asked the Secretary of State for War if it is his intention to assist the cadet corps with free camping sites and the loan of suitable tentage?

Cadet corps are no longer recognised by the War Office as such, but, as in the case of other juvenile organisations, it is within the discretion of general officers commanding to allow them, under certain conditions, to use rent-free small areas of War Department land for camps for short periods not exceeding a month. As regards the loan of tentage, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer I gave him on 18th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is estimated to be the cost of reconstructing for motor traffic the road from Aberfoyle to the Trossachs; whether the road when so reconstructed will be scheduled as a Class I road; and what number of men will be employed on the site in reconstructing the road, and for how long a period of time?

The estimated cost of reconstructing and widening the road has not been finally determined, but it is expected that it will be about £60,000. The reply to the second part of the question is in the affirmative. Arrangements for carrying out the scheme are not yet complete, and I cannot give any precise figures as to the duration of the work and the number of men which it would employ, especially as its duration will depend upon some uncertain factors including the weather. It is anticipated, however, that the scheme would provide employment for some hundreds of men for several months.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he proposes to establish in Scotland a Borstal institution for girls?

A portion of Greenock prison is at present, and has for some years past, been set apart for use as a Scottish Borstal institution for girls.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can give any further information regarding the causes of grass sickness; and whether he will add it to the scheduled list of diseases of animals?

I regret that I can give the hon. Member no further information on the subject of this disease than is contained in my replies to previous questions. The investigations which are being conducted by the Animal

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of blind persons of both sexes who are employed, or are undergoing training, in the workshops controlled by Scottish local authorities; the number of registered blind persons in Scotland not employed but employable; and the number fit to receive training but not being trained?

According to the central register kept by the Department of Health for Scotland, the numbers of blind persons in the categories mentioned at 1st April, 1930, the latest date for which information is available, were as follow:Blind regarding the maintenance of blind persons, he intends to introduce legislation to remedy existing grievances

The recommendations contained in the recent report of the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Welfare of the Blind, who had before them the representations of the National League of the Blind are at present under consideration, and I am not yet in a position to state what steps may be taken as a result of the advisory committee's report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps have been taken to provide tenants with an opportunity of submitting grievances to the Scottish committee appointed to deal with the operation of the Rent Restriction Acts, and when the committee is likely to report?

My hon. Friend doubtless refers to the Inter-Departmental Committee recently appointed by the Minister of Health and myself to inquire into the working of the Rent Restriction Acts. The procedure of the committee is a matter for the committee themselves to determine, but it is of course open to all persons interested to make representations to the committee. I understand that the committee have invited a representative of the Scottish Labour Housing Association to appear to give evidence before them and are calling for evidence, both oral and written, from other Scottish organisations and individuals. I am unable at present to say when the committee is likely to report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is yet in a position to say what the results have been regarding the tests made in supplying milk to school children in Lanarkshire?

The results, I am glad to say, are satisfactory, and will be published by the Department of Health for Scotland. It is hoped to make the report of the investigation available at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is now in a position to state What steps he intends to take, by legislation or otherwise, to protect the rights of unemployed men and women on the end of the prolongation of insurance benefits, in view of the fact that the Prudential and other approved societies have intimated to many of their members that they will cease to be eligible for insurance benefit at the end of this year if no such legislation is passed or other steps taken to prevent it?

I am aware of the fact that certain societies are issuing intimations in the sense indicated in my hon. Friend's question. The matter is engaging the attention of the Government, but I am not at the moment in a position to make any statement on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is now in a position to state the number of persons who are deprived of their liberty, through being incapable of pleading when charged with an offence, who have been certified sane for one year, two years, and three or more years, respectively?

On 17th November, 1930, there were 10 inmates of the Criminal Lunatic Department who had been reported by the medical superintendent as being of sound mind for three years or more, one as being of sound mind for two years, amid one as being of sound mind for one year. Of these 12 inmates, three were continuously detained in the institution during the respective periods in question, and nine had been at liberty under conditions during part of these periods.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if any of the local authorities have recently had to obtain a loan with the sanction of the Department of Health in connection with Poor Law relief; and, if so, whether he will consider making a condition of granting such sanction an increase in the rates of relief paid in respect of children of from 2s. to 4s. a week?

No applications for sanction to borrow in respect of expenditure on the relief of the able-bodied unemployed have been made by Poor Law authorities since April, 1928. The terms and conditions attaching to any future loans will be considered if and when application is made.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the infant mortality in Scotland in 1910, 1913, and in each of the years 1920 to 1929?

