asked the Minister of Labour whether a final decision has yet been reached in the eligibility for unemployment insurance benefit of the workers locked out in the Lancashire cotton industry?

No, Sir. The Insurance Officer is submitting certain cases on appeal to the umpire, and there may be associations in other cases.

In view of the fact that the producers in the cotton industry provide the employer's contribution, the employés contribution, and the State's contribution, does not the right hon. Lady think that a decision should be reached forthwith?

asked the Minister of Labour whether her attention has been called to the case of Thomas Dodson, of 154, Holystone Crescent, Heaton, Newcastle-on-Tyne, at the Heaton Employment Exchange, No. 29,898, who was a regular contributor for Unemployment Benefit for a period of six years until a recent date when, rather than apply for the Unemployment Benefit, he commenced business for himself as a jobbing bricklayer, and, having failed and lost his capital, made application to the Court of Referees and had his claim for benefit disallowed, being thus penalised because he endeavoured to maintain himself; and whether she will give favourable consideration to this case?

I am having inquiries made and will communicate the result to the hon. Member as soon as they are complete.

asked the Minister of Labour if the reported statement of a member of the Stalybridge Court of Referees has been brought to her notice that 600 out of 900 cotton workers in Stalybridge had been disallowed benefit for refusing to accept domestic service; and if she will inquire into this matter and state what are the facts?

My attention has been called to the Press report to this effect, and I am glad to have this opportunity of stating that it is completely erroneous. The figure of 600 was the total number of persons, men, women, boys and girls, whose claims for benefit have been disallowed in Stalybridge for all causes since 19th March, 1930. The total number of persons whose claims have been disallowed for refusing offers of employment of any sort from 19th March, 1930, to 5th January, 1931, does not exceed 53, and, of course, only some of these were refusals of domestic service.

In view of the disparity between the figures in the reply and those in the question, what steps does the right hon. Lady propose to take with the member of the Court of Referees who was responsible for the statement to which wide publicity has been given?

I propose to direct his personal attention to the matter.

asked the Minister of Labour the amount paid in Unemployment Benefit for the years 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, and 1930–31 to the latest available date; the amount expended upon premises, new works, etc., for the same period of years as applicable to Unemployment Benefit; and the amount expended in management of the Unemployment Insurance Fund for the same period of years?

As the reply involves a tabular statement, I will, if I may, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed persons in Bethnal Green at any convenient date in November, December, and January, 1928, 1929, 1930, and 1931,

As the reply includes a table of figures, I will, if I may, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Labour on what information the Government Actuary based the statements regarding coal-trimmers, professional footballers, sandwichmen, and women week-end shop assistants contained in Paper No. 19 submitted to the Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance?

Paragraph 8 of the Paper No. 19 to which the hon. Member refers indicates that the examples are taken from a memorandum submitted by the Ministry of Labour. This memorandum will be published in due course as soon as oral evidence relating to it has been taken, and will then be obtainable from the Stationery Office in the usual way.

Will the Minister give particulars of the coal trimmers in this memorandum?

Yes.

Does not the right hon. Lady think that the evidence has been published in a way most prejudicial and unfair to the general interests of the unemployed?

No, I certainly do not.

asked the Minister of Labour how many girls and women who have standing engagements as weekend assistants in stores have been in receipt of unemployment benefit in England and Wales in each of the weeks since 1st January; on which days they are generally employed; how many days' benefit per week have been drawn; and whether the Employment Exchanges have been offering unemployed girls and women this type of employment?

Statistics giving the information desired in the first three parts of the question are not available. In so far as vacancies of this type are notified to the Employment Exchanges, they are brought to the notice of those applicants who appear to be suitable.

If, as it is shown in the Ministry of Labour's evidence before the Royal Commission, these women have actually been paying for a great number of years, why should the impression be created that they are getting something for nothing?

I am not aware that that impression was being created.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps are being taken to see that factory girls who take up domestic service do not lose their rights under the Unemployment Insurance Act?

As there appears to be some misapprehension on the point, I have had a leaflet prepared, which is almost ready for issue, explaining the position in this respect, as laid down by the Unemployment Insurance Acts.

Is this one of the matters that is being or can be considered by the Royal Commission?

There is nothing to prevent it.

asked the Minister of Labour the average weekly cost of benefit paid out of the Unemployment Insurance Fund during the past months to persons working on organised short time?

No information is available which would enable me to state the cost of unemployment benefit paid out to persons working on organised short time.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of married women in Glasgow who are drawing unemployment benefit while their husbands are in employment?

