asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been called to cases in which county councils are appointing sub-divisional surveyors, to the exclusion of rural district council highway surveyors who have equivalent or higher qualifications, and so placing an unnecessary additional charge upon the county rate for compensation; and what steps he proposes to take?

I am aware that there are cases where the appointments of rural district road surveyors have been terminated by county councils, but I have no power to intervene in any action which a county council may take in regard to road officers transferred to them under the provisions of Section 120 of the Local Government Act, 1929.

asked the Minister of Transport if he proposes to appoint auditors for the road accounts of local authorities; whether the duties of the district auditors appointed by the Ministry of Health cover this road audit: and, if so, what is the reason for this duplication and additional expense?

The highway accounts of local authorities in England and Wales are audited or examined by the district auditors appointed by the Ministry of Health, and there is no intention to alter this arrangement.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has finally approved the scheme for a by-pass road at Stamford; and when the work is to he commenced?

The scheme as originally submitted by the county council did not meet with my approval. The county council have now submitted a revised scheme, and this is being examined. I am not in a position to state when the work is to be cornmenced.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has had any applications from highway authorities for financial assistance towards schemes for the erection of bridges at level crossings; and can he give the House particulars?

I have received applications for grants towards schemes for the elimination of 55 level crossings. In 28 of these schemes it is proposed to eliminate the crossing by the erection of a bridge, in the other cases by the construction of new roads.

asked the Minister of Transport the average prices charged to the public for electric current, both for power and lighting, by the authorised electricity undertakings during the years from 1922–23 to 1928–29?

Particulars are not available as regards average prices for lighting only, but the following figures from the returns of the Electricity Commissioners show the average revenue of all authorised electricity undertakings per unit sold respectively for lighting and domestic supplies, and for power supplies.

—	Lighting and Domestic.	Power.
	d.	d.
1922–23 …	5·30	1·30
1923–24 …	4·52	1·14
1924–25 …	4·20	1·07
1925–26 …	3·82	1·00
1926–27* …	3·59	1·14
1927–28 …	3·39	0·94
1928–29 …	3·05	0·86
* Year of coal stoppage

asked the Postmaster-General what revenue is derived from the exhibition of posters in Post Offices and from advertisements in books of stamps; and whether the revenue is obtained through contracts?

The revenue derived during the last financial year from advertisements in post offices vas £36,925. The corresponding revenue horn advertisements in books of stamps was £14,840. The whole of the revenue is obtained through contracts.

asked the Postmaster-General how many rural post offices and railway stations in the Idol and Division of Lincolnshire have public telephones; the number at present without such facilities; the number of public telephones installed in the Division during 1929; and the number he proposes to provide during the present year.

There are 41 rural post offices and railway staticns in the Holland Division. Of these 25 were provided with call offices before 1929. A further 11 were provided last year, and I propose to instal another Eve. As a result, every rural post office and railway station in the Holland Division will be provided with a call office.

asked the Postmaster-General how many new rural telephone exchanges have been opened in Northern Ireland within the past 12 months; how many new subscribers have been added to the list; and in how many villages or rural railway stations in that area have call boxes been put up in the same period?

:During the year ended 31st December, 1929, 14 new rural telephone exchanges were opened in Northern Ireland. There was a net increase of 1,433 telephones throughout the area, of which 260 were connected with rural exchanges, and these included 49 new public call offices established in villages or at rural railway stations.

asked the Postmaster-General what percentage of rural post offices and railway stations in the counties of Londonderry, Fermanagh, and Tyrone are without public telephones; and what percentage of these are to be provided with public telephones during the present year?

There are 185 rural post offices and railway stations in these counties. Twelve call offices have been established, and 45 others are in course of provision.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of rural automatic telephone exchanges at present in operation in England?

The number is 88.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she can make a statement concerning the present position of the dispute in the woollen trade?

I regret very much that, in spite of the efforts made by the parties themselves, and of other steps which have been taken, no agreement has yet been reached. I feel that I should serve no useful purpose in making further comment.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any general advance in wages has taken place in the plain net and lace trade during the last 12 months?

