hon. Friend will find the latest available figures on pages 5, 116–117, 178–179, and 186–187 of the Statistical Abstract for the United Kingdom (Command Paper 3465) and for Education on pages 5 and 7 of the return of Public Social Services (House of Commons Paper, No. 101 of 1929).

asked the Minister of Health in how many of the 460 appeals decided to date under the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act, 1928, the Revenue officers have been represented by counsel; and in how many by more than one junior counsel?

Of the 460 decided appeals, the Revenue officers have been represented by counsel in 220. In 163 cases they have been represented by more than one junior counsel.

asked the Minister of Health the rateable value in England and Wales, according to the valuation lists, as at the last convenient date?

The rateable value of all properties in England and Wales, according to the valuation lists in force on 1st October, 1929, i.e., after reductions resulting from the derating provisions of the Local Government Act, 1929, had been made, was approximately £255,600,000.

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of houses in Acomb Village, Northumberland; and if he is prepared to do anything to help?

I have received a petition from the Acomb Parish Council urging that houses are needed in this parish, and I am in communication with the Hexham Rural District Council on the subject.

asked the Minister of Health the number of children compulsorily vaccinated last year and the number for whom exception was claimed; for how long the Department considers that vaccination protects from smallpox; and how many of the adult population are re-vaccinated after this period?

The particulars asked for in the first part of the question are not yet available. As regards the second part, I am advised that there are many considerations affecting the duration of the protection against smallpox which is afforded by vaccination, and I would refer my hon. Friend to paragraph 377 of the Final Report of the Royal Commission on Vaccination made in 1896, in which these considerations are reviewed and summarised. I have no information as regards the third part of the question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been called to the damage done to salmon nets by merchant vessels entering and leaving the Tyne; and whether he is satisfied that everything possible is done to bring to the notice of those concerned the existence and precise position of these nets in order that the amount of destruction may be avoided as far as possible?

As a result of damage in previous years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries arranged for notices to mariners to be issued in April, 1928 and 1929, by the Board of Trade and the Admiralty, warning them that drift net operations on a considerable scale would be taking place in the approaches to the River Tyne. In addition, the Tyne Fishery Board issued notices to the same effect. My right hon. Friend will arrange for the issue of similar notices this year at the beginning of the fishing season.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Mr. Patrick Kennedy, late private, No. 103,033, King's Liverpool Regiment, was discharged on 30th April, 1919, with a total of 18 years and five months' service to his credit; that he was pensioned as a disabled man as from the date of demobilisation in respect of a disability accepted as attributable to his service, and that he made a claim for disablement pension before his demobilisation; and whether, in view of the fact that Mr. Kennedy is now in receipt of a permanent disability pension, he will consider an alteration in his discharge documents, in accordance with a decision made at the Standing Joint Committee for ex-service questions in 1921, so as to give him the benefit of a service pension which is ordinarily payable in such cases in respect of 14 years' service only?

Mr. Kennedy was demobilised on 30th April, 1919, after giving 18 years 142 days' total service, of which 4 years 174 days were spent in the Army Reserve. The latter service cannot reckon as qualifying service for pension, and the remaining service is, I regret, not sufficient for an award. There are no grounds for amending Mr. Kennedy's Army documents to show him as having been invalided from the Army.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he intends to introduce legislation to abolish the seven-year limit in respect to application on behalf of War injuries?

asked the Minister of Pensions if he proposes to repeal Section 5 of the War Pensions Act, 1921; and, if so, when this amending legislation will be introduced?

I would refer to the answer which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Hexham (Colonel Clifton Brown) on 26th November, copies of which I am sending to both hon. Members.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, in view of the fact that the lease of the temporary hospital for ex-service men at Bellahouston, Glasgow, has only been renewed for a year, he will consider the advisability of entering into negotiations with the governing body of one of the hospitals in Glasgow to build an addition for the treatment of disabled ex-service men?

I am unable at this early date to forecast precisely what the requirements of the Ministry will be with regard to hospital accommodation in Scotland after Whitsuntide, 1931, but my hon. Friend may rest assured that adequate provision will be made.