The infant mortality rate in Scotland per 1,000 births in each of the years in question was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many exchanges of teachers in Scottish primary and secondary schools, respectively, have been carried out to date with teachers in schools in the Dominions; and how many of the teachers so exchanged have been men and how many women?

I understand that since the year 1922, 120 Scottish teachers have carried out exchanges with teachers in the Dominions under arrangements made by the League of the Empire. Of these, 106 were employed in primary schools and 14 in secondary schools. Four were men and 116 were women.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what Scottish county councils or education committees have asked for a postponement of the raising of the school-leaving age to a date later than 1st April, 1931; what in these cases is the date suggested; and what county councils or education committees have asked for a postponement without mentioning any date?

The county councils of Moray and Nairn, Wigtown, Renfrew and Orkney; the town council of Aberdeen; the education committees of Perth and Kinross, Angus, Edinburgh, West Lothian and Midlothian; and a conference of representatives of a number of education authorities held at Edinburgh on 28th November have urged that the raising of the school age should be postponed to a date later than 1st April, 1931. The county councils of Renfrew and Orkney, the education committee of Edinburgh and the conference I have mentioned suggested 1934, the education committee of Midlothian postponement "until after 1934," the Aberdeen Town Council 1935. The other authorities mentioned no date. On the other hand, I have received representations in support of an early raising of the school age from the Educational Institute of Scotland, and many of its local branches, the Workers' Educational Association, the Scottish Socialist Teachers' Society, the Inverness Trades and Labour Council, the Inverness-shire Divisional Labour party.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can state, according to the last return made by the education authorities in Scotland, the number of children between the ages of five and 16 years who were ascertained by them to be mentally deficient; the the number of these who were ascertained to be educable; the number who were ascertained to be ineducable; and the number of such children who were attending schools, institutions, and other centres; and are there any statistics that will show the number receiving home training?

According to the last return made by education authorities in Scotland, the number of children between five and 16 years of age in Scotland who were ascertained by them to be mentally defective was 4,910, of whom 3,993 were ascertained to be educable, and 917 to be ineducable. The number of educable mentally defective children receiving special instruction in schools and institutions is 3,938. There are 484 ineducable mentally defective children in the certified institutions, and the number of such children who have been placed under guardianship and who are receiving home training is 58.

asked the Lord Advocate if his attention has been called to the recent destruction of an osprey at Grantown-on-Spey, notwithstanding that the osprey is protected under the Bird Protection Order for the county of Moray; and whether any steps are being taken to prosecute the offender so that the osprey, now extinct in Scotland, may be assured of protection and have an opportunity of being re-established?

On 26th September last an osprey was found on the roadside in a wounded condition and was killed by a carter with a stone. On examination it was found that it had been suffering from a broken wing and that the wound was gangrenous. Assuming that there was a breach of the law—which is far from clear—the case was obviously one which did not call for criminal prosecution.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that letters posted to Mrs. Mary Knight, of Manchester, the mother of Hugh Hutchison, one of the defendants in the Meerut trial, have been constantly withheld, including letters from Members of this House, letters from the said Hugh Hutchison posted in India, letters from her accountant posted in St. Annes-on-Sea, and letters from relatives posted in South Wales on 11th February, Cornwall on 5th August, Scotland on 21st and 25th September, and Petersfield on 26th October; and on what grounds has such action been taken?

The answer is in the negative. All letters fully and correctly addressed to Mrs. Knight should be delivered in ordinary course of post.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the number of full-time adult employés in the Post Office who receive pay, including cost-of-living bonus, amounting to not more than 40s. a week?

The approximate number of full-time employés of 21 years of age or over who are in receipt of pay, including cost-of-living bonus, amounting to not more than 40s. a week is 1,200. Of these 800 are postmen who are 23 years of age or less, and have not qualified by age for higher pay, and 400 are char-women.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the number of temporary male sorting clerks and telegraphists, and the number who are in receipt of an inclusive wage of less than 50s. for a full week?

The latest date for which the information desired by the hon. Member is available is September last. At that time 469 temporary male sorting clerks and telegraphists were employed, 127 of whom were in receipt of an inclusive wage of less than 50s. for a full week.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can state, from recent observations made by his Department on the London Telephone Service, that any improvement has taken place in connecting telephone subscribers to correct numbers since the installation of the automatic telephone exchanges in the London district or whether there has been any deterioration noted?

