asked the President of the Board of Trade the figures showing the retained imports, and United Kingdom exports, of buttons and studs for the first quarters of 1925 and 1930, respectively?

The following table shows the total quantities and declared values of the retained imports into, and the domestic exports from, Great Britain and Northern Ireland of buttons and studs (hard haberdashery) registered during the three months ended 31st March, 1925 and 1930. Buttons and studs imported or exported through the parcel poet are included in the figures for 1930, but not in those for 1925.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the exports of silk lace and artificial silk lace, respectively, for each of the last four years?

The following table shows the total declared value of lace (except apparel and embroidery) of silk and of artificial silk, of United Kingdom manufacture, exported during each of the years 1926 to 1929.

Year			Lace (except apparel and embroidery).
			Silk.	Artificial Silk.
			£	£
1926	…	…	66,660	181,542
1927	…	…	90,570	306,686
1928	…	…	221,373	422,544
1929	…	…	225,349	517,530

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can furnish information as to the production of translucent china and the employment in that industry during 1929 and, for comparison, during the two previous years?

As I informed the hon. Member for Stone (Sir J. Lamb) on 26th March, I am not in a position to supply complete figures of production for the periods named. With regard to employment, particulars supplied by the English China Manufacturers' Association, relating to the numbers employed by firms claimed to be responsible for 50 to 60 per cent. of the output of these products, show an increase in 1928 of 1.3 per cent. and in 1929 of 5.5 per cent. over the numbers employed in 1927.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the production of wrapping paper during 1929 and 1925, respectively?

As regards the production of wrapping paper during 1929, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for North Midlothian (Major Colville) on 16th April, of which I am sending him a copy. Comparable data for the year 1925 are not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the terms of the reservations and conditions of the United States of America in signing the international Convention for the abolition of import and export prohibitions and restrictions, which was signed at Paris on 20th December, 1929, with regard to tariff systems, dumping, bounties, subsidies, and similar methods; and if similar reservations were made on behalf of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

When signing the Convention of 8th November, 1927, the delegate of the United States of America made a declaration which included the following:

"I declare, pursuant to instructions from my Government. … that I sign the Convention and Protocol subject to the following reservations and conditions with respect to the U.S.A. …. that the said Convention affects neither the tariff systems nor the treaty-making methods of the participating countries nor the measures taken to ensure the application thereof, including measures to counteract dumping, bounties, subsidies, unfair methods or acts in foreign trade, undervaluation or discrimination."

No similar reservation was made on behalf of the United Kingdom, or of any of the other countries between whom the Convention is in force.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if any of the high contracting parties who ratified the international Convention for the abolition of import and export prohibitions and restrictions which came into force on 1st January, 1930, have yet taken any steps to give effect to the provisions of the Convention?

Yes, Sir. The following countries have removed restrictions on the export of hides, skins and bones, namely, Austria., Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Rumania. I may point out that the obligations of the Convention do not become effective till 1st July next.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, having regard to the abnormal production of potatoes in the United Kingdom during the last year, and the quantity which remains unused and will never be used, and in order to avoid a similar result next year, he will take the necessary steps under Article 5 of the International Convention for the Abolition of Import and Export Prohibitions and Restrictions, ratified at Paris on 20th December, 1929, to adopt measures prohibiting and restricting such importation?

Whether Article 5 of the Convention could or could not properly be regarded as intended to cover the contingency referred to by the hon. Member, His Majesty's Government are undoubtedly precluded, as I explained to him in reply to a question on 25th March, by the Anglo-German Treaty of Commerce from imposing any prohibition on these grounds.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of those public companies which have not filed accounts and balance sheets for 1929; how many of them are companies in liquidation; how many have made incomplete returns; and will he arrange for a similar list to be published in the Board of Trade Journal during the first week in April in every future year?

There are approximately 800 public companies which have not yet filed their annual returns for 1929. In 150 of these cases the company is in liquidation or a Receiver has been appointed or action is being taken by the Registrar with a view to removing the company's name from the register on the ground that it is not carrying on business. In about 60 cases the return is the subject of correspondence between the company and the Registrar, because the return is incomplete or is otherwise not in order. In the remaining cases, about 600 in number, the necessary steps are being taken by the Board of Trade to secure the filing of the returns and balance sheets. I have noted for consideration the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion in regard to future years.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the production of dyestuffs in 1929 and 1913, respectively?

