Written Answers
Labour Conditions, Young Persons
asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the conditions and hours of labour of young persons during the first few years after leaving school; and whether he will consider the appointment of a Royal Commission or Select Committee for the purpose of investigating the matter and making recommendations?
Yes, Sir. His Majesty's Government is aware of the position, and has already promised to introduce legislation as soon as the state of business permits. The general lines on which such legislation should proceed are, I think, sufficiently clear, so that the need for enquiry such as the hon. and gallant Member suggests does not arise.
Scotland
Loans, Fishermen
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much of the £50,000 Loan Fund has now been allocated to fishermen who lost their nets during the storm of 11th November last?
The applications for loans numbered 515, and of these 501, to a total amount of £19,895, have been sanctioned.
Land Settlement
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the net capital expenditure on schemes of land settlement in Scotland for the years 1928–29 and 1929–30; and what amount of expenditure is estimated for this purpose during the year 1930–31?
The net capital expenditure on schemes of land settlement in Scotland in the year 1928–29 was £107,901 and in 1929–30 £138,436. Similar expenditure during the year 1930–31 may be from £230,000 to £250,000, depending upon the rate at which present and future commitments may mature.
| Description. | Unit of Quantity. | Quantity. | Declared Value. | ||
| Year 1929. | Jan. to May, 1930. | Year 1929. | Jan. to May, 1930. | ||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Domestic and fancy glassware (including cooking utensils, table glassware, ornamental glassware). | Cwt. | 65 | 2 | 85 | 10 |
| Glass bottles and jars | Gross | 214 | 24 | 135 | 30 |
| Cwt. | 100 | 24 | |||
Unemployment
Land Drainage Schemes
asked the Minister of Agriculture the counties and districts where the schemes, costing £1,232,000,
| County. | Location of Scheme. |
| Derbyshire (1) | River Derwent at Derby. |
| Durham (4) | Smallhope Burn near Lanchester. |
| River Skerne above Barmpton. | |
| River Skerne below Barmpton. | |
| River Skerne (upper reaches). | |
| Kent (1) | New Romney level. |
| Middlesex and Surrey (1) | River Thames between Weybridge and Teddington. |
| Surrey (1) | River Wey between Weybridge and Godalming. |
| Warwickshire (1) | River Tame near Birmingham. |
| Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucester (1). | River Avon between Barford and Tewkesbury. |
| Wiltshire (1) | River Avon between Malmesbury and Bradford. |
Russian Glass (Import)
asked the President of the Board of Trade whether within the last 12 months there has been any importation of glass from Russia into this country; and whether, in that case, he can state how the price compares with that of similar articles manufactured in Great Britain?
The following table shows the total quantity and declared value of glass and glassware imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland registered as consigned from the Soviet Union (Russia) during the year 1929 and the first five months of 1930.approved by the Unemployment Grants Committee, are situated; whether any part of the full cost of these schemes will fall on local ratepayers; and whether, in any of these cases, there have been rates levied in the past for previous schemes and, if so, are such rates to be continued or have arrangements been made to liquidate these old charges?
The location of all approved schemes estimated to cost £2,000 or more is as follows:
The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative. The grant from the Unemployment Grants Committee takes the form of a percentage of the loan charges or (in a few cases) of the wages bill, and the remaining percentage has to be found from local sources. The great majority of the schemes are being carried out by local authorities as schemes of public utility under the Unemployment (Relief Works) Act, 1920, and not as drainage schemes by virtue of any powers conferred by Acts relating to land drainage. So far as I am aware, these authorities have not previously carried out any similar schemes in this way, and therefore the answer to the last part of the question would, as regards these schemes, appear to be in
| County. | Location of Scheme. | |
| Bedford (1) | … | Rivers Ivell and Hiy. (Sandy and Biggleswade U.D.C's.) |
| Cambridge (3) | … | Burnt Fen. |
| Middle Fen. | ||
| Littleport and Downham District. | ||
| Durham (2) | … | River Wear near Durham. |
| River Skerne below Darlington. | ||
| Essex (2) | … | (1) Fobbing Levels near Grays. |
| (2) Mundon. | ||
| Glamorgan (1) | … | River Ewenuy. |
| Lancaster (1) | … | Colaye Brook near Leigh. |
| Leicester (1) | … | River Sence near Leicester. |
| Merioneth (1) | … | Harlech Marsh. |
| Norfolk (1) | … | Feltwell and Southery District. |
| Oxford and Berks (1) | … | River Thames above Oxford. |
| Somerset (2) | … | Upper River Brue. |
| River Tone near Athelney. | ||
| Yorks. West Riding (1) | … | Cowick, near Goole. |
With regard to the second part of the question, the Ministry's grant takes the form of a percentage either of the net cost of a scheme or of the wages bill at the option of the promoters of the scheme, and the remainder of the cost has to be found, in the case of drainage authorities, out of the drainage rates which are leviable under the present law, and, in the case of county councils, by the owners of the lands concerned, who in most cases are voluntarily co-operating in the schemes.
Education (Statistics)
asked the President of the Board of Education the number of children aged 11 and over who may be expected to be in the schools as at 31st March, 1931?
The number is estimated to be 1,682,000.
Royal Arsenal, Woolwich (Discharges)
asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has recently discharged from the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, any employés of 21 years of age and under; and, if so, the number of persons he has so discharged and the average duration of service of such employés?
The number of employés aged 21 and under (both sexes) discharged from War Department establishments at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, from 1st Janury, 1930, to date is 117, including 39 discharges at the employés' own request. The average length of service was approximately three years.
Corn Production
asked the Minister of Agriculture, (1) what were the quantities of wheat, barley, and oats, respectively, produced in England and Wales, and in Scotland, respectively, and in Great Britain as a whole, in each year from 1913 to 1929, inclusive?(2) What were the acreages under wheat, barley, and oats, respectively, in England and Wales and in Scotland, respectively, and in Great Britain as a whole, in each year from 1913 to 1929, inclusive?
As the reply to these questions involves three long statistical tables, I am sending the information to my right hon. and gallant Friend.