The observations show that there has been an appreciable improvement.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is prepared to sanction the insertion of a special clause in telephone contracts with officers of the Navy, Army, and Air Force whereby, in the event of such officers being moved elsewhere, the telephone agreement may be terminated at the expiry of one month's notice?

Telephone agreements are usually for an initial period of one year and are subsequently terminable by three months' notice expiring on one of the quarter days. In view of the expense of providing the installation for which no charge apart from the rental is made, I regret that I cannot accept a reduction of the normal term or discriminate between officers of His Majesty's Forces and other subscribers.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of villages in Essex in which no public telephone is installed, and the corresponding figure for a year ago?

The number of villages with post offices in Essex without a public telephone was 79 a year ago, and this number has been reduced to 24 within the last 12 months.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, having regard to the increase in the number of persons now resident in Eltham and district, he is making any special arrangement for postal and other facilities at Christmas?

The arrangements made for dealing with the Christmas mails in the Eltham district include the provision of a temporary parcel office and of eight additional vans, and the engagement of 33 casual postmen for various periods between 12th December and 3rd January. From 20th December, until after Christmas, additional collection and delivery services will be afforded, and, in common with other parts of London, Eltham will have a parcel delivery on Sunday, 21st December.

asked the Postmaster-General what capital the Covent Garden Opera Syndicate have undertaken, to employ in the presentation of grand opera in return for the grant offered by the Government?

The new Covent Garden Opera Syndicate (1930), Limited, will have a nominal share capital of £100.

asked the Postmaster-General whether organisations for the production of grand opera other than those associated with Covent Garden were consulted before the subsidy was agreed upon; and, if so, was the management of the Carl Rosa Opera Company among them?

No, Sir.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) whether he is consulting bodies representative of the Press of the Empire before further consideration is given by the Communications Committee of the Imperial Conference to the offer of a news agency to broadcast news bulletins thrice daily throughout the Empire by short-wave telephone wireless;(2) what reply he has made to the offer of a news agency to supply news bulletins thrice daily to be broadcast throughout the Empire by short-wave telephonic wireless; and the cost and other details of the proposal?

A scheme proposed by the British Broadcasting Corporation for the provision of an Empire broadcasting service was submitted to the Communications Committee of the Imperial Conference. One of the details of the scheme was the broadcasting of three news bulletins daily, which it was stated would be supplied to the British Broadcasting Corporation by a news agency on terms which had been arranged with them. A copy of the scheme and of the Communications Committee's report on it will shortly be published. The Committee recommended that, as a first step, the British Broadcasting Corporation should communicate particulars of the scheme to the broadcasting authorities in the Dominions, and should ascertain their views on the subject. If, after studying the scheme, any Press organisation wishes to discuss the proposed arrangements for the broadcasting of news, I would suggest that it should approach the British Broadcasting Corporation.

asked the Postmaster-General the annual sum appropriated by the Post Office during each of the last two years from the total revenue of the British Broadcasting Corporation; whether this sum is on a fixed percentage basis representing the exact cost of collection; if not, what is the basis; whether the sum accruing to the Post Office is more than the cost of collection and, if so, how much; what amount has been handed over to the Treasury in each of the first two years; and what percentage this sum represents of the total amount received for licences?

The gross revenue from wireless receiving licences is apportioned in accordance with Clause 18 of the British Broadcasting Company's licence, which was published as a Parliamentary Paper, Command No. 2756 of 1926. The Post Office retains 12½ per cent. of the total revenue to cover management expenses; the British Broadcasting Corporation is paid a certain percentage of the remainder based on a sliding scale; and the balance accrues to the Exchequer. The commercial accounts show that the Post Office retained £169,773 for management expenses in 1928–29 as against a cost of £152,028, and £192,172 in 1929–30 as against a cost of £154,811. The balance which accrued to the Exchequer was £291,885 for 1928–29 and £375,348 for 1929–30, representing about 21 per cent. and 24 per cent. respectively of the total wireless licence revenue for the year.

asked the Minister of Labour the price of bread in France at the present time?

