asked the Postmaster-General whether the proposal for the sale of Imperial Cables was initiated by the Post Office; and if he can give the date on which the proposal was first made?

No proposal for the sale of Imperial Cables was put forward except as a necessary part of the scheme of fusion recommended by the Imperial Wireless and Cable Conference of 1928. The course of the negotiations and the origin of the proposal are described in the report of the Conference (Command Paper 3163).

asked the Postmaster-General the number of air-mail pillar boxes that have been erected in the principal provincial and London centres?

Eleven air-mail posting boxes have been erected in the City and West End of London as an experimental measure. The question of providing similar boxes elsewhere will depend on the results achieved.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has now received from the Governor a report in regard to the complaints that, since the introduction of the standard wage on estates in Malaya, a system of payment to the rubber tappers by the number of pounds of dry rubber contained in the latex brought out by each tapper has been introduced, and in regard to the extent to which this system obtains?

The following report has now been received from the Governor and High Commissioner:

"The system of payment of wages to tappers according to the amount of latex brought in is not a new system, nor has it been universally adopted. This method of remunerating tappers has little (if any) connection with the prescription of standard rates of wages. It has always been the rule on the majority of Asiatic-owned small estates as well as on European-owned estates employing Chinese labourers.

asked the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the case of a 12-inch naval gun lost overboard from the War Department lighter "Gog" in the Thames and subsequently abandoned; whether he is aware that the Port of London Authority, in pursuance of a statutory obligation to remove obstructions from the river, were obliged to continue to search, and that the gun was eventually located from a fishing boat, the owner of which lost his nets and gear owing to the obstruction; and for what reason his Department have refused to make any contribution towards the expenses incurred since the date of the abandonment although, had the gun been in private ownership, the port authority would have had the right to recover the whole of the cost involved by the operations?

I am aware of the facts of this case. The loss of the gun was in no way due to negligence, and moreover the War Department abandoned all claim to it. In these circumstances, the War Department was advised that there was no legal liability to defray from Army funds the cost incurred by the Port of London Authority in carrying out the Authority's statutory obligations. Nor must it be assumed that the War Department accepts the view that a private owner would have been liable in like circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether all soldiers on the married establishment in the Colchester district are in occupation of quarters; and, if not, how many such soliders are there for whom quarters are not available?

There is at present one solider on the married quarters roll in the Colchester district for whom a public quarter is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many soldiers on the married establishment in the Colchester district are in occupation of quarters too small for the size of their families, but are unable to obtain larger quarters owing to suitable accommodation not being available?

The number of families in married quarters in the Colchester district to whom a larger quarter would be allotted were it available is 35.

asked the Minister of Transport, with regard to the application which has been made by the London County Council for a grant out of the Road Fund to the improvement scheme at the Elephant and Castle, involving a new semi-circular street and certain new tramways, if he will state the estimated cost of the improvement, distinguishing between the sum to be spent in the acquisition of properties and easements and the sum to be spent on work, and the amount of the grant, if any, which, with the approval of the Treasury, he proposes to make?

The estimated cost of the scheme for an improvement at the Elephant and Castle proposed by the London County Council is £1,950,000, of which £1,438,000 is estimated to be the cost of acquiring the necessary properties and easements. I have already informed the county council that I shall be prepared to make a grant from the Road Fund of 75 per cent. of the net cost of an approved scheme.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he can now state the composition of the trade mission to the Far East, its general plans, and the date of its departure?

I regret I am not yet in a position to make any further announcement regarding the proposed economic mission to the Far East, but I will do so at the earliest moment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what portion of the total trade of the port of Rochester is from the Continent of Europe?

During the year 1929, of the total net tonnage of the vessels arriving at the port of Rochester (including Chatham) with cargo in the foreign trade, 88.9 per cent. was recorded in respect of vessels arriving from European ports. If the tonnage of all vessels arriving with cargo whether in the foreign trade or in the coasting trade, is taken as the basis of comparison, the proportion from European ports was 36 per cent.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in how many cases mothers were given a grant in respect of a son killed while serving in the Mercantile Marine during the War; and how many applications he has received from such mothers for a need pension, in respect of such deceased sons, on the ground that they are now without means of any kind?

