asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what recommendations of the Imperial Economic Committee made in the past year have been referred for action to the Empire Marketing Board; and, in respect of each, what action has been taken by the Board thereon?

Of the three. Reports issued by the Imperial Economic Committee during the past year, the Report on Pigs. and Pig Products alone contained recommendations requiring action by Government. That Report recommended the issue by the Empire Marketing Board of weekly notes on pig products. Arrangements have been made accordingly. The Report also recommended further investigation of the "cycle" of pig prices. This question has been considered by the Agricultural Economics Committee of the Empire Marketing Board, and it is hoped to undertake an analysis of the available data at an early date.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he has any information whether there is any European country, other than Germany, where it is compulsory to use a percentage of native wheat in millers' grists; and, if so, will he state the names of such countries and the regulations in force?

According to the information available, legislation requiring the milling of a proportion of native wheat is in force, in addition to Germany, in France, Spain, Switzerland and Portugal. In France a minimum of 97 per cent. of native wheat must be used in milling flour for ordinary breadmaking and other elementary purposes. In Spain a minimum of 75 per cent. must be mixed with imported flour. In Switzerland and Portugal no percentage is fixed, but millers are required to take delivery of an assigned quantity of native wheat.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been directed to a system adopted in Germany of making compulsory the use of 50 per cent. of native wheat in all millers' grists used in that country during the month of April; and will he have full inquiries made as to the effect of this in Germany, with a view to considering the application of a similar principle in Great Britain?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the remainder, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave to a similar question on Monday last, to which there is nothing to add at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will take steps to give publicity through county authorities and other bodies, to the available facilities for the sons and daughters of agricultural workmen for agricultural scholarships?

Every effort is made to ensure that the scheme to which the hon. Member refers is brought to the notice of all concerned, through the medium of county authorities for agricultural education and a large number of other bodies who are in touch with the agricultural public. Steps are also taken to secure publicity by the insertion of notices in the Press by broadcasting, by the exhibition of notices in Post Offices, by the issue of posters to all rural district and parish councils, and by other means. I am sending the hon. Member a more detailed statement of the measures taken, and I shall be glad to consider any suggestions that he may wish to make for securing further publicity.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses built with the assistance of the subsidies provided by each of the three Housing Acts; and the number of houses built by local authorities for letting by each of these three Acts?

The following statement shows the number of houses completed with the assistance of subsidies under the various Housing Acts in England and Wales up to 28th February last, the latest date to which figures are at present available. All the houses built under the Act of 1924 and a majority of those built by local authorities under other Acts were built for letting, but detailed information as to these is not available.

Title of Act.	Number of Houses completed up to 28th February, 1930.
	By Local Authorities.	By Private Enterprise.
Housing, Town Planning, etc., Acts,1919.	170,090	4,545
Housing (Additional Powers)Act,1919.	—	39,186
Housing, etc., Act, 1923	73,895	362,738
Housing, (Financial provisions)Act,1924.	280,385	4,702
Totals	524,370	411,171

asked the Minister of Health whether any scheme has been placed before him by the municipal council of Tunbridge Wells for dealing with the slum area known as Albion Square, which consists of 15 houses with two outside taps as their sole water supply, and has a group of water closets in the centre of the square a few yards from the front entrances of the houses?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Minister of Health the names of the local authorities which have built houses by direct labour under the 1923 and 1924 Housing Acts, and the number of houses so built in each case?

I am having a statement prepared and will send it to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health the number of pensioners of whose death notice has reached the Ministry during the year ended 31st March, 1930, giving the numbers, respectively, of widows, children, orphans and aged persons?

The number of beneficiaries under the Contributory Pensions Acts whose deaths have been noted on information furnished to the Ministry by the General Register Office during the year in question is as follows:

Widows	2,727
Children for whom allowances or orphans' pensions were in payment	622*
Old age pensioners	31,823
Total	35,172
* This figure cannot be divided between the two groups.

In addition, notice of death was received from other sources in a small number of cases, but the exact number of these notifications is not known. These figures refer to England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Health if he will inquire into the case of Mr. E. J. Thompson, of 26, Cannock Road, Hilton Main, Wolverhampton, whose application for a contributory old age pension was made on 1st January, 1928 and not finally dealt with until 3rd February, 1930; and on what grounds this application failed, seeing that contributions have been paid from 1st January, 1923, to December, 1928?