According to the latest information in my possession, which relates to Paris only, the price of white bread in Paris, was raised, as from 19th September last, from 2.35 to 2.40 francs a kilo., or to about 8½d per 4-lb. loaf, at the current rate of exchange.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she is aware that large numbers of men, who formerly worked in the shipbuilding and other trades in which there has for many years been abnormal unemployment, have been refused unemployment benefit on the sole ground that they have had no work for some years and are therefore to be regarded as not normally employed in insurable employment, notwithstanding that such men have regularly registered, and have had no work of a non-insurable character; and whether she will introduce legislation to provide that, in such cases, the fact of an applicant not having worked for any period shall not be primâ facie evidence that he is not normally employed in his former trade?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to his question on 1st May. The principles laid down in the leading Umpire's decisions to which I drew his attention have been re-affirmed in later decisions, one of which I am sending him. This matter will doubtless be considered by the Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance.

asked the Minister of Labour what classes of women engaged in domestic service and similar occupations are treated as being eligible for unemployment benefit?

The fact that a claimant's last employment was in private domestic service or some other uninsured work does not affect the right to unemployment benefit so long as he or she has paid 30 unemployment insurance contributions in a previous period of two years as a minimum, or, including uninsured work, four years as a maximum. Claimants who do not possess this qualification but have paid eight contributions in the period or 30 contributions since entry into insurance have to show that they are normally employed in insurable employment and will normally seek to obtain their livelihood by means of such employment. Decisions in particular cases are given by the statutory authorities, but the hon. Member will see that the general lines of the scheme make generous provision for persons unable to find suitable employment after being engaged temporarily outside the insured trades.

asked the Prime Minister whether the terms of reference to the Commission which is to be appointed to investigate the working of unemployment insurance will include the position of mill hands who, if they take up domestic service, find that on leaving this and reverting to their previous work they are debarred from benefit on the ground that they are not normally in insurable employment; and how many categories of work there are which entail the same disability?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to-day to the hon. Member for Devonport (Mr. Hore-Belisha), of which I am sending him a copy. He will see that it is not right to assume that unemployment benefit will necessarily be refused in such cases. So far as difficulties do arise in this connection, they will no doubt be considered by the Royal Commission, terms of reference of which were announced yesterday.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she has any figures or

pursuant to her reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 30th October, 1930; col. 181, Vol. 244], supplied the following information:

asked the Minister of Health what local authorities have applied for grants from the Unemployment Relief Fund; what the respective amounts the subject of such applications are; the works such local authorities respectively propose to put in hand; and the number of men for whom employment will be found in connection with such works?

Since 1st June, 1929, 4,773 schemes of work for the relief of unemployment, of a total estimated cost of £84,500,000, have been submitted to the Unemployment Grants Committee by local authorities and other statutory bodies eligible to make application for grant under the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929. I am afraid that detailed particulars of such applications cannot be supplied without an undue amount of labour. The Committee have prepared a report dealing with their work up to the 30th August last, which will shortly be presented to Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will, in the interests of economy, make a fresh examination of the office accommodation of his Department for the purpose of inviting a transfer into the War Office of staff from cognate Government offices as has been done by the Board of Trade, which has resulted in the transfer of 170 persons from the Mercantile Marine Department, Great Smith Street, into the building at Storey's Gate?

Arrangements already exist for continuous examination of the allocation of the accommodation in the War Office to ensure that it is used as economically as possible. It is recognised that it would be very desirable to bring into the building certain of the branches of the War Office at present housed outside, but it is impossible to do this at present by any concentration at all practicable.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many permanent awards have been made in the last year and how many men are being re-boarded for medical examination; and whether he will consider the desirabiltiy of now making all awards permanent?

During the 12 months ending September last, some 26,300 final awards were made. The number of officers and men medically re-examined at the instance of the Ministry has been greatly reduced, and at the present time is on an average not more than about 300 a week. I have full sympathy with the hon. and gallant Member's desire that medical examination should be reduced to the minimum possible. While there would be no power, nor would it be in the best interests of pensioners, to make final awards in all cases without regard to Whether they were suitable or not, it is the policy of the Department to give prolonged awards wherever justifiable.

asked the Attorney-General whether he has discovered the names of the printers and publishers of the leaflet headed, "We must not murder the workers and peasants of India," and distributed to members of His Majesty's forces in May last; and whether any prosecution in respect thereof has been undertaken?

I have been asked to reply. The names of the printers and publishers of the leaflet in question have not been discovered. Three men have been prosecuted for distributing the leaflet, and have been convicted and sentenced to terms of imprisonment.

asked the hon. Member for Carlisle, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, whether the commissioners have now received the report of the medical officer of the Borough of Paddington with reference to the conditions of insanitation and overcrowding in the Borough of Paddington in certain properties owned by the commissioners; and, if so, what steps have been taken as a result?

