asked the Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India will consider the advisability of appointing a Central Rice Committee and a Central Jute Committee, on the lines of the Central Cotton Committee, with a view to accelerating crop improvement?

The creation of a Central Jute Committee was recommended by the Royal Commission on Agriculture in India, and this recommendation has been accepted in principle by the Government of India. Further information will be found in the report on the progress made in giving effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Agriculture in India, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The Government of India will, no doubt, consider the question of creating a Central Rice Committee if they are asked to do so by persons interested in India.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether any steps are contemplated to secure a popular circulation in India of the report of the Simon Commission; and, if not, whether, in order to prevent the dissemination of misconceptions respecting the contents of the report, he will suggest to the Government of India that action in this direction is desirable?

The question is under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many of the 4,000 women teachers who have or will have retired by 1932–33 are expected to have retired by 31st March in the years 1931, 1932 and 1933, respectively; and how many of these are expected to have retired on account of marriage or on reaching pensionable age?

The number of 4,000 retired or retiring women teachers, given in my speech on the Second Reading of the Education Bill, as likely to be available in 1932–33, if needed, does not include any teachers retiring on reaching the pensionable age, but only certificated women teachers withdrawing from service on marriage. There are at least 2,000 thousand such withdrawals annually, and my estimate was based on this general consideration and not on the numbers likely to be retiring in any particular year.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many of the 1,000 teachers expected to be retained in the profession after reaching pensionable age are men and how many women; and how many of each are expected to reach that age by 31st March in the years 1931, 1932, and 1933, respectively?

I anticipate that the numbers of men and women retained in teaching service after reaching the pensionable age will be roughly equal. In normal circumstances about 1,200 certificated teachers would probably retire on pension each year, at an average age of about 62.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will state the number of teachers who completed their training in two-year training colleges in the years ending July, 1926, 1927, 1928, and 1929, respectively, and the number who are expected to complete their training next month, giving separate figures for men and women?

The numbers are as follow:

asked the President of the Board of Education how many teachers, in addition to the average annual output of teachers following two-year training courses for the last four years, will have finished their training by 31st March in each of the years 1931 to 1934; how many of these will be men and how many women, respectively; and how many class teachers and teachers of practical subjects, respectively?

The output, in the summer of 1931, of teachers following two-year courses is expected to exceed the average annual output of the last four years by 738. Of this number 349 are men and 389 are women. The number of women includes 129 teachers of domestic subjects, but it cannot yet be said how many of the remainder will have special qualifications in other practical subjects. Detailed estimates in respect of subsequent years cannot be given until particulars of the admissions to the training colleges next autumn are available.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the programme of the West Riding local education authority to provide for reorganisation and accommodation for an additional age group is estimated to cost £2,280,000 and to require more than six years to complete; that the programme of the Manchester local education authority indicates that reorganisation of the provided schools only, apart from the Roman Catholic and Church of England schools, will be completed in only half the districts into which the city has been divided by the end of 1933; and whether he is satisfied that in these areas there will not only be sufficient school places but that the accommodation, equipment, etc., in the schools which are not reorganised will be suitable for the advanced education of the pupils who, after the 1st April, 1931, will be obliged to attend them till the age of 15?

The West Riding local education authority estimate that they will need to incur capital expenditure amounting to £1,129,695 during the three years 1930–33 on new elementary schools and the improvement of existing schools. This estimate allows for improved provision for juniors as well as seniors, and also for new schools required as a result of housing developments. While the authority estimate that a further three years' period, ending in 1936, must elapse before reorganisation is complete, their programme shows that, pending the actual transfer of older children to senior schools, it should be possible to provide special instruction, including practical work, for such children either in temporary centres or in their present schools, and that the necessary emergency accommodation for classrooms and practical subjects should be forthcoming without the erection of temporary structures.The programme of the Manchester local education authority contemplates that reorganisation will be completed by the 31st March, 1933, in 15 of the 31 school districts of the city. This programme provides not only for children now attending council schools, but also for those now in Church of England schools. Pending the completion of reorganisation, I am advised that there is no doubt that adequate arrangements can and will be made for the older children.I am accordingly satisfied that both in the West Riding and in Manchester there will not only be sufficient school places for the extra age-group which will continue in the schools after 1st April, 1931, but that, even in those schools which are not reorganised, the accommodation and equipment will attain the high standard at which these two authorities have always aimed.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will make a return showing for each local education authority the new or additional expenditure for elementary education contemplated by its programme for each of the years 1930–31, 1931–32, and 1932–33 on salaries of teachers, loan charges, books, stationery, furniture, apparatus, and equipment, and conveyance?

I am not yet in a position to add anything to the answer which I gave the hon. Member on 28th May.

asked the Home Secretary whether Isadore Dreazon, who was convicted at Manchester early in May for failing to register as an alien, has now been deported; and, if so will he state to what country this alien has been sent?

No, Sir. As my right hon. Friend has previously explained, certain inquiries are proceeding but they have not yet been completed.

asked the Home Secretary whether M. Rosenstein has been allowed to enter this country; and, if so, will he state whether M. Rosenstein is visiting this country in his individual capacity and subject to the ordinary passport regulations or whether he has been allowed to enter Great Britain in his capacity as a diplomatic or trade representative of the Soviet Government?

