asked the Secretary of State for India if any of the recommendations of the Indian Industrial Commission which issued its Report in 1918 have been adopted by the Government of India; and if he will give information as to the steps that have been taken to implement the recommendations so adopted?

A similar question was asked in the Indian Legislative Assembly in 1924, and the following reply was given:

"It is not possible to give in detail all the information which the hon. Member desires within the compass of a reply to his question. I would also remind the hon. Member that the development of industries is mainly a transferred provincial subject and active measures for giving effect to the recommendations of the Industrial Commission are, therefore, largely in the hands of the Provincial Governments. So far as the Central Government is concerned, action has been or is being taken on certain of the more important recommendations of the Commission such as the constitution of a Central Department of Industries, the creation of an agency for the purchase and inspection of stores in India and the establishment of a School of Mines and Geology. If the hon. Member will specify any particular recommendations of the Commission concerning the Central Government in respect of which he desires detailed information, I shall be glad to furnish it."

asked the Secretary of State for India (1) whether he is aware that an order, under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, has been served on Mr. Varadarajulu Naidu and seven of the employés of the Ambasamudram Textile Mill, Madras Province, prohibiting them from holding meetings in connection with a strike at the mill: and whether steps will be taken to have the order withdrawn with a view to securing that the dispute shall be a peaceful one;(2) whether the Government of India is aware that Mr. Galletti, Indian Civil Service, a collector of the Ambasamudram district, Madras Province, has advised the men on strike at the Ambasamudram textile mills to form a trade union of their own without outsiders, notwithstanding the provisions of the Trades Union Act, 1926, permitting the association of outsiders with unions to the extent of half the number of members of the executive committee; and whether steps will be taken with a view to making the provisions of the Act known to the employés at this mill;(3) whether the Government of India will consider the desirability of requesting the Madras Government to appoint a committee of inquiry or a board of conciliation under the Trades Disputes Act, 1929, with a view to investigating the causes of the present dispute at the Ambasamudram textile mill (Madras Province)?

I have no information regarding the matters dealt with in these questions, which, of course, are within the discretion of the Government of Madras.

asked the Secretary of State for India which, if any, of the Provincial Governments have published rules under the Trades Disputes Act, 1929, and what time has elapsed in each case between the passing of the Act and the publication of the rules; and if the Government will take steps to expedite publication in the cases of those Governments in the Provinces which have not yet issued rules under the Act?

I will ask the Government of India for a report.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the case of Mr. T. Brockbank, late a master in Stourbridge School, who has been deprived of his pension rights and prohibited from teaching in any State-aided school without having been allowed to contest the charges under which he was dismissed before the governing body of the school and the Board of Education; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

My attention has been drawn to this case. Mr. Brockbank was fully informed of the charges against him and was given an opportunity for explanation. He availed himself of this opportunity by means of correspondence and of a personal interview at the Board's offices. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of inspectors of elementary schools in the service of the Board and the proportion of them who are ex-elementary school teachers?

There are 180 inspectors of elementary schools in the service of the Board, of whom 122 have served as elementary school teachers.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of divisional inspectors of elementary schools in the service of the Board; and the proportion of them who are ex-elementary school teachers?

Of the nine divisional inspectors in the service of the Board, three have served as elementary school teachers. These inspectors are responsible for all forms of education in their area, and there are no divisional inspectors whose responsibilities are limited to elementary schools.

asked the President of the Board of Education the names of the local education authorities within whose areas, and of the districts in which, the two Church of England schools now in course of erection are being built; and similar particulars with regard to the three Church of England schools in respect of which Section 18 notices are current?

The two Church of England schools for which plans have been approved by the Board are at Cronton in the area of the Lancashire local education authority, and at Aber dare. The three schools in respect of which notices are current are at Bury St. Edmunds, at Hankelow in Cheshire, and at Royton in Lancashire.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will take into consideration the special care of rural districts and agricultural workers' families in the case of the Bill to increase the school-leaving age?