The Ecclesiastical Commissioners have not received any such report.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will instruct the Board of Inland Revenue to prepare and to include in their next report an analysis, according to categories of income, of incomes below the Super-tax level?

The hon. Member will find in Table 67 of the 64th annual report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue (Command Paper No. 1436) particulars of the distribution of incomes below £2,000 for the year 1919–1920. Under the system of graduation and differentiation of the Income Tax introduced in the Finance Act, 1920, the statistics which enabled this classification to be made are no longer available, and the Commissioners point this out on page 79 of the report to which I have referred.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many members of registered trades unions, at the last date for which returns are available, had declared their intention of subscribing to the political funds of such unions; and what proportion the number of such subscribers bears to the total membership of registered trades unions?

The number of members of registered trade unions who had declared their intention of subscribing to the political funds of such unions at 31st December, 1929, was 1,668,470 or 43.6 per cent. of the total membership.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the present rate of interest on advances made by the Public Works Loans Board to local authorities for the purposes of housing; and whether, in view of the fall in money

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies why the War Office has assumed responsibility for

Local loans to local authorities for housing purposes are made at the minimum rate obtaining for loans from the Local Loans Fund. This rate which is now 4¾ per cent. is under continuous consideration, though it is not practicable to follow day to day fluctuations in the market price of stocks. Reductions in the rate were made on 20th March last, on 1st October last and again on 11th November.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give figures for each of the last 10 years showing the annual immigration of Europeans and Indians, respectively, into Kenya?

For a proper appreciation of the number of permanent immigrants into Kenya it is necessary to show the surplus of immigrants over emigrants. No reliable figures are available earlier than 1923. For subsequent years figures of immigration into Kenya through Mombasa are available, but the figures of emigration include also emigrants through Mombasa from Uganda, the Tanganyika Territory and the Belgian Congo. For purposes of comparison the figures of immigrants into those territories through Mombasa are also shown in the attached tables:the administration of the Iraq Army headquaters, seeing that the administration of the Iraq Levies is vested not in the War Office but in the Air Ministry, and that the organisation of the Levies is on a non-military basis and not subject to inspection by the Iraq Army headquarters; whether there is any cost to the British Treasury for these two organisations; and, if so, how much and on what Vote?

The Iraq Army is an Iraq Government force and is administered by that Government. The War Office has not assumed any responsibility in connection with it. The Iraq Levies, on the other hand, is a British force under the control of the High Commissioner. Its organisation is on a military basis. It is administered by the Air Ministry. As regards the rest of the question, a grant-in-aid of £60,000 is being made in the current financial year by His Majesty's Government towards the cost of the maintenance of the Iraq Army; the cost of the Levies is borne by the Treasury and is, for the current financial year, £190,500. Provisions is made under subheads D4, D5 and D6 of the Colonial and Middle Eastern Services Vote (Class II, Vote 9).

asked the Secretary for Mines the amount paid as royalty rents for the year 1929 on the latest completed 12 months; how the sum compares with the amount paid in wages to hewers, fillers and machine coal-cutter employés; and how many such workmen are employed?

The amount payable as coal-mining royalties and wayleaves, including the rental value of freehold minerals where worked by the proprietors, in the year ended 30th June, 1930, was approximately £5,800,000. With regard to the rest of the question, I regret that information is not available in my Department of the proportion of the total wage-bill which is paid to the particular classes of workmen mentioned, nor the number of such workmen.

asked the Secretary for Mines at which mines boys of between 14 and 16 years of age are taken into the pits before 5 a.m. in the first shift, and those who are kept at work in the third and fourth shifts after midnight, together with the numbers so employed; and where these mines are situate?

I regret that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of prosecutions for the alleged breach of mining regulations by the working of overtime sanctioned by the Mines Department during the year ended 31st October, 1930?

Proceedings have been instituted in five such cases, in four of which convictions were secured; one conviction was reversed on appeal.

asked the Home Secretary if the S.R. colliery, Cross Hands, Llanelly, has been sold by the liquidator; if so, at what price; and what is now the position of the men from this colliery who have been awarded compensation?