The production of synthetic organic dyestuffs in the United Kingdom amounted to about 9,000,000 lbs. weight in 1913 and 55,750,000 lbs. weight in 1929.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) the number of writing assistants promoted to the clerical class, department by department, since 1st April, 1928;(2) the number of typists and shorthand typists, respectively, promoted to superintendents of typists and clerical officers, respectively, department by department, since 1st April, 1928?

The following tables give the information at present available. They are subject to correction in the light of more general statistics now in process of compilation, and I shall be glad later on to furnish the hon. Member with revised tables and, with the additional information desired in respect of promotions to superintendents of typists.

NUMBER of Writing Assistants promoted to the General Clerical Class and to Departmental Clerical Classes from 1st April, 1928, to 31st March, 1930.
Department	Promoted to General Clerical Class.	Promoted to Departmental Clerical Classes.
Admiralty	2	—
Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of.	2	—
Air Ministry	1	2
Customs and Excise	—	5
Department of Health for Scotland.	1	—
Exchequer and Audit.	1	—
General Register Office.	2	—
Health, Ministry of	40	—
Home Office	1	—
Inland Revenue	9	34
Labour, Ministry of	89	4
Overseas Trade	2	—
Paymaster General's Office.	5	—
Pensions, Ministry of.	40	—
Post Office	141	—
Public Trustee Office.	3	—
Trade, Board of	4	—
Welsh Board of Health.	4	—
Total	347	45

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury as near as possible the number of persons employed in the Civil Service, males and females separately, in December, 1913, and De- cember 1929, respectively; and the total salaries and wages paid for each of the two years named?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave him in reply to a similar question on 17th April.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has any statement to make on the subject of a commercial treaty with Russia?

The hon. Member will have seen in Command Paper 3552 the text of a temporary Commercial Agreement which has been concluded with the Soviet Government with the object of regulating the commercial relations of the two countries until such time as a permanent treaty can be concluded. Negotiations for such a permanent treaty are being instituted immediately.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can make any statement as to the progress of any negotiations with America in regard to the lam of copyright, in view of the manufacturing clause of the American Copyright Act leading to the Encyclopaedia Britannica being printed from type set in America?

His Majesty's Government at the beginning of last month addressed a communication to the United States Government drawing attention to the requirements of the United States Copyright Law respecting the printing and publishing in the United States of the works of British authors as conditions of the enjoyment of the full protection of that law. A reply has been received from the United States Government to the effect that Bills are now before Congress which have the purpose of revising the United States Copyright Law so as to remove the provisions inconsistent with the International Copyright Convention of 1928.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, if he can now say if the Forestry Commissioners intend to raise the wages of forest workers in their employ?

The Forestry Commissioners have now fixed a normal minimum weekly wage of 35s. for adult male forest workers in their employ in England and Wales.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the conditions operating in this country enabling local authorities to borrow for local purposes half the amount subscribed for saving certificates is applicable to the Isle of Man?

No, Sir. Since the passing of the Isle of Man Loans Act, 1880, no loans have been made to the Island by the Public Works Loan Board.

asked the Prime Minister if he has considered the request recently submitted to the Government by local councils, asking that powers should be conferred upon municipal corporations to enable them to establish municipal savings banks on lines similar to those on which the Birmingham Corporation bank is established; and if it is the intention of the Government to initiate, or afford facilities for, legislation to this end?

In the present state of Parliamentary business, I see no prospect of general legislation on this subject.

asked the Postmaster-General how much guarantee is required for erecting a public telephone call-office at Yarborough, Lincoln; what is the distance to the nearest available call-office; and what is the estimated population?

The most economical means of providing public telephone call-office facilities at Yarborough would be to erect a joint circuit to serve the villages of Alvingham and North Cockerington as well. The guarantee for all three offices combined would be £9 a year for seven years. Covenham, distant one mile seven furlongs from Yarborough, is the nearest existing call-office. The population of Yarborough at the 1921 census was 148.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the estimated yearly rental required for a private telephone within 100 yards of the post office at Ludford, Lincolnshire, and Girsby Post Office?

The districts of Ludford and Girsby are both within the area served by the Binbrook Exchange, and the rental for an exclusive line to that exchange from a point within 100 yards of the Ludford Post Office would, at the residential rate, be £14 10s. a year. There is no post office at Girsby. This charge covers a line measuring three miles one furlong.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the entire loss resulting from the reduction of the cost of postage in April, 1922, has now been recovered; if not, how much has yet to be made good; and whether he can make an estimate as to how long it would take to make good any loss of annual revenue caused by re-establishing pre-War rates?