There has been no general advance in rates of wages in the plain net and lace trade during the past 12 months.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of cases in which unemployment books for the year 1928–29 have not yet been credited to the accounts of the insured contributors?

The practice is to spread the work of posting the contributions from the unemployment books to the ledgers over the year ending July, and the number remaining unposted is about the normal for this period of the year, namely, 2,000,000.

asked the Minister of Labour whether her attention has been drawn to the importation of workers to the East Anglian district for the cultiva, tion of the sugar-beet crop; whether she is aware of the large number of regular farm workers who are unemployed in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridge; and will she see to these farm workers having an opportunity for the work before this labour is imported?

I have no compulsory powers in this matter, but arrangements are being made through the Exchanges with a view to giving local unemployed labour an opportunity of filling all vacancies which are notified by the farmers. The co-operation of the farmers is, of course, essential, and I am issuing a leaflet to them, calling attention to the facilities offered by the Exchanges.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of females now em- ployed at the Salisbury Plain Canteen; are any arrangements being made that in future only male labour shall be employed; and will she order that female labour shall not be deprived of their unemployment insurance benefit for objecting to this kind of work, especially in view of the fact that young women residing in the Salisbury district are not offered similar employment as a condition of receiving their unemployment insurance benefit?

In regard to the first two parts of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Financial Secretary to the War Office to the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Kelly) on 3rd February, of which I am sending him a copy. In regard to the last part, I have no power to issue orders of the kind suggested.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of women and girls who have been disallowed unemployment benefit at Darlington Employment Exchange during the last 12 months because of refusal to enter the employment of the Army, Navy and Air Force Canteen Board at Catterick camp?

The number of persons whose claims for benefit were disallowed in the circumstances described was 15.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she is aware that girls are being refused unemployment pay if they decline to take work in the Army canteens; and if she will inform the House what are the conditions in regard to hours, lodgings, and pay under which girls are employed in Army canteens?

Refusal of employment entails loss of benefit only where the employment is held by the statutory authorities to be suitable. The conditions of service and rates of pay in the Navy, Army and Air Force canteens are set out in a leaflet issued by the Board of Management, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of women who have been placed by her Department in work at Army canteens in the Salisbury district during the last three months?

The number of women submitted through the agency of the Employment Exchanges who are understood to have been employed by the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes at canteens in the Salisbury district during the three months ended 31st March is 10.

asked the Lord Privy Seal the numbers of applications put forward, either to the Unemployment Grants Committee or to the Ministry of Transport, for assistance to schemes for the relief of unemployment which have not been granted; and the aggregate number of men who would have been employed bad these applications been acceded to?

Since 1st June, 1929, 256 formal applications for grant have been refused by the Unemployment Grants Committee. It is not possible to estimate the aggregate number of men who would have been employed had these applications been acceded to. In a substantial majority of the cases the reason for rejection was that the works were not sufficiently accelerated in point of time and that, in any case, they would be put in hand in the near future in the ordinary course. As regards applications to the Ministry of Transport on road schemes, it would be impracticable to collect the information askini for without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she is aware that women residing at Walker-on-Tyne, who have to register at the Wallsend or Heaton Exchanges, are required to attend four days per week, or in the case of those classed as domestics six days per week, involving many of them walking distances up to 36 miles per week for this purpose; and whether she will consider the relaxation of these requirements so as to render the conditions less burdensome for these women and to afford them a reasonable opportunity of looking for employment?

I am informed that all the women residing at Walkeron-Tyne who are attending the Exchanges at Heaton and Walisend are resident within two miles of the Exchange concerned, and I have no evidence that hardship is involved. The normal requirement of daily attendance is designed to afford registered applicants opportunity of being put in touch with vacancies as they are notified. I am not aware of any case in which an applicant at either of these Exchanges has to walk 36 miles a week, but if the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars, I will cause inquiries to be made.

asked the Minister of Labour what have been the amounts paid out under the Unemployed Insurance Acts for each financial year from 1925 to 1930, respectively, and giving also the amounts contributed each year by the Exchequer, the employers and the insured persons; and what will be the estimated Exchequer contribution for 1930–31 on the assumption that the present rate of unemployment continues throughout the year?