Mr. Thompson first submitted a claim for an old age pension in September, 1927, which was rejected in December, 1927. He renewed his claim in January, 1929, and was referred to the notice of rejection issued on his first claim. In February, 1929, he appealed against the rejection to the referees appointed under the Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, and alleged that certain employment on which he had been engaged was insurable although no contributions were paid. After investigation it appeared to the Department that the employment in question was not insurable, but on 11th October, 1929, Mr. Thompson gave formal notice that he desired a decision under Section 89 of the National Health Insurance Act, 1924. That decision was announced to Mr. Thompson on 3rd February last. He has, however, made certain further submissions on the question of insurability which are being considered, and until these have been disposed of, the decision of the referees on the appeal against the rejection of the claim for old age pension cannot be made.

asked the Minister of Health if the results of the inquiry which his Department is conducting into the increase in the average duration of sickness among health insured persons in this country will be placed upon the Table of this House?

The Report of the Government Actuary on the subject referred to by my hon. Friend will be laid on the Table of the House in a few days time.

asked the Minister of Health (1) the date and, generally, the terms of the communication he has recently made to the Woolwich Borough Council concerning the Local Government Act and its effect on the finances of the borough; and whether, in the course of his consideration, he was made aware that no provision was made by the late Woolwich Poor Law Guardians during the current half-year for the usual working balance to meet the necessary expenditure on account of Poor Law relief;(2) whether he has recently received a resolution from the Woolwich Borough Council referring to the increase of rates in the borough and alleging that they are occasioned by the operation of the Local Government Act, and requesting the Government to institute an inquiry into the Act and, pending a Report thereon, to introduce a Bill for the further equalisation of rates in London; whether he proposes to take any action in the matter; whether he has any information which supports such contention concerning the effect of the Act in Woolwich; and whether, in his sanction of the requisite payments under the Act for London and the respective borough councils, including Woolwich, all the guarantees and payments under the Act have been duly fulfilled and made?

A communication was addressed by my Department on 5th April to the Woolwich Borough Council in reply to a letter calling my attention to a proposed increase of the poundage of the rates in the borough for the year 1930–31 alleged to be due to the operation of the Local Government Act. In the communication referred to, the course of rates in the borough in recent years was reviewed; it was pointed out that a considerable reduction of the rate was made in the year 1929–30 owing to the use by the guardians of the Woolwich Union of accumulated cash balances which would in itself account for the greater part of the proposed increase; the working of Section 100 of the Act was explained; and it was stated that, while the Minister was not prepared to accept the asertion of the council as to the cause of the proposed increase, he would give careful consideration to any adequate review of the rate position in the borough as affected by the operation of the Act which the council might, decide to submit to him. As regards the last part of the second question, as I explained to the right hon. Member in my reply to his question of 24th March, the grants payable to the London County Council and the London borough councils have necessarily been based on provisional calculations and are subject to revision.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the extensive sale of vitacream, which is seriously competing with the sale of genuine British cream; and whether he will consider the advisability of amending the law so that it should be sold under the designation of cream substitute with the analysis shown clearly on the parcels exposed for sale?

My attention has been drawn to the sale of this article, but I regret that I cannot undertake to introduce legislation on the subject at the present time.

asked the Minister of Health how many sewerage schemes are now under construction in South-East Essex; what is the estimated total cost in each case; what are the respective loan conditions; what in each instance is the percentage of outside labour to be employed; and for what districts are there schemes under consideration?

In the last two years, schemes of sewerage and sewage disposal have been approved for the urban districts of Benfleet, Grays Thurrock, Tilbury arid Rayleigh and loans have been sanctioned for £11,748, £2,350, £3,950 and £80,409 respectively. Schemes have been approved for four contributory places in Orsett rural district and four in Billericay rural district and loans sanctioned to each of the two rural districts amounted to £12,523 and £21,440. No special conditions were attached to the loan sanctions. The schemes for Benfleet and Rayleigh urban districts and for Wickford contributory place, in Billericay rural district are receiving grant assist- ance from the Unemployment Grants Committee; the percentage of transferred labour employed on these schemes has been fixed at a minimum of 50 per cent. for the two urban districts and 40 per cent. for the rural district. Southend are carrying out alterations to their sewage disposal arrangements under special Parliamentary powers. Schemes are now under consideration for the urban district of Shoeburyness, for six contributory places in Rochford rural district, for three contributory places in Orsett rural district and three contributory places in Billericay rural district.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Liverpool Corporation have applied to the Unemployment Grants Committee asking them to approve for grant the scheme for preparing the aerodrome site at Speke?

A formal application for a grant towards the cost of the preparation of an aerodrome site at Speke was submitted to the Unemployment Grants Committee by Liverpool Town Council on 14th February last. The scheme is under consideration by the Air Ministry.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether his attention has been called to the closing down of the tin mine known as the Wheal Magdaline, which results in further unemployment; and whether he is prepared to take any steps to prevent the stoppage of this tin mine in Cornwall?

My attention has not been drawn to this matter.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed registered at the Employment Exchanges in the Lancaster Parliamentary area now and at the end of last June, respectively?