I am informed by the receiver in charge of the colliery that he is in negotiation for the sale of the colliery, but that the arrangement is not yet completed. I am asking the receiver to inform me of the result of the negotiations and, on hearing from him, I will communicate again with my hon. Friend.

asked the President of the Board of Trade which countries subsidise in any way the manufacture or export of cotton goods; by what method this is done; and to what extent?

I regret that no complete information is available, but the following statement summarises a few instances which have been brought to my notice:Australia: Under the Cotton Industries Bounty Act, 1930, a bounty is paid under certain conditions to cotton spinners on yarn produced wholly from Australian cotton.Spain: The Spanish Cotton Industry Committee is permitted to pay bonuses on the export of certain cotton piece goods from Spain. The committee's funds are raised by a tax of 5c. per kg., on all imported raw cotton.Syria: Under a decree of 1926, a bounty is paid on the export of native manufactured tissues.Japan: There is a rebate on railway freight rates for cotton goods in car loads for export.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the intention of the Government to introduce legislation to deal with the cotton industry?

The Government's policy is to do everything in its power to encourage and help the different sections of the cotton industry themselves to solve in co-operation the problems with which the industry is faced. The Government continue to hope that the necessary measures will be taken by the industry without recourse being had to legislation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement concerning the progress of the reorganisation of the cotton industry?

Proposals for the regrouping of productive units in the various sections of the industry are under discussion. My hon. Friend will appreciate that to disclose the nature of these proposals would prejudice the position of the firms concerned and bring the negotiations to a standstill.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated number of persons who will be thrown out of work by the non-renewal of the Dyestuffs Act, 1920?

I have seen no estimate of the kind, and I am persuaded that any temporary dislocation that may be occasioned by the lapsing of the Act will be more than balanced by the improvement in the textile industries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any information showing to what extent during the operation of the Dyestuffs Act textiles have been sent abroad for the purpose of being dyed?

I regret that the answer is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the British (British Isles) proportion of world trade during the years 1924, 1926, 1928, and 1929, respectively?

The percentage share in world trade of the British Isles, taken as a unit, during the years 1924, 1926, 1928 and 1929 was approximately 15.0, 13.9, 12.8 and 13.0 respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the production of fabric gloves and leather gloves during the month of October, 1929, and October, 1930, respectively?

According to particulars furnished by the Joint Industrial Council for the glove-making industry, the number of fabric gloves cut during the month of October, 1929, by firms which, in 1924, employed 82 per cent. of the cutters in this industry, was 15,545 dozen pairs, as compared with 12,810 dozen pairs during October, 1930. Similar particulars in respect of leather gloves are not yet available, but I am in communication with the Joint Industrial Council, and I will send the figures to the hon. and gallant Member as soon as they are received.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what countries, including those within the British Empire, have powers under Statute to exclude goods made by prisoners or by compulsory labour?

So far as I am aware, the only foreign country in which power exists to exclude goods made by prisoners is the United States of America. Similar powers within the British Empire exist in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland and Northern and Southern Rhodesia. As from January, 1932, there will also be power in the United States of America to exclude goods made by forced labour or indentured labour under penal sanctions, but so far as I am aware similar powers have not been taken elsewhere.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity of oats from Russia landed in Belfast during the week ending 29th November?

The total quantity of oats imported into the port of Belfast and registered during the week ended 29th November, 1930, as consigned from the Soviet Union (Russia) amounted to 44,440 cwts.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if the trade mission to South America representing the Sheffield cutlery trade was initiated by his Department; and, if so, at what cost to the Treasury?

The investigation was initiated by my Department after consultation with the Overseas Trade Development Council and with Lord D'Abernon and members of his Mission. It is anticipated that the cost to the Treasury will not exceed £750; the remainder of the expenditure, which considerably exceeds that amount, is being met from private sources.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he can give any reason why Great Britain has lost orders for foreign warship building during the last 12 months?

I am informed that orders for certain warships have been placed privately with foreign builders during this period, owing primarily, it is understood, to considerations of price.

asked the Minister of Health the price of Belgian bricks as compared with English bricks of equivalent manufacture?

The price of bricks in England and Wales varies in different areas, and materials for such a comparison as the hon. Member desires are not available. I am informed, however, that the import of Belgian bricks in October amounted to 14,244,000, the c.i.f. value of which was £34,307, an average of £2 8s. per 1,000. The price quoted in the current number of "The Builder" for Flettons at King's Cross is £2 12s. 3d. per 1,000. Belgian bricks are, however, commonly smaller than Flettons.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can issue a table showing a list of all countries in the world with conscript armies or navies with the present standing of regulars and reserves?