The amounts paid out under the Unemployment Insurance Acts for each financial year from 1925 to 1930 were approximately as follow:

Financial year.				£
1925–6	…	…	…	49,780,000
1926–7	…	…	…	56,090,000
1027–8	…	…	…	42,780,000
1928–9	…	…	…	53,690,000
1929–30	…	…	…	53,430,000

The amounts contributed each year by the Exchequer, employers and insured persons during the same periods were approximately as follow:

Financial Year.	Exchequer.	Employers.	Insured
	£	£	£
1925–26	13,500,000	19,260,000	17,040,000
1926–27	10,840,000	15,090,000	12,920,000
1927–28	12,030,000	16,750,000	14,410,000
1928–29	11,760,000	16,460,000	14,080,000
1929–30	19,500,000	16,690,000	14,270,000

The estimated Exchequer contribution for 1930–31 on the assumption that the present rate of unemployment (1,677,500) will continue throughout the year is approximately £26,000,000.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the dismissal of large numbers of British and Canadian employes from private firms and municipal corporations in America, she will circulate the Employment Exchanges warning intending emigrants to the United States of America of the state of employment in the United States?

I am not satisfied that at the present time the circulation of such a notice would be desirable.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will inquire what women's sub-committees of local employment committees have considered questions affecting domestic service by forming local associations of employers and employes to agree upon conditions in their areas or otherwise; and what success has resulted from their efforts?

Copies of the Report of the Committee appointed in 1923 on the conditions in domestic service were supplied to local employment committees, but, after full consideration of the recommendations, none of these committees has found it practicable to form local associations of employers and employes to agree upon conditions in their areas.

asked the Home Secretary if he has any information to convey to the House on the proposed inquiry into the hours of labour in shops, consequent upon the Second Reading of the Shops (Hours of Employment) Bill on 21st March last?

asked the Home Secretary whether he has decided what form of inquiry shall take place into the hours of labour of shop workers in accordance with the Government's promise; and the proposed terms of reference?

It is considered that the most suitable form of inquiry would be by a Select Committee of this House, and steps are being taken through the usual channels with a view to the setting up of the Committee. My right hon. Friend hopes that it may be possible to give notice of the necessary Motion with the proposed terms of reference before the Adjournment for the Recess.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that there is on the market a British-made film base which is guaranteed fireproof; and whether the Government are prepared to consider the question of making the use of British non-inflammable films Compulsory?

My right hon. Friend is not aware that any non-inflammable film has yet been produced which will fulfil the exacting requirements of the cinema industry, and he regrets that he cannot add anything at present to the full reply which he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for West Renfrew (Dr. Forgan) on 23rd January last.

asked the Home Secretary what arrangements exist for holidays for part-time chaplains in His Majesty's prisons?

Part-time chaplains make their own arrangements for holidays, Usually the locum tenens who is doing the parochial work also does the prison work.

asked the Home Secretary the number of prosecutions of Spiritualists under the Vagrancy Acts in each year since 1920?

As statistics do not distinguish between persons professing to be Spiritualists and others who commit breaches of the law, the particulars asked for cannot be given.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether the Government have considered, as a mining reform, the advisability of utilising one or more large and typical coal mines in one or more British coalfields now abandcned or uneconomic as productive mines for experimental purposes in connection with all the problems of safety and health in the working of coal mining in this country?

A great desl of experimental work in health and safety matters is already in progress in the coal mines of this country, and I am always ready to consult the Safety in Mines Research Board on the possibilities of further development; but my hon. Friend will understand that there are many proolems which cannot be effectively, or ever safely, experimented upon in a working mine. Other investigations such as those relating to falls of ground and haulage must take account of the enormous diversity of the conditions in different mines and these problems must be studied, not in one or two, but in many mines. A large amount of work of this sort lies ahead and the wider the participation in it is spread, the better.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of horses and ponies which have been imported into this country for employment in mines during the past 10 years; the total number for each year during this period; and the countries from which they came and the approximate number from each country?

