asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether arrangements have now been made to replace the vessels constituting the Devonport torpedo school "Defiance"?

The reply is in the affirmative. His Majesty's Ship "Vulcan" and the hulk "Andromeda" are now being prepared at Devonport to form part of the "Defiance" establishment which it is anticipated will re-open early in February, 1931.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of men, casual and otherwise, discharged from Devonport dockyard during the months of July, August, September, October, and November, respectively; what were the reasons for their discharge; and whether any further discharges are contemplated?

Apart from natural wastage the numbers of industrial employés discharged during each of the months in question, with the reasons for their discharge, are as follow:

During the corresponding period a total of 683 entries were made of which 458 were for casual work. As regards the last part of the question, apart from casuals to be discharged on completion of the work for which they were entered, and any adjustments that may be necessary to meet special conditions, no immediate discharges are contemplated.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in regard to the schemes for the further development of the economic resources of Ceylon which have been under consideration by his Department, he will take steps to secure that contracts for structural material will be placed in this country?

I am not aware to what schemes the bon. Member is referring. Owing to the financial position no large works are at present in contemplation, but in accordance with the usual practice, all orders for materials required by the Ceylon Government from outside the island will be placed so far as possible in this country.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies by whom the expenses of witnesses giving evidence at the suggestion of the Government before the Joint Committee on East Africa will be paid; if these will be a charge on the Colonies and mandated territory, or whether they will be paid by the British taxpayer; and if it is possible to give any estimate as to the aggregate expenditure which will thereby be entailed?

The expenses of any witnesses invited from East Africa at the instance of the Joint Committee will, in the special circumstances, be paid from British funds, not from Colonial funds. It is not possible to give an estimate of the cost which will be entailed until the Committee has decided what witnesses it wishes to invite from East Africa.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether, in view of the inadequacy of the conference room, additional accommodation can be provided for private interviews between hon. Members and their constituents and other visitors?

I am aware of the inadequacy of conference room accommodation for private interviews between hon. Members and their constituents and others, and am arranging to allocate for the time being Room No. 14, adjoining the existing conference room, for this purpose.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether it is proposed to construct Government offices on the site of the present Embankment Gardens between Whitehall Court and Scotland Yard; and, if not, whether he will consider extending the amenities enjoyed by the public by removing the brick wall which encloses the gardens at the Westminster end of the Embankment?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and the second part does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will issue a table showing

asked the Secretary for Mines whether, in view of the attitude of the Yorkshire miners to a settlement on the basis of a spread-over of hours, he will consider amending legislation for the purpose of substituting the sanction of a district association for that of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain in that connection?

The power to approve or disapprove is vested in the Miners' Federation as a whole, and not in the Yorkshire Miners' Association or any other district trades union. The whole question is under consideration by the Federation at the present time, and I suggest that the hon. Member should await the result.

asked the Minister of Labour if her attention has been called

the total number of horses and ponies employed in mines underground, the total number killed, the total number injured, the number of horse inspectors, and the total number of mechanical conveyors in use in mines for each year during the last 10 years?

The particulars are as follow:

to the decision of the Birmingham City Council to establish a municipal aerodrome; and if His Majesty's Government, in order to promote employment, are prepared to make a grant in aid of the scheme?

Birmingham City Council have not applied to the Unemployment Grants Committee for a grant from Exchequer Funds in aid of this scheme. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women who have been disqualified for benefit during this year on the grounds that they are no longer following insurable employment?

Between 13th March, 1930, and 10th November, 1930, 140,781 claims to benefit made at Employment Exchanges in Great Britain were disallowed on the ground that the claimants were not normally insurable and would not normally seek to obtain a livelihood by means of insurable employment. 68,610 of these claimants were men and 72,171 were women. Separate statistics of disallowances on this ground for the

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that copies of the monthly journal, "United India," published in London, have not reached addressees in certain provinces of India; whether the journal has been refused delivery through the post; and, if so, on whose authority this action has been taken.

I have no information, but if copies if this publication have been

period 1st January to 12th March, 1930, are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the numbers of vacancies notified and filled through the Employment Exchanges for each month in 1929 and 1930?

The following table gives the information desired:

intercepted, action was no doubt taken under the Sea Customs Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give the House any information concerning the capture by brigands in China of Miss Gomersall, a British missionary; whether she is now in a place of safety; how many lives were lost in effecting her rescue; and what steps are being taken to prevent her from returning to danger areas inland?

News was received at His Majesty's Legation on 29th November of the capture of Miss Gomersall. Telegraphic representations were promptly made to the Chinese authorities in control of the district in question and a Chinese-speaking British officer was sent to try to get in touch with her. On 2nd December this officer reported that she was safe. No British, nor, so far as I am aware, any other lives were lost in effecting her rescue. I have instructed His Majesty's Minister to take steps to draw Miss Gomersall's attention to the danger of returning at present to any of the disturbed areas in China.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the treaty of alliance between this country and Portugal is still in existence and has been registered with the secretariat of the League of Nations?

Yes, Sir. Several such treaties exist, but they have not been registered with the League of Nations for the reason that they were all concluded before the League came into existence, and Article 18 of the Covenant only requires the registration of treaties entered into after the date of the coming into force of the Covenant. The treaties have, however, been published as a Parliamentary Paper [Misc. No. 2 (1898), C 9088].

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics has yet appointed naval, military, or air attaches to this country?