My hon. Friend will find full information on this subject in the League of Nations Armaments Year Book, a copy of which is in the Library of this House.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will issue a table showing the total cost of all armaments in each country in the world during the last full year in pounds sterling?

My hon. Friend will find full information on this subject in the League of Nations Armaments Year Book, a copy of which is in the Library of this House.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether having regard to the hardship imposed on naval schoolmasters in consequence of the time served by them on ships stationed at Scottish ports not ranking for pension purposes, he will consider the desirability of taking steps to remove such hardship?

As a general rule, the service of naval schoolmasters is pensionable by the Admiralty, and it is only in exceptional cases that past service in this capacity falls to be considered by the Board of Education under the Teachers' Superannuation Acts. Those Acts do not extend to Scotland, and I see no sufficient reason for so extending them in relation to the very limited class of schoolmasters mentioned in the question.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the recent fatal accident on the road bridge over the canal at Llandaff North, Glamorganshire, and to the rider by the coroner's jury that this bridge is an unusually dangerous one; and will he take any steps in the matter for the public safety?

I have received a report upon this accident. My divisional road engineer is in communication with the Cardiff City Council (who are the responsible highway authority) with respect to this bridge, and I am prepared to consider an application for a grant from the Road Fund towards the cost of any approved scheme that the corporation may submit for its improvement or reconstruction.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has adopted any scheme for uniformity of road signs in the country and for road signs and automatic signals in towns; and whether he has received any suitable scheme which he could recommend to the local authorities for adoption?

Recommendations concerning standard road signs were issued to all local authorities in the form of a Memorandum No. 291 (Roads) on 14th April, 1930. In September, 1929, Memorandum NO. 297 (Roads) was also issued to local authorities dealing with traffic control by light signals. Grants are made from the Road Fund towards the expenditure incurred in the erection and maintenance of approved signs and signals.

asked the Minister of Transport the present position with regard to the Shooter's Hill by-pass; and whether the Southern Railway Company has commenced the erection of a new bridge to connect the two roads?

The greater part of the new by-pass in Woolwich has been completed and work is proceeding on the Greenwich section and at the Well Hall Road junction. The London County Council have invited tenders for the new bridge and its construction should be begun shortly.

asked the Home Secretary the number of alien citizens now licensed as taximeter-cab drivers to ply for hire on the streets of London, and the different nationalities of such men?

There are 67 aliens licensed to drive motor cabs. Their respective nationalities are as follow:

asked the Minister of Health the total quantity of fruit pulp imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the 10 months ended 31st October; whether the pulp has been prepared under conditions which satisfy His Majesty's Government that jams manufactured therefrom are free from any ingredient deleterious to health; and if any examination of the pulp has taken place in order to ascertain its fitness for preparation as an article of food?

As regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member for Buckingham (Sir G. Bowyer) on 17th November by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade. My right hon. Friend has no information with regard to the conditions under which fruit pulp is prepared in other countries. The pulp is subject to examination in this country under the Regulations relating to imported food and preservatives in food.

asked the Minister of Health when the dietary suggested by the Vagrancy Committee is likely to be put into operation; and whether there are any reasons to prevent casual ward authorities from giving the same mid-day meal to casuals as to inmates of the institutions where they so desire?

I hope to present the new Order regulating the relief of the casual poor at an early date, and I am in the meantime prepared to sanction the immediate adoption by any council of the dietary recommended by the Departmental Committee on the Relief of the Casual Poor. In answer to the second part of my hon. Friend's question, there would, as was pointed out in the Committee's report, be practical difficulties in supplying casuals with the meals which are given to ordinary inmates of Poor Law institutions, especially in the smaller institutions.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the variations that already are developing in the powers of vagrancy committees, including three varieties of financial basis, some with executives with power to co-opt, and some with power to pay travelling expenses; and whether he can take steps to prevent variations which will tend to hinder greater coordination?

The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is in the affirmative. I am anxious, however, that to the greatest extent possible the combination of counties and county boroughs for the administration of the relief of the casual poor shall be effected by voluntary agreement of the councils concerned in accordance with the provisions of Sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Poor Law Act, 1930, and I am unwilling to interfere with the discretion of councils unless it is clear that their arrangements are prejudicial to effective co-ordination.