asked the Minister of Labour the estimated number of persons employed in insured trades between the ages of 16 and 64 as at 1st February, 1927, and 1st February, 1930; and has she any statistics that will show the number of uninsured persons unemployed on the same dates?

The estimated number of insured persons, aged 16 to 64, in employment in Great Britain at 27th January, 1930, was 9,998,700 as compared with 9,709,000 at 24th January, 1927. In arriving at these estimates allowance has been made for the numbers unemployed and the numbers directly involved in trade disputes, and a deduction of 3½ per cent. has been made in respect of sickness and other forms of unrecorded non-employment other than temporary holidays. I am unable to state the total number of uninsured persons unemployed but at 27th January, 1930, the numbers of such persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain was 96,574 as compared with 75,640 on 24th January, 1927.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women, respectively, on the unemployment registers in the Lancaster and Morecambe area who have received written directions, under the Unemployment (No. 2) Act, from officers of the Employment Exchanges with a view to assisting them to find suitable employment; and what percentage of those receiving unemployment benefit in that area this number represents?

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

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed persons on the live register on 1st May, 1929, and 1930, respectively, or on the nearest available dates, in the towns of Gainsborough, Grantham and Lincoln?

At 5th May, 1930, there were 811 persons on the registers of the Employment Exchange at Gains-borough, 954 at Grantham, and 3,456 at Lincoln. The corresponding figures for 6th May, 1929, were 712 at Gainsborough, 557 at Grantham, and 1,827 at Lincoln.

asked the Minister of Labour in round figures the number of persons on the unemployed list in the Leeds area for the week ending 10th May, 1930, and for the comparable week of 1929?

At 12th May, 1930, there were 23,214 persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in

County.		Parish.		Acreage.	Date of Purchase.	Date of extinguishment of common rights.	Present use.
Devon	…	Mary Tav	…	77	1910	1911	Rifle range.
Devon	…	Peter Tavy		2,200	1905	1907	Rifle range.
Dorset	…	Wool	…	430	1924	Not extinguished	Rifle range.
Essex	…	Colchester	…	1½	1905	1906	Training area.
Hants	…	Bramshott	…	586	1918	Not extinguished	Training area.
Hants	…	Headley	…	136	1902	Not extinguished	Training area.
Hants	…	Kingsley	…	12	1903	1906	Training area.
Hants	…	Selborne	…	46	1902	1905	Training area.
Staffs	…	Whittington		326	1876	1877	Camp and training area.
Surrey	…	Ash and Normandy.		1,240	1876	1878	Danger zone and training area.
Surrey	…	Chobham	…	2,041	1877	1877	Danger zone.
Surrey	…	Farnham	…	269	—	1855	Training area.
Surrey	…	Pirbright	…	3,032	1877	1878	Barracks and training area.
Yorks	…	Strensall	…	1,056	1876	1884 (subject to Strensall Common Act, 1884).	Camp and training area.
London	…	Woolwich	…	120	1803/12	1803	Barracks and training areas.
London	…	Charlton	…	102
London	…	Eltham	…	31	1812	No common rights established.	Barracks and training area.

asked the Minister of Labour the economic standard as compared with the standard of workers in this country of the Hungarian and Berlin workers who recently secured the Indian orders for 132 boilers and 66 cylinders?

The information in the possession of the Ministry of

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give a list of the lands in the control of his Department which were subject to common rights when acquired by the Crown, showing the county and civil parish in which each such portion of land is situated, its acreage, the date of its acquisition by his Department, the date, if any, on which the common rights were extinguished, and the present use of the land?

The list of the lands owned by the War Department, which are, or were formerly, subject to common rights, is as follows:Labour is insufficient for the purpose of exact comparisons, but figures compiled by the International Labour Office, and published in the April issue of the "International Labour Review," show that the hourly time rates of wages fixed by agreement between the employers' and workers' organisations for certain classes of adult workmen in the engineering industry in London and Berlin at 1st January, 1930, were as follow. The figures in sterling are approximations, correct to the nearest ¼d.