The existing statistics of imports of live animals do not show separately what horses and ponies are intended for use in mines.

asked the, hon. Member for the Gorton Division, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, whether, in view of urgent appeals made to local authorities and public institutions to purchase only British potatoes, his Committee will give definite instructions that no potatoes of foreign origin are to be supplied in the dining rooms attached to the House?

The Kitchen Committee always endeavour so use only English grown potatoes. At present we are using 2,016 lbs. of English old potatoes per week against 54 lbs. of new imported. If hon. Members insist on having new potatoes and no English are available, we endeavour to meet their demands with the imported variety, but I give definite promise that the use of same will be discontinued directly English new potatoes are procurable.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he will consider the provision of a notice board or other indicator showing daily the various Committee, group and other meetings being held in the House and the rooms and times allotted for such meetings?

A list of Committees is already posted daily in the House. A list of the other meetings is kept by the door-keeper of the House and by the constables at the foot of the stairs leading to the Committee Rooms and on the Committee Room corridor. Owing to frequent alterations in the times of these latter meetings a printed list would, in my opinion, be useless.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in order to mitigate unemployment in dockyard towns, he will consider renewing the concession to allow established men who choose to do so to retire and take their accrued pensions to date?

The concession announced in the reply of the 6th November last to the hon. Member—[OFFICIAL REPORT, columns 1023–4]—is still in force.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of courses provided at the Royal Naval Medical School, Greenwich; the maximum number of students which can be taught at each course; the number of entries for each course; the total cost of such courses for each of the last three years for which statistics are available; and the total amount of vaccine produced and distributed yearly during the same period?

There would normally be two courses a year at the Royal Naval Medical School, Greenwich, for acting surgeon lieutenants, but these are at present in abeyance. There are also normally two courses a year for surgeon lieutenant commanders. The maximum number of students who can be trained at any one time at the school is 12 officers and 12 ratings. The numbers who attended courses during the period 1927–29 are as follow:

Officers:
1927	…	…	…	…	5*
1928	…	…	…	…	6*
1929	…	…	…	…	7*
Ratings:
1927	…	…	…	…	4*
1928	…	…	…	…	1
1929	…	…	…	…	5
* Includes one from Royal Australian Navy in each case.

When the shortage of naval medical officers is overcome, the numbers attending will approximate to the following figures annually:

Acting Surgeon-Lieutenants (two courses)	…	…	…	…	24
Surgeon Lieutenant-Commanders (two courses)	…	…	…	…	24

The approximate amounts included in the Estimates for the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, which can be attributed to the Medical School are as follow:

					£
1928	…	…	…	…	9,650
1929	…	…	…	…	9,800
1930	…	…	…	…	9,800

These amounts represent the cost not only of the above-mentioned courses of instruction, far which separate figures are not available, but also of a very large amount of highly technical work of the greatest importance to the health of the Navy. To enumerate some of this latter work, mention should be made of research work, analytical work of great v ariety, tropical disease investigations, special pathological examinations, etc., and lastly the very important work of vaccine making.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will give the figures in percentages of increase or reduction of the Air Estimates for the last five years in the United States of America, France, and Italy; the strengths in first-line machines for each of these years and the corresponding British figure; and any increase in the number of units projected by these countries in the Estimates of this year?