My right hon. Friend cannot identify the alien to whom the hon. and gallant Member refers: but I think I can say that no one of that name has recently landed in the United Kingdom as a diplomatic or trade representative of the Soviet Government.

asked the Minister of Labour if she can state the total number of insured persons classified in trade groups as belonging to the building industry in Great Britain on 1st July in each of the years 1914, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929 and on 1st June, 1930; and the total number of such persons recorded as unemployed on the same dates.

I regret that comparable statistics are not available in respect of the year 1914. The following table gives the information desired for the other years in question.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will state the estimated number of insured persons aged 16 to 64 in employment on approximately the following dates: 21st January, 21st March, and 21st May, 1930?

It is estimated that the insured persons aged 16 to 64 in employment in Great Britain at dates for which figures are available, nearest to those referred to, were as follow:

asked the Minister of Labour if she can state the number of persons admitted to benefit at B Clearing House, Regent Road, Liverpool, by the operation of the amended Act, since 13th March, 1930; and the number who have been disallowed benefit since lath March, 1930, together with the reasons given for disallowing benefit?

I regret that I am unable to give figures for individual Employment Exchanges showing the number of persons admitted to benefit by the operation of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1930. Separate figures are also not available in respect of the claims made at B Clearing House, Liverpool, which have been disallowed since 13th March. These claims are dealt with by the court of referees for the Bootle area, which includes the Bootle Employment Exchange, Waterloo Juvenile Employment Bureau, and A and B Clearing Houses. The figures in respect of claims disallowed by this court of referees from 13th March to 9th June, 1930, are as follow:

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the heavy local rates borne by districts where the unemployed are over 10 per cent. of the registered insured persons, she will consider the advisability of removing the disabilities suffered by such localities in respect of transfer conditions for grants to unemployment relief schemes and giving grants up to as much as 100 per cent. of the cost in certain cases?

Statements of Government policy on this subject generally were made yesterday by my right hon. Friends the Minister of Health and the Minister of Transport to representatives of local authorities. Copies of these statements will be made available to hon. Members.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will state the number of claims disallowed at the Leith (Quality Street) Exchange on the ground that applicants were not normally in insurable employment in the following periods: 1st January to 1st June, 1927, 1st January to 1st June, 1928, 1st January to 1st June, 1929, and 1st January to 1st June, 1930?

, pursuant to her reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 19th June, 1930; col. 593; Vol. 240), supplied the following statement:

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will state the number and names of countries importing cheese into this country bearing the designations of genuine English commodities; and whether such cheese is clearly marked to indicate the country or countries of origin?

Cheese described by names of English origin is imported from Holland, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the Argentine. All such cheese is required to be marked on import with the name of the country of origin, either on the cheese itself or on the receptacle containing it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that his Department has issued a list of butchers in one of the London areas, he proposes to issue and circulate similar lists of purveyors of other food commodities, e.g., fruit and vegetables, to which the principle of the national mark applies?

I am afraid that my hon. Friend's suggestion is impracticable. The task would be enormous.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will state the cost to the State of guaranteeing the price of wheat grown in this country at 60s. as compared with the present price; and what additional number of agricultural labourers such a policy would employ?

The difference between the present price of wheat and 60s. is 21s. 9d. per quarter (504 lbs.), and the cost of guaranteeing such a price for that part of the 1929 crop estimated to be sold off farms in Great Britain would be £4,836,000. If the guarantee were applied to the whole crop the cost would be £6,424,000. I am unable to estimate the effect on agricultural employment of the adoption of such a policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how the new Canadian duty on potatoes will affect British imports into Canada?

The importation into Canada of potatoes from this country has been prohibited on the grounds of disease since 1913.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been called to the contemplated large supply of bacon from Denmark; and if he can give any statistics of the imports in each of the last six months?

My attention has been drawn by a report of the Pig Industry Council to the probability of increased supplies of Danish bacon in the immediate future. The imports of Danish bacon into the United Kingdom during the last six months were as follow:Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Imports of Bacon from Denmark.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether any agricultural products at the present time are produced in this country above the cost of production and, if so, what they are?

I regret that I have no information as to the average costs of production which would enable me to reply to this question.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the total amount of public money that has been advanced under Section 1 of the Agricultural Credits Act, 1923, to finance those who had purchased agricultural lands on mortgage between 5th April, 1917, when the Corn Production Bill was introduced, and 27th June, 1921, when the Corn Production (Repeal) Bill was introduced; how much of that amount had been repaid by 31st March, 1930; and how much, if any, has been written off as practically irrecoverable?

The amount advanced by the Public Works Loan Commissioners under the pro visions of Section 1 of the Agricultural Credits Act, 1923, was £4,766,119, of which £713,364 2s. 1d. had been repaid by 31st March, 1930. The sum of £1,215 9s. 3d. was written off as irrecoverable under the Public Works Loans Act, 1928, and it is proposed that further sums amounting to £6,368 17s. 4d should be written off under the Public Works Loans Bill, 1930, at present before Parliament.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the use of flour made from British-grown wheat affects the cost of bread supplied to the public; and whether if double the present proportion of such flour were used by the bakers there would be any variation in the cost of bread to the consumer?

I have been asked to reply. I have no reason to think that the use by bakers of flour milled from home-grown wheat instead of flour milled from imported wheats in any way affects the price of bread. I am advised that a substantial increase in the average proportion of home-grown wheat milled for bread-making purposes would not necessarily cause any variation in bread prices.