I can assure the hon. Member that the need for making suitable arrangements for the raising of the school-leaving age in rural districts will not be overlooked.

asked the Home Secretary the amount of money finally handed by him to ex-Sergeant Goddard?

Out of the sum of £12,471 10s. of which the police took possession, the sum of £6,471 10s. has already been paid to Goddard's solicitors in accordance with the judgment of the Court, but the final settlement must be deferred till the taxation of costs is completed.

asked the Home Secretary the number of non-juvenile cases of birching in each of the last 10 years and the Acts under which the penalty was inflicted?

The following table gives the numbers of persons over 16 years of age who were ordered to be birched in each of the years 1919 to 1928 inclusive and the Statutes under which the birchings were ordered.

asked the Home Secretary whether representations have been made to him in connection with the advisability of extending exemptions from jury service provided for in the Juries Acts, 1825 to 1922, and so amending the provisions as to extend their application to members of county and district councils in addition to members of councils of municipal boroughs, and so as to provide exemption for all such persons from service on all juries either in or beyond the county in which is situate the administrative county, borough, or district for which such person is an elected representative; and, if so, what action the Government propose to take in the matter?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave to a similar question by the hon. and gallant Member for the Maldon Division (Lieut.-Colonel Ruggles-Brise) on the 6th instant.

asked the Home Secretary the stated terms of the nature of the experiment or experiments, as required to be stated on the certificate according to Section 5 of the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, for which Professor Pembrey held certificates B and EE in 1928; and the date on which these certificates were granted to Professor Pembrey?

The contents of certificates are always and necessarily treated as confidential and I cannot undertake to give the particulars asked for. The certificates referred to were granted in February, 1920.

asked the Home Secretary the number of factories and workshops in this country employing persons as under: under 50, between 50 and 100, between 100 and 500, between 500 and 1,000, between 1,000 and 2,000, over 2,000, and comparative figures for any convenient date in each of the last three decades?

I regret that I am unable to meet the hon. Member's request. The figures he asks for are not available and, while it would be possible to extract some figures on the subject—which would, however, only be very partial—from the returns furnished by factory occupiers, this could not, I am advised, be done without a special tabulation involving considerable labour and expense which would not, in my opinion, be justified.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons shown on the registers as unemployed or partially employed on 3rd March, 1929, and 1930, respectively, at the following Exchanges: Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Hinckley, Loughborough, and Market Harborough?

The following Table shows the numbers of persons on the registers of the Exchanges in question at 10th March, 1930, and at 11th March, 1929.

asked the Attorney-General how many benches of magistrates there are in England and Wales without a woman magistrate on them?

Women magistrates have been appointed to every County Commission of the Peace in England and Wales. There are 251 boroughs in England and Wales which have separate Commissions of the Peace. One or more women magistrates have been appointed to the Commissions of the Peace in 202 of the boroughs. No women have been appointed to the Commission of the Peace for the remaining 49 boroughs, the great majority of which are boroughs having small populations.

Description.		Unit of Quantity.		Total Imports.	Exports.
					U.K. Manufactures.	Imported Mauufactures.
				Quantities
Gramophones and Phonographs:
Complete	…	Number	…	29,474	455,743	900
Records	…	Dozens	…	18,900	1,247,329	299
Parts of (including Motors)	…			Recorded by value only.
				Declared Values.
Gramophones and Phonographs:				£	£	£
Complete	…	…	…	31,064	1,697,910	1,157
Records	…	…	…	30,649	1,129,575	548
Parts of (including Motors).	…	…	…	233,056	536,694	6,054

NOTE.—The above figures are provisional.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the values of imports, exports and re-exports of the

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total quantities and declared values of gramophones or phonographs, records, or parts imported into or exported from the United Kingdom for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

The following table shows the total quantities and declared values of gramophones and phonographs, records, and parts of gramophones and phonographs (including motors) imported into and exported from Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year 1929.various classes of manufactured goods which are now subject to Safeguarding or other duties during the years 1924, 1925 and 1929?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question by the hon. Member for East Willesden (Mr. D. G. Somerville) on 4th February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has been able to obtain figures of the amount of cotton goods exported from this