(1) The following table shows the approximate percentages of increase or reduction in air expenditure for the year 1930 as compared with the year 1925 in the case of Great Britain, the United States of America, France and Italy:

Country and percentages of increase or reduction iu air expenditure in 1930 as compared with 1925.
				Per cent.
Great Britain		…	…	- 2
U.S A.	…	…	…	+ 140
France	…	…	…	+ 114
Italy	…	…	…	+ 31

(2) Owing to differences in statistical methods and other factors, such as the fluctuations in strength which occur from time to time, it is difficult to supply strictly comparable figures for the numbers of first-line machines maintained by this country and the other countries specified in the question for each of the last five years.The following table, however, gives the approximate figures, based on the latest official and other information available, in the years 1925 and 1930 respectively:

Country.	First-line strength in 1925.	First-line strength in 1930.
Great Britain …	630	780
France … …	1,280	1,310
U.S.A. …	750	950
Italy … …	600	1,100

asked the Minister of Health whether any invitations have been issued, or whether it is his intention to issue invitations, to approved societies, insurance committees, and other representative bodies to give evidence before and submit suggestions to the inquiry now being held into existing insurance and pensions legislation?

No imitations of the nature indicated have been issued, nor are such invitations contemplated at present.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that a public appeal is being made for funds to erect a hospital to meet the need; of the new residential centre at Becor tre,e created by the London County Council; and will he in future, when sanctioning housing schemes, take into consideration the hospital accommodation in or near the area of the housing scheme?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. It is only in quite exceptional cases such as that mentioned by my hon. Friend that the transference of population involved in a housing scheme would be such as to make it necessary to give special consideration to the hospital accommodation in or near the area of the scheme, but the point will not be overlooked in any comparable cases.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities have improved their code of by-laws during the previous two years with reference to the sanitary conditions that exist through the hop-picking season; and whether any further improvements have been suggested by his Department to local authorities for the forthcoming season?

Since the beginning of 1928, 16 local authorities have made new series of by-laws on this subject. In nine cases the by-laws amended those formerly in force and in the remaining seven no by-laws had previously been made. The question whether any further suggestions can be made for the improvement of conditions during the forthcoming season is receiving my consideration.

asked the Minister of Health whether in connection with the British Post-graduate Hospital and Medical School, facilities will be provided whereby foreign medical men and women may secure a British postgraduate degree supplementary to, and based on recognition of, the diplomas secured by them in their own countries?

The question of the grant of medical degrees is not one which it rests with the Minister of Health to determine; and consideration of the matter in the present connection would appear to be premature pending the establishment of the British Postgraduate Hospital and Medical School.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the quantity in proof gallons of british sprits exported from Great Britain in the calendar year 1929 to the following countries: Philippines and Guam, Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Bermudas, Bahamas, British West Indies, Cuba, Hayti, S. Domingo, Mexico, Guatemala, S. Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras (not British), Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, British Honduras, and British Guiana?

The information desired by the right hon. Member is given in the following Return:Return showing the Quantites of the Exports of Spirits—Home-made, the manufacture of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to the undermentioned Countries of Destination, as registered in the year 1929 (Provisional figures).

	Quantity.
Country of Destination.	Proof Gallons.
St. Pierre and Miquelon	346,490
Philippine Islands and Guam	33,136
Cuba	11,734
Hayti	2,847
St. Domingo	3,342
Mexico	28,127
Guatemala	19,548
Honduras (not British)	7,970
Salvador	5,600
Nicaragua	13,317
Costa Rica	4,988
Colombia	19,002
Panama	35,737
Venezuela	30,623
Canada	1,367,570
Newfoundland and Coast of Labrador	9,311
Bermudas	87,853
British West India Islands—
Bahamas	188,600
Jamaica and Dependencies	29,651
Trinidad and Tobago	13,776
Other British West India Islands	30,308
British Honduras	39,814
British Guiana	7,729

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Committee which is sitting upon currency and banking is expected to make its Report?

In view of the wide scope of the Committee's inquiry, I do not expect that its Report will be available for some months.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury- whether the costs of the prosecution in the case of Rex v. Hatry include the costs to date of the proceedings for extradition or otherwise of Mr. Gialdini?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the rate of war bonus paid to men in the lighthouse service of the Irish Free State is on the same level as that paid to similar employés in this country: and whether any reduction was made in the bonuses paid to men in the lighthouse service during the six months ended 30th December, 1929?

