asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the details of the office accommodation in Bush House which is to be occupied by the Soviet trade delegation and to which diplomatic immunity attaches?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given yesterday to a similar question put by the hon. and gallant Member for Gainsborough (Captain Crookshank).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs where within the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics there are now British Consuls and Vice-Consuls?

There is a Consul at Leningrad and a Vice-Consul at Moscow.

asked the Minister of Health how many applications for pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1929, have been received by widows wishing to benefit in July, 1920; and how many of these applications have been allowed?

About 228,000 applications for widows' pensions as from 1st July next have been received in Great Britain, but about 40,000 of these have been made under a misapprehension by widows who will not attain pensionable age for some years. Of the remaining 188,000 claims, 91,964 have been awarded to date, and awards are being made at the rate of 12,500 a week.

asked the Minister of Health if he has decided to give support to the application of the Weardale Rural District Council in relation to their schemes for an efficient water supply for the villages of Lanehead and Cowshill, Edmundbyers, St. John's Chapel, Frosterley, Whitekirkley, Iveshopeburn, Daddry Shields and Westgate, and Westgate High Town; and will he indicate, in the event of an adverse decision in relation to any of the said schemes, the reason for disapproval?

I have recently received applications for the first six places mentioned, but not for the last two. I have not yet had time to decide the applications, but they will be dealt with as expeditiously as possible.

asked the Minister a Health the total number of public, private licensed, and registered slaughter houses in England, Scotland, and Wales, separately; and how many of each have adopted Clause 9 (b) of the model by-laws?

The approximate numbers of slaughter houses in England and Wales are as follow:Slaughter houses owned by local authorities:

of local authorities in England and Wales who had in force on the 13th May, 1930, a by-law based on Clause 9 (

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that so many insured persons fall out of the National Health and Pensions Insurance scheme by reason of continuous unemployment, particularly at the end of this year, he will consider the possibility of a separate scheme to cover these people and any other section of the community whom he may deem advisable, such scheme to be worked, if possible, in conjunction with the present scheme?

The question referred to by my hon. Friend is being considered.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has received an application from the Provisional International Trade Union Committee of Negro Workers in America for permission to hold the first International Conference of Negro Workers in London in July next; whether he has returned a reply to the application; and whether he will acquaint the House of the attitude of His Majesty's Government towards the matter?

Yes, Sir, and my right hon. Friend has replied that he is unable to give any sanction to the proposed conference or to authorise facilities for the attendance of delegates.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the conditions governing the issue of railway excursion tickets and other tickets issued at less than ordinary fares include the stipulation that neither the holder nor any other person shall have the right of action against the company in respect of injury, fatal or otherwise, loss, damage, or delay, however caused; and whether he will consider taking the necessary steps immediately to provide that these railway passengers are protected in the same degree as all others?

I am aware that railway companies sometimes attach to excursion tickets or other tickets issued at a cheap rate a condition that their liability in the event at accident shall be limited. As regards the latter part of the question I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to a question on this subject on 22nd July last, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that Mr. W. G. Holmes, of 26, Fairlight Avenue, Ramsgate, attended a medical board at the Ministry of Pensions on 7th March last; that since that time he has been unable to obtain notification as to the result of the medical examination, and that Mr. Holmes, being 50 per cent. disabled and having had a stroke, is suffering through the suspense; and if he will cause the findings of the board to be notified at an early date?

The case referred to has been investigated and an increased grant at the rate of 70 per cent. assessment in lieu of the current award has been made. Mr. Holmes has been notified of this decision.

asked the Postmaster-General the average gross receipts of telephone kiosks both in the Metropolitan and the provincial areas?

For the year ended 31st December, 1929, the average gross receipts per telephone kiosk in the London telephone area and in the Provinces amounted to £66 17s. 1d. and £37 9s., respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General how long it will be before automatic telephones are in use on every exchange in the London area; and what changes he anticipates will be necessary in the telephonic operating staff numbers as a result?

As regards the first part of his question, I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question in the House on 12th November last. As to the second part of the question, for the present, reductions in staff due to the establishment of automatic exchanges are counterbalanced by the normal growth of the existing manual system.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what sum represented one-fifth of any surplus of income on the Post Office Savings Bank for the year 1929 retained as a provision against depreciation, the amount of the remainder paid to the Exchequer for that year, and the amount of any loss, both on income and capital value, sustained on these transactions for each of the last 10 years?

The surplus of income as shown by the figures given in answer to the hon. Member's question of 7th May was £4,125,000; of this sum the provision for depreciation was £825,000 and the balance was payable to the Exchequer. There has been no loss on income or capital value during the last 10 years, but there is a deficiency on capital account of about £35,000,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reply has been made to the application received from the British Empire Union for medals to com- memorate the forthcoming Empire Day to be struck at the Mint to the order of the British Empire Union; and whether medals have been struck for distribution gratis to the children in the public elementary schools?

I understand that the order for medals placed with the Royal Mint by the Empire Union has been executed. These medals are struck by the Mint as a commercial transaction. The price represents a fair profit to the Mint. I have no knowledge of the arrangements for the distribution by the union of the medals.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that land purchased by the borough council of Ealing as recently as 1927 for the express purpose of being utilised as permanent allotments at Framfield Road, Hanwell, and for which a loan of £3,075 was sanctioned and raised, is now proposed to be appropriated for housing and the allotment holders served with notice to quit; whether the sanction of the Minister, as required by Section 8 of the Allotments Act, 1925, has been given for the proposed user of the land; is he aware that there is other land available for housing in the immediate neighbourhood; and, in these circumstances, has he refused his consent or taken other steps to prevent the allotments being destroyed, seeing that they have been acquired with public money so recently for the express purpose of being permanent allotments?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Under Section 8 of the Allotments Act, 1925, the council's proposals cannot be carried into effect without my consent, after consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, and a decision in the matter will be communicated to the council and to the other parties interested at an early date.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has any statistics of the figures of unemployment among agricultural workers in the Saffron Walden, Dunmow, Halstead and Yeldham areas of North Essex; and, if so, whether this unemployment exists among casual workers or those permanently employed?