The gross receipts from postal packets (excluding parcels) in the year ended 31st March, 1930, reached the level of receipts in the year ended 31st March, 1922. If the same rate of growth could be assumed, the gross loss of revenue which would result if the pre-War rates of letter postage were now restored would be made good in about 10 years. This does not allow for the additional expenditure which would be required to handle the increased traffic.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will take into consideration the position of part-time employés in the Post Office, and the diffi- culty experienced by them in securing other employment; and whether he proposes to abolish this type of employment?

The great majority of part-time employés in the Post Office are either postmen or night telephonists. I have had the question under review, and suggestions for dealing with it are now under consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether any part of the surcharge paid by the public on a letter conveyed by air mail to Karachi is retained by the Post Office; and, if so, whether this is in respect of services rendered by the Post Office during transit or in respect of the landing at either terminal?

I have been asked to reply. The surcharges collected in this country are fixed in the closest possible relation to the actual costs of the service, and the margin of profit to cover administration and other costs is very narrow.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the quantity of last year's potato crop which still remains unsold; the prices now being obtained for potatoes in the open market; and whether the Ministry is now prepared to assist a comprehensive marketing association and any forms of research and, if so, on what lines?

The latest information available with regard to title amount of last year's potato crop remaining unsold was published in the Ministry's Agricultural Market Report on 17th April, and the latest prices realised in the more important markets in the issue of 25th April. It was estimated that on 1st April the quantity of potatoes remaining in farm stocks in England and Wales was 996,000 tons, or 28 per cent. of the 1929 crop. The averages of the prices realised at the more important markets for first quality potatoes of the principal varieties during the week ended 23rd April were: Ally, 55s. per ton; Great Soot, 48s.; Arran Chief, 51s.; Kerr's Pink, 46s. 6d.; Majestic, 50s. 6d.; King Edward VII (Lincs. and Yorks.), 75s. I need hardly add that my Department is always ready to give to marketing organisations or producers any advice and assistance in its power including loans on favourable conditions while, as regards research, the hon. and gallant Member may be aware that research into methods of disposal of potatoes, surplus to human consumption, has been conducted in various directions, particularly as to the preparation of concentrated stock foods in the form of dried potatoes, or of silage, and as to the manufacture of industrial products such as acetic acid. My Department has already provided the National Farmers' Union and other interests concerned with information on this subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of millers and bakers who have come into the national mark wheat flour scheme; what percentage this is of the whole number; and what steps he has taken to bring into the scheme those still outstanding?

There are now 180 millers and packers who are authorised to apply the national mark to all-English wheat flour. Of these, 151 are milling firms, controlling the output of 175 mills representing 37 per cent. of the total number of mills in England and Wales, and about 42 per cent. of the total milling capacity of England and Wales. The scheme does not provide for the authorisation of bakers, as such, unless they are considerable distributors of flour. As the scheme is essentially voluntary, the steps taken to extend its scope consist mainly of propaganda amongst producers, millers, distributors and consumers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he can now make any statement as to the policy of the Government respecting remedial measures for the present crisis in agriculture?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to a similar question on 3rd April, to which there is at present nothing to add.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that re- cently it was decided to cease grading and marking beef at Smithfield Market, and concentrate the work at the Islington abattoirs; that this took away from the buyer the choice to have his beef graded and marked, and forced grading and marking upon him at the dictation of the wholesalers; that, in consequence, the grading has greatly deteriorated, and numbers of badly finished, half-starved, sides of beef, deficient in fat-covering and short of meat, both in loins and ribs, have been sent to market as prime English; whether he is aware that this practice has provoked protests; and whether he is prepared to restore the grading to Smithfield Market and leave it to the free choice of the butchers, with a proviso that his graders pay more regard to the rules?