—	London.		Berlin.
	s.	d.	Reichs marks.	s.	d.*
Fitters and Turners	1	4	1·29	1	3¼
Iron Moulders (Sand)	1	4	1·29	1	3¼
Patternmakers	1	5	1·29	1	3¼
Labourers	0	11½	0·84	0	9¾
*Converted at the rates of exchange current at 1st January, 1930.

Figures which were also given in the same publication indicate that the retail prices of food, fuel, light and soap in six of the principal industrial towns (including Berlin) in Germany averaged about 6 per cent. higher than in seven of the principal towns (including London) in Great Britain. As regards Hungary, information published by the Municipal Statistical Office of Budapest shows that the hourly rates of wages in the engineering and metal industries at December; 1928, mostly ranged from 0.77 to 1.12 pengos per hour, equivalent, at present rates of exchange, to approximately 6.6d. to 9.7d. per hour, and those of labourers in the same industries averaged 0.54 pengo per hour, equivalent to approximately 4.7d. No figures are available for any later date. From certain particulars as to retail prices which are given in the same source of information, it would appear that, at December, 1928, the cost of food in Budapest was appreciably lower than in London, but the information available is not sufficient to enable the average level in Budapest to be expressed as a percentage of the average level in London.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered the position of Grade 4 clerks and their promotion to established grades and the position governing lad writers who reach the age of 21 years; and what decision he has arrived at concerning them?

I have recently been in consultation with representatives of the staff in regard to these questions, and I am having them further explored.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider, in the case of men at present employed at the Woolwich Arsenal who will be superannuated before 4th August, the date on which the week's annual leave with pay begins, granting such men leave with pay or a week's pay in lieu before their retirement?

It has been decided that in a War Department establishment, which closes for the purpose of the annual leave in question, an employé (otherwise eligible) whose services are due to terminate on account of age before the week of closure, may be allowed leave at the rate of one-twelfth of the annual allowance in respect of each month of service subsequent to the beginning of the leave year. The week of closure at the ordnance factories this year will be the week preceding August Bank Holiday.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount received by the National Exchequer from the sales of War stores in each of the last seven years?

The sums received by the Disposals and Liquidation Commission (and the corresponding figures since the Commission ceased to exist) from the sale of War material and other miscellaneous recoveries were as follow:

Financial Year.	Paid to Exchequer as Miscellaneous Revenue.	Appropriated in aid of Votes.
	£	£
1923–24	22,250,000	1,450,000
1924–25	7,836,009	707,433
1925–26	7,193,753	585,980
1926–27	3,108,265	259,685
1927–28	3,134,368	30,821
1928–29	2,023,706	13,296
1929–30	604,808	5,750
		(Estimate).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount received by Great Britain from the Dominions and our Allies for the repayment of loans and for German reparations; and the amount paid by Great Britain to the United States of America for debt repayment in each of the last seven years?

The following table shows the total amount received by Great Britain from our ex-Allies under the War Debt Funding Agreements and from German Reparation (excluding cost of the British Army of Occupation), and the

Financial Year.					Receipts from		Total.	Payments to U.S.A. Government.
					Allies.	Reparations.
					£	£	£	£
Prior to 1924		…	…	…	—	15,300,000*	15,300,000	77,784,000
1924	…	…	…	…	—	4,500,000†	4,500,000	36,416,000
1925	…	…	…	…	2,000,000	6,200,000	8,200,000	33,268,000
1926	…	…	…	…	8,225,000	8,800,000	17,025,000	33,089,000
1927	…	…	…	…	10,700,000	13,500,000	24,200,000	32,845,000
1928	…	…	…	…	12,850,000	18,500,000	31,350,000	33,164,000
1929	…	…	…	…	15,050,000	19,400,000	34,450,000	32,998,000
* Includes to 31st August, 1924.						†From 1st September, 1924.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government will reconsider their decision not to present a White Paper dealing with the Report of the Geneva Committee on the suggested amendments to the Covenant?