Reports as to the extent of unemployment existing among agricultural workers were obtained by the Ministry in February last, but for the reasons given in the reply to a question by the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Hurd) on the 15th instant, I regret that it is impossible to give statistics relating to particular areas. Supplementary information, obtained at the end of April, showed that there was still unemployment among agricultural workers in North Essex, including a number of men usually in regular employment.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will give in round figures the number of persons on the unemployed list in the Liverpool area for the week ended 10th May, 1930, and for the comparable week of 1929?

At 12th May, 1930, there were 72,518 persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in the Liverpool area, including those at Liverpool, Garston, Bootle and Walton. The corresponding figure at 13th May, 1929, was 55,144.

asked the Minister of Labour if a site for the new unemployment Exchange in the north end of Liverpool has yet been acquired?

The purchase of a site for the new Employment Exchange at Liverpool (Walton) has not yet been formally completed, but the negotiations are proceeding satisfactorily.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will give in round figures the number of persons on the unemployed list in the Bradford area for the week ended 10th May, 1930, and for the comparable week of 1929?

At 12th May, 1930, there were 23,012 persons on the registers of the Bradford Employment Exchange as compared with 13,510 at 13th May, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of women on the unemployed register who have accepted domestic service within the last six months; whether she is aware of the increasing difficulty of obtaining suitable servants; and how many applications she hall, received and approved for the temporary admission of foreign servants?

The number of women on the Unemployed Register who accepted resident domestic service in hotels and private houses during the six months from 24th September, 1929, to 24th March, 1930, was 15,339 of whom 8,691 were in private houses. In addition 19,746 accepted employment as nonresident domestics. During approximately the same period 2,481 female aliens were permitted to take up employment as resident domestic servants, all of whom entered private houses. Permission is not in general given to aliens to take up domestic service other than in private houses. I am not aware that the difficulty of obtaining suitable female servants is increasing.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed persons on the register of the Borough Road Employment Exchange as at the last convenient date; and the percentage of these persons who are expressed as of the insured population residing in that borough?

At 12th May, 1930, there were 6,478 persons resident in the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark on the registers of Employment Exchanges, or 8.8 per cent. of the insured persons residing in that borough.

asked the Minister of Labour the increase or decrease in the number of persons unemployed in the Woolwich district for last week as compared with the same week of last year?

At 12th May, 1930, there were 3,535 persons, residing in the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich, on the registers of Employment Exchanges, as compared with 2,233 at 13th May, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of unemployed in Saffron Walden in May, 1930, as compared with May, 1929 and 1928?

asked the Minister of Labour whether she has now come to a decision in respect of a Trade Board for the catering trade?

I have recently received deputations from a number of employers' associations, following a deputation from the Trade Union Congress General Council, and I have acceded to their request that I should wait until the end of June in order to allow certain information to be prepared for my consideration. In the meantime, the results of the investigations I caused to be made are being examined and prepared for publication.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his Department is considering the award of compensation to workmen rendered redundant by the displacement of employés in His Majesty's dockyards through the limitation of armaments, or if alternative work will be provided for them?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of yesterday (OFFICIAL REPORT, Column 413) to the hon. Member for East Willesden (Mr. D. G. Somerville).

asked the Secretary of State for India whether any warning is given to newspapers in India in cases where security is about to be demanded under the Press Ordinance?

The following table shows the numbers of persons on the registers of the Saffron Walden Employment Exchange at the dates given therein:

The Ordinance does not require the issue of a warning before the deposit of security is demanded. I am not aware whether in practice a warning is given.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether any reasons are given by the provincial governments in India to the editors or proprietors of existing journals in cases where securities are demanded under the Press Ordinance?

Under the terms of Section 8 (3) of the Ordinance, security can be demanded only if it appears to the local Government that the journal contains words of the nature described in Section 4.

asked the Secretary of State for India what newspapers in India have been asked to furnish securities under the Press ordinance and, if security has been given, what is the amount in each case?

I regret that I cannot furnish my hon. Friend with this information as it is not in my possession.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies the latest information he has with regard to the Malay States Workmen's Compensation Bill?

The Bill was passed in the Federal Council on 30th January, 1929, but was not to come into force until a date to be notified in the Federated Malay States Gazette. So far as my Noble Friend is aware, no such notification has yet been published, and inquiry will be made as to when the law will be brought into operation.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he is aware that the practice of the authorities charged with ordering stores for India and the Crown Colonies in declining to consider tenders for goods sold under registered British trade marks is prejudicial to British trade, as the use of these branded goods in Government services frequently produces inquiries and orders for British firms from commercial and industrial concerns in the different parts of the Empire in which they are used; and whether he will approach such authorities with a view to their allowing such proprietary articles to be submitted in tenders?

From inquiries which I have made, I am forced to conclude that the hon. Member is under a misapprehension in thinking that such a practice exists; the second part of the question, therefore, does not arise.