The cost-of-living bonus paid to these men is on the same principle as in this country, but is based on cost of living in the Irish Free State. The rate is review ed every six months, and on 1st September last was reduced in accordance with a drop in the cost-ofliving figure from 80 to 75. From 1st March the rate has been increased on a rise in the cost of living from 75 to 80.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the exact terms of the proposal adopted at the League of Tariff Truce Conference; how many countries signed it; whether it needs ratification; whether it can come into force without a fixed number of ratifications; and, if not, how many are required?

I would refer the hon. Member to the Command Paper which was presented to Parliament on the 8th instant, containing the text of the documents resulting from the recent preliminary Conference with a view to concerted economic action. He will also find a convenient summary in the Board of Trade Journal of 3rd April, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the stocks of copper in public warehouses in the United Kingdom as at the 30th December, 1929; has he any information that will show the extent to which the production of copper is under either British or foreign control; and will he give particulars?

The stocks of copper in approved warehouses in the United Kingdom at 30th December, 1929, according to the statistics of the London Metal Exchange, amounted to 6,504 tons. I am not in a position to state the proportion of the world's prod fiction of copper which is under British control, but the proportion produced within the British Empire is only a small percentage of the total.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the committee to report on the operations of the Patents and Designs Acts and on the changes which may be desirable in the procedure of the Patent Office has concluded its proceedings; and, if so, if he can indicate when its Report will be published?

The committee to which the hon. Member refers have not yet concluded their proceedings. I understand that they hope to do so, and to report to me, before the end of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of boys under 18 who enlisted in combatant units of the Army during 1929; and how many of these were discharged from the Service after their correct ages were discovered?

If, as I understand, my hon. Friend is referring to parsons less than 18 years old who enlisted as men by misstating their age, no figures are available as regards the first part of the question. As regards the second part, 557 soldiers were discharged during 1929 for having made a misstatement as to age on enlistment.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has yet reconsidered the recent reductions in ration allowance to non-commissioned officers and men proceeding on leave?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the representations that have been made to him, he has any announcements to make on the subject of the recent reduction in the ration allowance of other ranks in His Majesty's Army?

I have been in communication with my hon. Friend the Member for Essex South-East (Mr. Oldfield), explaining to him the reasons for the recent change, and I have sent my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham (Mr. Markham) a copy of my letter. I have not yet reached any final decision in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether and when the ration allowance of the men in the Portsmouth area proceeding on leave is to be increased?

I am not sure to what my hon. Friend refers. The ration allowance in the Portsmouth area is the same as that in the rest of the country.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can make any statement as to the number of cases within the last six months in which the dissemination of seditious literature to the Army has been detected: and where these cases occurred?

I do not think any detailed statement desirable, but I may say that there has been a certain number of sporadic cases in which pamphlets and leaflets containing matter subversive of military discipline have been disseminated among soldiers. The cases have not been of such a nature as to call for serious notice.

asked the Secretary of State for War what negotiations or consultations he had with the headmasters or other authorities representing secondary schools prior to his deciding to withdraw War Office support from cadet corps throughout the country?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 8th April to the hon. Members for Colchester (Mr. O. Lewis) and the Isle of Wight (Captain P. Macdonald) of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether the convention in respect of pilgrim traffic approved by the International Sanitary Conference held in Paris in 1926 was signed by the representatives of India at the conference; and whether it is the intention of the Government of India eventually to ratify this convention?

Yes, Sir. The International Sanitary Convention of 1926, which contained, inter alia, provisions regulating the pilgrim traffic, was signed by a representative of India but has not yet been ratified. The Government of India hope to reach a decision shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the proposed increase in the school-leaving age and its effect upon apprenticeship, a provision will be included in the Bill to enable a child to leave immediately on reaching the prescribed age without being compelled to continue at school until the end of the term as at present?

In view of the educational advantages of the arrangement under which children continue in attendance at school until the end of the term, I see no sufficient ground for proposing any modification of the present law on this point when the school-leaving age is raised.