TOTAL quantities and declared values of Cotton Goods of United Kingdom Manufacture exported from this country and registered as consigned to the Soviet Union (Russia) during the quarter ended 31st December, 1929
Description.	Unit of Quantity.	Quantities.	Declared Values.
Cotton Yarn:			£
Grey, Unbleached	lbs.	21,643	6,587
Cotton Piece Goods:
Grey, Unbleached	Sq. Yards	24,696	629
	Lin. Yards Cwts.	26,525
		70
Printed, other than Flags, Handker-chiefs, and Shawls in the piece.	Sq. Yards	3,513	100
	Lin. Yards Cwts.	2,750
		4
Cotton Small Wares, including Ribbons, Trimmings and Tape.	—	Recorded by Value only.	218
Total of above	—	—	7,434

NOTES.—The above figures relate to the total exports of all descriptions of cotton merchandise so far as they are separately classified in the Export Returns.No exports from this country of imported cotton merchandise were registered as consigned to the Soviet Union (Russia) during the quarter ended 31st December, 1929.The above figures are provisional.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies into what main divisions of trade, e.g., whether textiles, agricultural, electrical or other machinery, coal, etc., the imports into the 35 Colonies and Protectorates in 1927 and 1928 can be divided, the respective totals being £57,876,000 and £58,422,000 from the United Kingdom, £54,062,000 and £50,118,000 from the rest of the British Empire, including India, and £113,383,000 and £101,628,000 from foreign countries?

The compilation of totals, for 35 Colonies and Protectorates, of figures under separate headings and items, will entail the examination of a great number of returns and take a long time, and I have some doubt how far it would be possible in all cases to give an accurate result. If the hon. and gallant Member will communicate with me, I

The total declared value of cotton goods of all descriptions exported from the United Kingdom during the quarter ended 31st December, 1929, and registered as consigned to the Soviet Union (Russia) amounted to £7,434. Details are shown in the following table:shall be glad to consider with him how we can best reconcile a reasonable desire for more detailed information with a reasonable economy of time and labour.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in respect of London and also of typical provincial towns, the present margins of price between wheat, flour and bread respectively; and the corresponding figures for 1914 and for 1918?

I regret that the data available with regard to prices at which wheat and flour of similar quality were sold at particular plaices at the times indicated in the question are not sufficient to serve as the basis of comparable calculations of the margins between wheat and flour. Further, such calculations would require, in addition, information regarding the prices of milling offals. The different kinds of flour used by bakers of bread, and the varying amount of bread made from any specified quantity of flour, might render calculations of the margins between flour and bread untrustworthy for the purposes of such bread comparisons

—	London.*		Manchester.*		Hull.*		Glasgow.*
	Shillings per cwt.		Shillings per cwt.		Shillings per cwt.		Shillings per cwt.
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
British wheat, March, 1930	8	7	9	4	8	0	8	7½
British wheat, March,1918	17	0½	17	0	16	11	16	4
British wheat, March,1914	7	7	7	7	7	5	6	9
	Prices converted to shillings per cwt.
Imported wheat:			Live pool.
Northern Manitoba (No. 2), March, 1930	10	1	†		10	0	9	9
	(ex ship).				(c.i.f.).		(No. 3c.i.f.).
Northern Manitoba (No. 2), March,1918	18	1	†		†		†
	(landed).
Northern Manitoba (No. 2), March,1914	8	6	8	4	8	5½	8	7
Argentine, March, 1930	9	4½	8	9	8	9½	†
	(ex ship).		(spot).		(futures c.i.f.).
Argentine, March,1918	18	4	†		†		†
	(landed).
Argentine, March,1914	8	4	†		8	3½	†
	(to arrive).
	Shillings per sack of 280 lbs.
							Imported Spring Patent.
Flour, straight run, March, 1930	35	0	—		36	0	34	0
							Government Regulation.
Flour, home-milled Government Regulation, March, 1918.	44	3	—		44	3	51	9
							Canadian Patent.
Flour,(subsidised and controlled price) household, March, 1914.	27	0	—		25	0	26	0
	Pence per 4 lb. loaf.
			Manchester.
Bread, March, 1930	8–8½		‡		‡		‡
Bread, March,1918 (controlled price)	9		9		9		9
Bread, March,1914	5½		5½		5½		6
* "Gazette Average" at English Centres, Fiars Prices at Glasgow.
† No quotations.
‡ The retail price of bread in individual towns, other than London, is not available; the prices Most generally charged at the beginning of March, 1930, in the towns specified were 8½d. or 9d.