At 31st March. 1930, there were 1,843 persons on the registers of the Employment Exchanges at Lancaster, Morecambe and Galgate, as compared with 1,052 at 24th June, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed registered at the Employment Exchanges in the Roxburgh and Selkirk Parliamentary area now and at the end of last June, respectively?

At 31st March, 1930, there were 2,394 persons on the registers of the Employment Exchanges at Galashiels, Hawick, Jedburgh and Selkirk, as compared with 1,019 at 24th June, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour whether an application has been made by the Woolwich Borough Council for financial assistance for a scheme for the levelling of Harrowfield recreation ground; what reply has been made to such application; and what is the present position of the matter?

A scheme for the levelling of Harrowfield recreation ground was submitted by the Woolwich Borough Council to the Unemployment Grants Committee. As the council decided not to undertake schemes for the relief of unemployment under the terms and conditions requiring that a proportion of the men employed on the work shall be transferred men, the scheme was regarded as withdrawn.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons that have been added to the live register in consequence of recent legislative and administrative changes; how many of these persons have been granted benefit; and the principal methods whereby the latter were supported before they received benefit?

It is estimated that at 31st March, 1930, between 75,000 and 80,000 persons (of whom 70,000 were due to the operation of the new Act) had been added to the live register by recent legislative and administrative changes in the conditions for the receipt of unemployment benefit. I am not in possession of statistics showing how many of these persons have been granted benefit, nor is information available with regard to the methods by which they were supported previously.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed registered at the Employment Exchanges in the Howdenshire Parliamentary area now and at the end of last June, respectively?

pursuant to her reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 3rd April, 1930, cols. 1432–3, Vol. 237], supplied the following statement:At 31st March, 1930, there were 92 persons on the registers of the Pocklington Employment Exchange as compared with 26 at 24th June, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed registered at the Employment Exchanges in the Knutsford parliamentary area now and at the end of last June, respectively?

pursuant to her reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 3rd April, 1930, cols. 1432–3, Vol. 237], supplied the following statement:At 31st March, 1930, there were 256 persons on the registers of the Knutsford and Wilmslow Employment Exchanges as compared with 137 at 24th June, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed registered at the Employment Exchanges in the Sheffield Parliamentary areas now and at the end of last June respectively?

pursuant to her reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 3rd April, 1930, cols. 1432–3, Vol. 237], supplied the following information:At 31st March, 1930, there were 32,948 persons on the registers of the Sheffield and Attercliffe Employment Exchanges as compared with 22,585 at 24th June, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed registered at the Employment Exchanges in the Ayr Burghs Parliamentary area now and at the end of last June respectively?

pursuant to her reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 3rd April, 1930, cols. 1432–3, Vol. 237], supplied the following statement:

asked the Minister of Labour whether it is her intention to set up a trade board for domestic workers?

I have no power under the Trade Boards Acts, to establish a trade board for workers employed in private domestic service.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the arrangement existing between the Royal Air Force Central Band and the Royal Air Force College Band and the Performing Right Society for the performing rights of copyright music during any of their performances; and will he give particulars.

As I informed my hon. Friend on 2nd April, the matter is one between the bands and the Performing Right Society, the Air Ministry not being officially concerned, but I understand that annual subscriptions of five and three guineas are paid to the society by the Central and the Cranwell Bands respectively.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what was the total value of orders placed by the Air Ministry with Messrs. Short Brothers, of Rochester, between 1919 and May, 1929, and the value of orders placed since May, 1929?

It would not be in accordance with normal Government practice to give this information.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the cost of erecting a mooring mast suitable for airships similar to the R100 and the R101?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hallam (Mr. L. Smith) on 8th April.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the varying practices in respect of the regulation of premises for public billiard playing, he will look into this subject with a view to the introduction of modern legislation?

If the hon. Member will give me particulars of the varying practices to which he refers, I will consider whether the matter concerns the work of my Department, and, if so, whether any action is called for.

asked the Home Secretary whether any case has been brought to his notice in connection with the Metropolitan police in which there has been a prosecution of a licence holder for permitting betting on his premises whereby a conviction was obtained solely in respect of betting by the police themselves; and whether this practice, which prevails in some provincial towns, such as Sheffield, is sanctioned by the Metropolitan police?

No, Sir, and I am not aware that any such practice is prevalent either in London or in the Provinces.

asked the Home Secretary the names of the present members of the Racecourse Betting Control Board, appointed under Section 2 of the Racecourse Betting Act, 1928, showing the several Departments and organisations by which the respective members were appointed?

