asked the First Lord of the. Admiralty whether opportunity will be afforded for officers of various ranks and branches, promoted from the lower deck, to give evidence before the departmental committee which is investigating the question of promotion to officer rank?

I would refer the Noble Lady to my reply of 30th October [OFFICIAL REPORT, Columns 216-18] to the hon. and gallant Member for Central Portsmouth (Captain W. G. Hall).

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the total number of officers allowed in county class cruisers and H.M.S. "York" in wardroom, gunroom, and commissioned and warrant officers' mess, respectively, and the numbers of officers' stewards and officers' cooks authorised in each mess.

The following is the desired comparison:imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year 1924 was£39,600, while for exports of cutlery of domestic manufacture the monthly average was£85,400 and for re-exports of imported cutlery£9,000. During the nine months ended 30th September, 1930, the corresponding average monthly declared values were£42,600,£75,300 and£9,600 respectively. The figures for 1924 exclude imports and exports of cutlery by parcel post, while those for 1930 include imports and exports of dutiable cutlery by parcel post. I regret that I have no information as to the last part of the question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what area-of land has been withdrawn from agriculture in Great Britain between 1892, or such other date the figures for which may be available, and the present time by expansion of towns, by coast erosion, or other causes

The Ministry has not sufficient information to enable me to say what portion of the area lost to agriculture from year to year is due to any particular cause. Moreover, any comparison of the total agricultural area at the present time with years prior to 1921 is not altogether reliable, owing to the fact that it was not until the latter year that the figures for rough grazings were established on a satisfactory basis. Subject to this reservation, however, the available figures show that the total loss of agricultural land between 1900 and 1929 was 393,462 acres. Between 1921 and 1929 the total loss was 239,149 acres.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what quantities of strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, black currants, plums, and apples have been imported into this country in each of the years 1929 and 1930; what were their countries of origin; what proportion of the total imports of the different types of fruits were contributed by each of these countries; and what were the corresponding amounts of the same fruits produced in this country?

The quantities of raw strawberries, gooseberries, currants, plums and apples imported into the United Kingdom from the different countries of consignment in 1929 and in the first 10 months of 1930 are given in the following table:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the fact that the lapsed policies of one industrial assurance company alone for the year 1928 totalled 1,140,000; and whether he is satisfied that surrender values paid by the insurance companies constitute a fair proportion of the sums assured?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the latter part, the surrender values which are required to be granted under the provisions of the Industrial Assurance Act, 1923, and the Industrial Assurance and Friendly Societies Act, 1929, are calculated on bases laid down in those Statutes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, if he has any information to show the tonnage of mussels landed for consumption in this country during each of the past 10 years?

The information required is as follows:—Landings of mussels (not necessarily for human consumption, the quantities of which are not known):