NOTE.—The average declared value of the wheat imported into the United Kingdom during the months of December, January and February immediately preceding the dates for which price quotations are given above were as follows:—December, 1929–February, 1930, 10s. 7d. per cwt., December, 1917–February, 1918, 17s. 10½d. per cwt., December, 1913–February, 1914, 7s. 10d. per cwt.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amounts applied for the redemption of the National Debt for each year from 1924–25, inclusive?

The amounts applied for the redemption of deadweight National Debt, either from revenue or

Year.				Amount applied from Revenue (Net).	Amount applied from other sources.	Total amount applied.
				£	£	£
1924–25	…	…	…	48,659,000	11,462,000	60,121,000
1925–26	…	…	…	35,962,000	17,843,000	53,805,000
1926–27	…	…	…	23,304,000	4,922,000	28,226,000
1927–28	…	…	…	65,000,000	5,302,000	70,302,000
1928–29	…	…	…	57,509,000	1,389,000	58,898,000

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the annual profits of the State management scheme of the drink trade in Carlisle for each year since its inception?

The annual profits of the Carlisle State Management District shown in the accounts (after payment of interest on outstanding Exchequer issues) are as follow:

	£
18th January, 1916, to 31st March, 1917	31,204
Year ended 31st March, 1918	76,189
Year ended 31st March, 1919	96,519
Year ended 31st March, 1920	139,263
Year ended 31st March, 1921	108,375
Year ended 31st March, 1922	60,616
Year ended 31st March, 1923	61,813
Year ended 31st March, 1924	68,674
Year ended 31st March, 1925	76,943
Year ended 31st March, 1926	85,722
Year ended 31st March, 1927	77,069
Year ended 31st March, 1928	68,998
Year ended 31st March, 1929	58,147
Total	£1,009,532

The City of Carlisle is not distinguished in these accounts from the rest of the Carlisle district as defined by the Licensing Act, 1921.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware of the increasing difficulties in the collection of tithe payment in certain areas owing to the depression in arable farming; and what steps he proposes to take to meet these difficulties?

Tithe rentcharge charged on lands in England and Wales is owned by Queen Anne's Bounty (in trust for benefices and ecclesiastical corporations), the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the Welsh Church Commissioners, and various schools, colleges, charities, and individual lay-owners. The tithe rentcharge is collected by such owners, the Ministry is in no way concerned with such collection, and it has no information as to whether or not tithe owners are finding it increasingly difficult to collect their tithe rentcharge.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can form any estimate of the total imports from foreign countries of fresh cherries, of fresh plums and of fresh pears into Great Britain in 1929; whether he can state in respect of each commodity what relation the imports bear to the home production; at what dates the imports and home production in bulk, respectively, reached the home market; and what were the average prices ruling at these dates?

The following statements show:(

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is

I have been asked to reply. The question appears to be based on a misapprehension. All the Scottish beef sold in Smithfield (save a small proportion) is marked with the Scottish National Mark, which is applied to the meat at the centres in Scotland where the cattle are killed. I may inform the hon. Member that since the scheme came into operation on 2nd November, 1929, the number of Scottish sides of beef marked has risen from 637 per week to 2,469 per week.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that an increasing number of agricultural workers are proceeding to seek employment in the towns; and what proposals does he intend to introduce to encourage them to remain on the land?