Changes in the personnel of the board are not reported to me, and I would invite the hon. Member to await the board's report, which will doubtless contain the information he desires.

asked the Home Secretary if, in view of the numbers of coloured alien seamen now coming over to this country and settling here, he proposes to suggest to the different police authorities an examination of the papers of all such aliens, with a view to their deportation home at the earliest possible date?

I think that the steps which are already taken deal adequately with this matter. They include constant communication between my Department and police authorities and deportation in proper cases.

asked the Home Secretary what steps the League of Nations propose to take with respect to the firms mentioned in the Report on the work of the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium and other Dangerous Drugs of the League of Nations, held at Geneva in. January and February this year which have been proved to be engaged in the illicit traffic and smuggling of narcotic drugs?

The Report of the Advisory Committee has not yet been considered by the Council, and I am unable to say what steps will be taken by the League in the matter. The hon. Member will appreciate that the responsibility for putting a stop to the activities of these firms rests on the Governments of the countries in which they carry on their business, and I presume the Council and the Assembly, when the Report of the committee comes before them, will wish to know what action has been taken.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the amount of grants paid to the county of Devon for education, Poor Law relief, highways, lunacy, police, housing, small holdings, and other purposes for the latest available year; and how those payments will compare with the estimated grants for the current financial year?

It is not practicable as a rule to state the amount of Government grants paid in respect of a county, since the areas of some authorities to whom the grants were paid extend beyond the boundaries of the county. The losses on account of the grants which have been discontinued under the Local Government Act, 1929, paid in respect of the standard year (1928–29) have been apportioned to individual counties in accordance with the Act and Regulations made thereunder, and the total amount for the county of Devon is £395,205. The new grant under the Act of 1929, payable, to local authorities in the county of Devon is £691,530. These figures are necessarily provisional and subject to revision. The new grant is a consolidated grant, of which the part attributable to compensation for loss of grants is not distinguishable from the remainder. Certain grants formerly payable out of the Local Taxation Account and not included in the loss on account of grants will in future be paid by the appropriate Government Departments. The grants which are not discontinued under the Act of 1929 will be payable on the game basis as heretofore.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the feeling of injustice which exists on the part of those concerned, he will admit the claims that men who passed an entrance examination for the Civil Service but who joined the Army before taking up their Civil Service appointments should be permitted to count for Civil Service pension the period of their military service; the claim that those who enlisted without permission should receive the balance of their civil salaries for the period from the date of their enlistment to 1st January, 1918; and the claim that men who, not being soldiers, sailors, or airmen in August, 1914, joined the Forces for the duration of the War only, and subsequently, after the War, entered the Civil Service, should be allowed to count their period of military service for the purpose of Civil Service gratuities and pension?

His Majesty's Government after careful consideration have decided that these claims cannot now be reopened.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of delays in the Inland Revenue Department in assessing Legacy Duty, thus preventing the closing of estates; and whether, if such delays are due to insufficiency of staff, he will cause additional staff to be engaged in order to meet the inconvenience arising?

If the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any case in which it is considered that there has been undue delay in assessing Legacy Duty, I will cause inquiry to be made. As regards the second part of his question, I understand that there are at the moment some vacancies in the staff of the office which administers this duty, but that an examination has just been held from which it is hoped to fill them.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he has any information with regard 1,o the number of industrial life insurance policies which have lapsed during the past 12 months; and whether he is proposing to introduce legislation dealing with the matter?

I regret that the desired information is not available. I do not see any prospect of immediate legislation on the subject.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Liquor Control Board, owning or operating licensed premises in the Carlisle area and elsewhere, were assessed to and paid Excess Profits Duty; if they were so assessed what was the amount thereof; and, if they were not so assessed, what was the amount of excess profits actually earned?

No Sir. the whole of the profits of these schemes accrued to the State, including such sums as would have represented the Excess Profits Duty, if it had been applicable in such cases.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of interest and dividend received by the Government on its holding of shares and debentures in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; and the total amount received by the Government from the date of the Government's first investment in the company in 1914?

The amount of interest and dividend received is shown each year in the Finance Accounts (see page 24) of House of Commons Paper 1 of 1929). The total amount received to 31st March, 1929, was £6,616,129.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he has any statement to make on the present position of affairs in India?

No, Sir. I do not think it would be satisfactory to attempt to make any general statement on the situation within the limits of an answer to a question.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of rural telephone exchanges in Cambridgeshire; and what parts of the county are still without any facilities for telephoning?

There are 38 rural telephone exchanges in Cambridgeshire. If the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of localities where he considered that new exchanges might be opened, I shall be happy to have inquiry made.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many nursery schools, local education authorities have asked him to approve as a result of the circular sent out by him some months ago jointly with the Minister of Health?

There are at present 37 proposals for new nursery schools before the Board, but I cannot say how many of these are the direct result of the circular.