His Majesty's Government have hitherto followed the precedent set up by the late Government, whereby reports of League of Nations Committees were not published as White Papers. I am, however, prepared to consult with the Treasury on the particular case referred to in the hon. Baronet's question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the result of the League of Nations Conference on the Codification of International Law, recently

It would not be possible to compress within the limits of an answer to a Parliamentary question an account of the results of the Conference for the Codification of International Law, recently held at The Hague. The hon. Member will, however, find the conclusions of the Conference embodied in a number of documents issued by the League of Nations, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. The Convention and Protocols regarding nationality, the text of which appears in those documents, were signed by the Delegation of the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Health what his proposals are for dealing with the problem of the segregation of mentally defective and abnormal children in the rural areas?

The Mental Deficiency Acts, 1913–4927, provide means by which mental defectives can be segregated in institutions or colonies or placed under guardianship or supervision. Every effort is made to ensure that the duties imposed on local authorities by those Acts are carried out.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that although official sanction was given to a scheme of work on a surface-water drain in Letchmore Road, Stevenage, some months ago, the work has not yet been commenced; and whether this delay is attributable to his Department?

This scheme has been under the consideration of the district road engineer and the Ministry of Transport. That Ministry's report was received by me on the 15th instant. Sanction to the loan for the work for which the local authority applied was issued by my Department on the same day.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has yet received a reply to his request for a report from the officer administering the government of the Colony of Hong Kong as to the number of brothels known to the authorities in the Colony and the number of women in them; and if the secretary for Chinese Affairs still passes girls and women into the known brothels in the Colony on their request and registers them as inmates of such houses?

The report has not yet been received by my Noble Friend. He has no information as to any change in the methods of protection of women and girls undertaken by the Hong Kong Government.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has yet received from the Governor and the High Commissioner of the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States their detailed observations and proposals on the several recommendations of the committees which reported, respectively, in August, 1925, and March, 1929 (Cmd. 2501 and Cmd. 3294), on the subjects of brothel-keeping, medical examinations of prostitutes, and the protection of women and girls?

The answer is in the affirmative. If so desired, a copy of the High Commissioner's despatch and my Noble Friend's reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he proposes to introduce legislation to give to applicants for War pensions who are outside the seven years' limit the same right of appeal which has been enjoyed by those within the seven years' limit?

No, Sir. The arrangements which I announced in the House on 18th November last are, in the Government's view, the preferable method of dealing with this class of case and in the best interests of the ex-service men concerned.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will cause to be made more widely known the advantages of voluntary registration of property at His Majesty's Land Registry; and will he consider the appointment of additional staff so that the Registry may be enabled to invite, and give effect to, an increase of voluntary registration?

As was intimated in the reply which the Solicitor-General gave to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Berner) on 3rd February last, the Lord Chancellor looks for the success of land registration rather to a gradual increase in the number of compulsory areas than to a general extension of voluntary registration. For this and other reasons he is not prepared to adopt the suggestion contained in the first part of the question. As regards the second part, the staff of the Land Registry is sufficient to deal with any applications for voluntary registration presenting themselves as well as with the other work of the Department. If it should prove insufficient, it would be increased.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, subject to the consent of His Majesty's Government in Canada, he can arrange to reprint as a Command Paper the document recently issued by the Canadian Department of Trade and Commerce entitled Empire Tariff Preferences on Canadian Goods, in view of the fact that the document contains the most complete statement yet published of the tariff preferences accorded by each Empire country to other Empire countries?

As the document in question has already been published in Canada, I see no occasion to approach His Majesty's Government in Canada for permission to reprint it in this country as a Command Paper. If the hon. Member or other hon. Members have any difficulty in securing copies, I shall be happy to do what I can to assist them.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he will lay upon the Table the profit-and-loss account and the balance-sheet of the credit department of Overseas Trade, which has been drawn up in accordance with the recommendations of Sir Otto Niemeyer's Committee?