The work of grading sides of home-killed beef slaughtered in London has always been carried out, for the most part, at the Islington abattoir. At the end of February, my Department notified the Smithfield wholesalers that, on and after 7th March, no beef would be graded at Islington or Smithfield unless the wholesaler agreed that the graded beef should also be marked. It is still open to wholesalers to refrain from having a proportion of their beef graded and marked, but I am advised that very few of the wholesalers exercise this option because they are satisfied that there is difficulty in selling beef which is not graded and marked. The suggestion that the standard of grading has since greatly deteriorated is without foundation in fact. Excepting one instance, I have not received any protests, and I am not prepared to revise the decision referred to. I would remind my hon. Friend that the progress made by the National Mark Beef Scheme and the question of its future administration are now under consideration by an Inter-Departmental Committee appointed jointly by the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself. This Committee will take suitable steps to ascertain trade opinion on the working of the scheme in all its aspects.

asked the Home Secretary whether from reports of his inspectors, he has information as to the number of firms working a five-day week; what effect this has on the health of the workers; and whether this method of working has been of advantage to the trades and industries?

I have no exact information as to the extent to which the five-day week has been adopted, but reports show that there has been some increase in the number of firms working this system. The system has not, however, been adopted sufficiently widely to enable the Factory Department to form any reliable opinion as to its effect on the health of the workers. As to whether this method of working has been otherwise of advantage to industry, I can only say that certain firms have made the statement that output has improved as a result of its adoption and there seems to be no tendency to revert to the old system once the five-day week has been adopted.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is taking any steps, in view of the serious unemployment in this country, to see that the water turbines and dynamos in the electricity schemes in Palestine are ordered in this country?

These schemes are not Government schemes, and therefore it is not possible for the Government to do what the hon. and gallant Member suggests.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of cases at the Tyneside Employment Exchanges since 13th March in which the Employment Exchanges have given instructions to registered unemployed workers to apply for specific posts; and in how many cases employment has resulted?

I regret that statistics giving the information desired by the hon. Member are not available.

asked the Minister of Health what were the numbers of insured men per 100 who claimed sickness benefit in 1921 and 1927, respectively; what were the respective amounts of expenditure in the same two years for sickness and disablement benefits and the State treatment of disease; what was the cost per head of the population of England and Wales in 1921 and 1927, respectively, for national health insurance; what sum was the cost per head of that population for the same years for State medical treatment; if he will state whether the tendency is for expenditure on sickness benefit to decrease as expenditure on preventive and curative treatment increases; and whether he will consider as to setting up a suitable body to inquire into the working of the Health Insurance Acts?

The information desired by the hon. and gallant Baronet is as follows:—(1) According to a report recently furnished by the Government Actuary of the sickness and disablement benefit experience of a representative sample of the whole body of insured persons, the number of insured men per 100 who claimed sickness benefit in 1921 and 1927 was 14 and 23 respectively.(2) The amounts expended under the Health Insurance Acts in England and Wales in 1921 and 1927 in respect of

asked the Minister of Health whether reports have been received by his Department as to the effect on the health conditions of people living in the neighbourhood of artificial silk factories?

My right hon. Friend has had no further reports since the reply which I made to my hon. Friend on 4th November last. The chief alkali inspector of my Department is in continuous touch with these works.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that 541 carcases of mutton from the Patea district of New Zealand were recently examined at a Wapping cold store for caseous lymphadenitis and 27 carcases condemned; that 40 bags of legs of mutton were recently examined at the Port of London refrigerator, Charterhouse Street, and out of 400 legs 31 were found to be badly affected with the disease and condemned; and that the 27 sheep from Patea, New Zealand, had each attached to the leg a certificate of a veterinary inspector of the New Zealand Government to the effect that they had been examined and found sound; and if he will approach the High Commissioner of New Zealand with regard to the matter and issue instructions that in future a thorough examination must be made of all legs and shoulders imported in bags at all centres where such bags are landed?

My right hon. Friend has made inquiries and is informed that the facts are substantially as stated in the question. He is bringing the matter to the notice of the Governments of the exporting countries. It is recognised by the local authorities concerned that severed parts of carcases require special attention, and on the information before him my right hon. Friend does not think it is necessary to take the course suggested in the last part of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any portion of the equipment, other than weapons, of the British soldier is purchased abroad; and, if so, what are, the articles in question?

No article of equipment of the British soldier is purchased abroad.

asked the Secretary of state for Scotland the total number of slum-clearance houses which have been completed in Camlachie Parliamentary Division; and whether he can press for the more speedy completion of such houses which are under construction at the present time?

The total number of slum-clearance houses which have been completed to date in the Camlachie Parliamentary Division is 420. I am also informed that 114 houses are at present under construction and that it is anticipated that these will be completed during the present building season. I am advised that the corporation are doing everything in their power to ensure the speedy completion of the houses under construction.