I have received no information which would enable me to confirm the statement contained in the first part of the hon. Member's question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will appoint a committee of inquiry to ascertain if the terms of the beet sugar subsidy can be adjusted to secure for the grower an increased return as against the manufacturers' revenue?

In view of the fact that a Report on the sugar beet industry is being prepared for issue this year in the Ministry's Economic Series of publications, I see no necessity for the appointment of a committee as suggested by the hon. Member. I would point out that the price to the grower for his beets is decided upon as a result of a collective bargain between the growers through the National Farmers' Union and the factories through the Beet Sugar Factories Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the negotiations for debt settlements between British bondholders and other creditors and the Soviet Government will commence; whether the negotiations will be conducted by the Soviet Ambassador or by a special mission; and, if by a special mission, what its composition will be?

Negotiations are taking place with the Soviet Ambassador as regards the methods to be followed in applying those parts of the Protocol of 3rd October applicable to this matter. Pending the result of these negotiations, I am not in a position to make any statement on the points raised in the second and third parts of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether a schedule of the counter-claims of the Soviet Government has yet been received; and whether he can state the total amount?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The second part, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether permanent quarters have yet been provided for the British Ambassador in Moscow; and where the British Embassy is at present located?

Negotiations with the object of finding a suitable building as a permanent Embassy are still proceeding. The offices of the British Embassy are at present in a building taken on an annual lease at Ulitsa Vorov-skovo 46.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the total number of men in employment in each of the Royal dockyards for each quarter since April, 1929?

The figures required to supplement those given in reply to the question of the hon. Member on 6th May, 1929 [OFFICIAL REPOBT, columns 1954–5], are:

—		July, 1929.	October, 1929.	January, 1930.
Portsmouth	…	10,722	10,728	10,761
Devonport	…	10,340	10,125	10,782
Chatham	…	7,480	7,327	7,421
Sheerness	…	1,860	1,830	1,879
Pembroke Dock	…	67	49	44
Rosyth	…	192	198	196

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the total number of men established and hired, respectively, employed in Devonport Dockyard in each of the months of December, 1929, January and February, 1930, respectively?

The numbers of workpeople at the several dates were:

—	Established.	Hired.	Total.
28th December, 1929	3,057	7,695	10,752
25th January, 1930	3,044	7,366	10,410
22nd February, 1930	3,041	7,592	10,633

These figures relate to Vote 8 Departments and are in correspondence with those given in reply to the hon. Member's question on 20th December, 1929 [OFFICIAL REPORT, Column 1790],

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what was the personnel of the Navy, and what number of persons were employed at the Admiralty and at the naval out-port establishments, for the latest available date?

The numbers are as follows:

Naval personnel	97,821
Persons employed—
(a) at the Admiralty	3,036
(b) at out-port establishments at home	53,254

These figures relate to January last.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the names of all municipal authorities which have established aerodromes; and how many applications has his Department for them at the present time for which no definite decision has been arrived at?

The answer to the first part of the question is: Blackpool, Bristol, Hull, Manchester and Nottingham. I am not sure whether I understand the inquiry in the second part; no applications are awaiting decision at the Air Ministry, but, as I stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Southampton (Mr. T. Lewis) on 12th February, a large number of municipalities are either still considering or negotiating for the purchase of sites for aerodromes, of which a considerable proportion have already been inspected by the Air Ministry.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the light aeroplane clubs at present in existence and which have received at present no subsidy will rank with the subsidised clubs for State assistance in 1930–31?

Any light aeroplane club which conforms to the conditions of membership and otherwise of the existing subsidised clubs is now at liberty to apply for official recognition as an approved club. If so approved, it will be eligible for payments in respect of such of its members as qualify, at the rates applicable under the new arrangements, as from 1st April next.

asked the Minister of Health when he proposes to publish the Poor Law Order, 1930?

A draft of this Order was published on 31st January last.