There are no service attaches either here or at Moscow.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the desirability of appointing a committee of inquiry to investigate the continued existence of ancient laws which hamper the freedom of the individual, and which, in the light of modern conditions, should be remodelled?

Having regard to the volume of work already under the consideration of committees, and also to the demand on Parliamentary time which is involved in the programme of legislation already announced, my right hon. Friend would not feel justified in adopting the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the-possibility that similar fog circumstances as those which prevailed in the Meuse valley and caused loss of life might create a similar situation in London or other English cities, he will cause the officers of his Department to make a study of the facts in order to be prepared for any similar occurrence in this country?

My Department are already in communication with the appropriate authorities with the object of obtaining a copy of the report of the official inquiry which has been instituted into this matter.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the annual contribution during 1929–30 in respect of housing schemes in England and Wales under the Housing Acts of 1919, 1923, 1924, and 1926, respectively; the number of houses in respect of which subsidy was paid under each Act; and the number of houses reconditioned under the l astnamed Act?

The Exchequer contribution paid during the year 1929–30 under the Housing Act, 1919, was £6,738,118; under the Housing Act, 1923, £2,141,089; and under the Housing Act, 1924, £2,253,087. The numbers of houses completed under each Act at 31st March, 1930, were respectively 175,639, 389,193 and 232,900. The Exchequer contribution paid to local authorities under the Housing Act, 1926, during the year 1929–30 was £509, and the number of houses reconstructed by the end of the year was 1,922.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses built by local authorities to date with the help of subsidies under the Housing Act, 1923, and the Housing Act, 1924, respectively?

Financial assistance under the Housing, etc., Act, 1923, is only available in respect of houses completed by 30th September, 1929. The number of such houses completed by local authorities in England and Wales was 73,895. Up to 31st October, 1930, 313,862 houses had been completed by those local authorities under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the year ending 31st March, 1930, the amount of duty collected at the full and preferential rates, respectively, on each of the commodities to which Imperial Preference applied?

The information asked for will be found in Table 8, pages 22 and 23 of the 21st Report of the Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs and Excise (Command Paper 3651).

asked the Minister of Health whether he will introduce legislation to reform the organisation of the Ecclesiastical Commission of the Church of England and add to its personnel some persons, including women, in close touch with the problems of slum areas?

I cannot undertake to adopt the step suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total of the National Debt and the amount per head of population for this country, France, Germany, and the United States of America, respectively, at 31st March, 1930?

I will refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Baronet the Member for Tam-worth. (Sir A. Steel-Maitland) on 27th November.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that the cash-on-delivery system does not extend to the Irish Free State, he will take steps, in the interests of traders in this country, to get it established in the near future?

A cash-on-delivery service with the Irish Free State could only be established with the consent of the Free State Post Office. That office, however, has declined to participate in such a service.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that his Ministry has recently stopped payment of accrued disability pension because the recipient has gone bankrupt; on what grounds was this action taken; in how many cases has the Ministry taken similar action; and what has been done with the money so stopped?

I am advised that any pension which has accrued to a pensioner prior to bankruptcy on his being adjudged bankrupt vests in the official receiver. I am unable to say in how many cases payment of pension has been withheld on account of the pensioner being adjudged bankrupt. The number is, however, very small. I am aware of a recent case in which pension was withheld, but, with the concurrence of the official receiver, instructions for payment were issued after a delay of only one day.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he proposes to introduce legislation to alter the present state of the law with regard to the testing and certification of electric meters; and can he give the House particulars?

I have carefully considered this matter in consultation with the Electricity Commissioners, but am not satisfied that the circumstances are such as to make it necessary or desirable to proceed at the present time with amending legislation.

asked the Minister of Transport if he can now state the names of the regional traffic commissioners who have already been appointed by his Department?

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer given to-day to other questions on this subject.

The appointments have not yet been made. There was no woman member of the interviewing board, but I am unable to say whether the services of any women were utilised by other Departments in selecting candidates sent forward.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the difficulties now being experienced by owners of motor-cycles in securing acceptance of proposals for insurance against third-party risks; and what steps he proposes to take to deal with this matter?

There may be some insurance companies who do not accept this class of business, but I am not aware that motor cyclists generally are experiencing undue difficulty in obtaiing policies of insurance of this nature.

asked the Minister of Transport the total amount of grants made from the Road Fund to the Wool-

asked the Minister of Transport what number of applications were received from men and women, respectively, for transfer from other Departments to vacancies in his Department for posts in the 12 new traffic areas of Great Britain for staff officer, higher clerical officer and clerical officer; what number of men and women, respectively, were interviewed for each of these grades and what number were appointed; whether any woman sat on the interviewing board selecting the officers; and whether the services of any women were utilised in selecting the applicants for interview?

The in formation is as follows:

wich Borough Council, for 1927–28 and the three preceding years, for road schemes, and the amounts for the same periods expended from Government funds in connection with arterial road works in Woolwich and district?

The grants made from the Road Fund to the Woolwich Metropolitan Borough Council during 1927–28 and the three preceding years in respect of road improvement schemes amounted to £17,425. During the same period an amount of £272,210 was expended from Government funds in connection with arterial road works in Woolwich and district.

asked the Minister of Transport whether any progress has been made recently with the Liverpool Street station scheme?

I am informed by the London and North Eastern Railway Company that the matter to which the right hon. Member refers is still under consideration.