I regret that the information desired by the hon. Member is not available, and could not be obtained without a great deal of labour.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the further representations that have been made to him for the purpose of having Dundee recognised as one of the conference shipping ports, he is now able to make a definite statement on the subject?

I understand that discussions regarding the suggestion that Dundee should be made a shipping conference port are still proceeding between the interested parties, and pending the receipt of information as to the result of such discussions I am unable to make any statement in the matter.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she is aware that a large number of collieries are being closed in Lanarkshire for what is described as an indefinite time; whether she has received any information as to the reasons and the length of time it is intended to keep the collieries closed; and whether, as this is the usual holiday period in that area which normally applies only for a few days, any decision has been reached as to whether the persons affected will qualify for benefit from the date on which the collieries are closed?

The information asked for is stated to relate to a large number of collieries, and it must therefore take some little time to complete the necessary inquiries. I will let my hon. Friend know the result as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any inquiry has been made into the complaints put forward at a meeting held in Glasgow, on 13th June, which was attended by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, along with officials of the divisional office in Edinburgh, respecting the manner in which the administration was being conducted; and, if so, what changes, if any, have been effected in the administration?

As stated by my right hon. Friend on 17th July, the primary object of this meeting was to consider what steps could be taken to improve the attendances of insured contributors' representatives summoned to attend as members of courts of referees, and certain proposals are under consideration in this connection. The representations made to me were mainly comcerned with disallowances of benefit by courts of referees, and I cannot emphasise the fact too strongly that workers' representatives are entitled to share in the decisions of these courts, and that it is the duty of the trade unions to take every possible step to ensure that they attend the sittings when summoned as members.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of men and women in employment who have reached the age of 60 years and over?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 13th February last by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor or the Exchequer to a similar question by the hon. Member for the Gower Division (Mr. Grenfell).

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women on the unemployment register who have reached the age of 60 years and over?

Precise statistics on this point are not available for a recent date, but it is estimated on the basis of inquiries by way of sample that there are approximately 100,000 men and 6,000 women aged 60 and over on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain. In this connection it should be noted that persons aged 65 and over are not insured against unemployment.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons employed and unemployed, respectively, in the building and allied trades in the Tyneside area on the last available date; and the number on the same date each year since 1924?

The following table gives the information desired:

asked the Minister of Labour what number of men have passed through the Government training centres in the present year; what number obtained employment at the conclusion of their period of training; and what number have obtained permanent work?

During the first six months of the present year, 3,110 men completed courses at Government training centres of which number 2,643 were placed in employment, and 3,092 men completed courses at transfer instructional centres of which number 2,984 were placed in employment. Every effort is made to place the men in work which, if they prove satisfactory, will provide them with permanent employment, and in the great majority of cases a course at a centre has enabled the mea to get back into regular work.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he can now give the date when he intends to arrange for a flight for Members of Parliament in the R.100 or R.101?

My Noble Friend had hoped to arrange a cruise for hon. Members before the House rose. The weather conditions recently have, however, been so unsuitable that he regrets such a cruise is not now practicable without interference with the programme for the forthcoming Trans-Atlantic flight.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what funds remain at the disposal of the Central Advisory Committee charged with the administration of the Distress in Mining Areas (Scotland) Fund?

The Distress in Mining Areas (Scotland) Fund is now exhausted except that a sum of £94 which has already been allotted by the committee to four applicants for emigration grants remains to be paid over so soon as the consent of the Canadian Government is obtained.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it has now been arranged to provide certain public libraries, including that of Dundee, with gratis copies of the British Museum catalogue?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave in the House on 7th May last, in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Aberdeen South (Sir F. Thomson). In accordance with the arrangements then announced, Dundee public library will be able to obtain a copy of the catalogue for 75 per cent. of the full cost.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many books during the previous 12 months printed and published in various parts have been prohibited by the Customs from importation into Great Britain?

241 copies of books were seized by the Customs under the provisions of Section 42 of the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, during the year ended 30th April, 1930, which is the latest date for which figures are available.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken at present by his Department to deal with the alleged excessive claims for sickness benefit on the funds of approved societies; and what are the results of any action already adopted in this connection?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Denbigh (Dr. Morris-Jones) on the 3rd instant on this subject.