The revenue account and balance sheet for the Export Credits Guarantee Scheme for the period from 1st July, 1926, to 31st March, 1928, which were drawn up in accordance with the recommendations of Sir Otto Niemeyer's Committee, were published in the annual volume of Trading Accounts and Balance Sheets for 1928. As this volume has already been presented to Parliament, I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by laying upon the Table a separate Paper containing the accounts in question.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, in reference to the advice given by the Board of Admiralty to the Government that the naval needs of the country would be met by the provision of a minimum of 50 cruisers against their earlier considered opinion of 70, whether such advice was asked for on the basis of a permanent state of world peace or was the possibility of future war taken into consideration?

If the hon. Member will refer to what I said on this subject during the Debate on the 15th of this month in this House, repeating what I had already publicly stated on a previous occasion, he will see that this advice of the Board of Admiralty as to 50 cruisers meeting our needs was limited to the period up to 1936. During that period neither the present Government nor our predecessors in office have thought it necessary to maintain a Fleet based upon anticipation of a war on a major scale.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he can state what is the total number of Indians who have been arrested and put into gaol in British-India in connection with the nonviolence campaign since 1st March this year to the latest available date; and how many of them are members of the Legislative Assembly, of the provincial councils, and of municipal councils, respectively?

No, Sir, I have not the detailed information which would enable me to answer this question.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether any preference is being given to the issue of licences for the carrying of fire-arms by Europeans in India as distinct from the Indian population?

The rules under the Indian Arms Act relating to the grant of licences for possessing and carrying fire-arms make no distinction between Europeans and Indians. The grant of licences is within the discretion of district magistrates and commissioners of police, who exercise it with due consideration of individual cases.

asked the Secretary of State for India what trade boycotts, if any, exist at present in India against the importation and/or consumption of goods from Britain?

As I stated in a reply on 5th May, I have heard from the Government of India that the efforts to establish a boycott of British and foreign goods have so far been mainly concentrated on cloth. There have also been reports of a boycott of medical goods which, according to my latest information, is weakening. I have not heard of any other boycotts directed against individual trades.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India have issued any special instructions, and, if so, what is their nature, to police officers and magistrates in dealing with the present emergency in India in connection with the civil resistance movement?

I know of no special instructions to magistrates and police officers.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he can make any further statement with regard to the present position of the disturbed conditions in the Bannu and Kohat districts on the North-West frontier of India?

Troops surrounded Kohat City early on the 12th May. The Congress Office was searched and the police arrested seven persons. Similar measures were taken at Bannu on the 16th, and nine arrests were made.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will be in his place to answer questions next Wednesday?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Home Secretary for the figures relating to the six months ended to the last convenient date, and the number of offence's of which motorists were convicted which were dealt with by prosecution, of driving recklessly or at a speed and in a manner dangerous to the public?

The latest period for which figures are available is the whole year ended 31st December, 1929. During that year, 27,552 motoring offenees of driving recklessly, negligently or at a speed or in a manner dangerous to the public became known to the police in England and Wales; 24,269 of these offences were dealt with by prosecution and resulted in 18,678 convictions.

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware that it is not permissible to leave a motor car for a short time in wide thoroughfares, such as Aldwych, whilst the owner pays a business call; and if he will issue instructions to the Metropolitan Police that a reasonable discretion is exercised in this respect where the width of the street, and other circumstances, make temporary curb-parking quite innocuous?

There is no general prohibition with regard to vehicles standing in Aldwych or in any other wide street for brief periods, provided that obstruction is not caused. The police are already directed to exercise a reasonable discretion in this matter, but where there is obstruction it is their duty to keep the highway clear for traffic. As regards Aldwych, I may mention that there are authorised parking places in the immediate vicinity.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what figure the recently increased German subsidy on oats imported into Britain now amounts to; and whether he is taking any steps in the interest of British agriculture to curtail or end, this subsidised competition?

I have been asked to reply. As from the 13th May the face value of the import bond in respect of oats exported from Germany has been about 4s. 6d. per cwt. As regards the last part of the question, I have nothing to add to my previous statements on the subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in connection with the proposal that there should be a non-party conference to find a solution for agricultural depression, he will state whether he accepts the principle of guaranteeing the price of home-grown wheat to the British farmer?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 3rd April to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for the Isle of Wight (Captain P. Macdonald), of which I am sending him a copy.