Statistics giving the information desired are not available.

As this is one of the alleged abuses of the Unemployment Insurance Acts, will not the right hon. Lady take steps to get these figures?

There is no power which entitles me to ask what the husband earns.

Will the right hon. Lady ask for powers?

Is it not possible to find whether they are in employment, if it is not possible to ask what they are earning?

It is not in the competence of the officers to do that.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of workers employed in any branch of the building industry who are at present registered as unemployed in the county of Lanarkshire, including Glasgow?

As the reply is in the form of a table, I will, if I may, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the right hon. Lady aware that Glasgow is a county in itself and has nothing to do with Lanarkshire?

asked the Minister of Labour how many schemes of work for the relief of unemployment have been put forward by the West Riding County Council during the last 12 months; how many have been approved and their total capital value; and how many are still under consideration, and the present position with regard to them?

I am having this information collected, and will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour what arrangements, if any, she has made with employers under Section 5 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1930, for the notification by them to Employment Exchanges of situations vacant or to become vacant; and with what associations of employers or employées she has consulted for that purpose?

Although no formal arrangements have been made under the Section between my Department and associations of employers and workpeople, arrangements between employers and the Employment Exchanges, and between trade unions and the Exchanges, exist in all areas for co-operation in the filling of vacancies, and these are constantly being developed and expanded. Associations of employers and workpeople are represented on all the local employment committees which assist the placing work of the Department.

Are these arrangements subsequent to the Act of 1930?

They have developed since.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to an inquest held at Ilford, on the 11th instant, at which a woman who has been employed for 15 years in an asbestos factory at Barking was stated to have died from heart failure following bronchial pneumonia accelerated by asbestosis: and whether he can say, in view of the number of deaths at this factory, when the employés will be brought within the provisions of the Silicosis and Asbestosis Act passed last session?

I have had a report on this case from the Senior Medical Inspector of Factories, who attended the inquest. A draft scheme of compensation for this disease was issued last month, together with a draft of the proposed medical scheme by which a medical board will be set up to deal with all cases of silicosis and asbestosis throughout the country. These draft schemes are now under consideration by the various employers' and workers' associations affected; and as soon as I am in possession of their views, I intend at once to review the position. I am much impressed with the urgency of this question and while it is not yet possible to fix a definite date, I am hoping to reach a final settlement by the end of next month.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that on the Friday following this inquest, the death of another woman was inquired into, and the verdict was that death was due to asbestosis caused by inhaling asbestos dust, which had remained in her system.

I have no information on the second case, but it illustrates the need for prompt action.

I wish to give notice, this being a matter of life and death, that I shall take the opportunity of raising the matter on the Adjournment.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a great number of deaths have taken place in this factory through the same trouble?

As my reply indicates, I am doing everything possible to hasten further action on the matter.

asked the Home Secretary what progress has been made towards scheduling fibrosis of the lungs as a disease ranking for compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Acts?

As my hon. Friend is aware, the effects on the lungs of various dusts, including coal dust, are being investigated by an expert committee of the Medical Research Council. This committee is pursuing various lines of research, but the problems are exceedingly complicated, and I regret that-as I am advised-a considerable period must elapse before any definite conclusions can be reached.

Seeing that this committee was set up 12 months ago, could not the right hon. Gentleman intimate to them that the acceleration of their findings would not be altogether unpleasant?

In these highly technical and medical matters, in which so much has to be weighed and considered, it is inevitable that much time should be taken up, but there is no delay which can be avoided.

asked the Home Secretary if the new regulations concerning silicosis (various) are now in force?

If, as I assume, my hon. Friend is referring to the Various Industries (Silicosis) Amendment Scheme, 1930, which amended the definition of "silica rock," that scheme came into force on the 1st of this month.

Is the regulation that the right hon. Gentleman has power to make under that scheme Order 975?

What I said was the Various Industries (Silicosis) Amendment Scheme, 1930.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is yet in a position to state the results of the investigation as to conditions of pay, allowances, and promotion in the Criminal Investigation Department?

The question to which I referred in a previous answer on the 29th January last was that of the numbers and ranks of the Criminal Investigation Department. I have not yet received the Commissioner's recommendations on the subject.

asked the Home Secretary what has been the cost of fitting out the new traffic police with motor cars, motor bicycles, uniforms, etc.; and were all these articles of British manufacture?

As regards the first part of the question, the machines and other articles of equipment or uniform are provided by the local police authorities and I am not in possession of the information for which my hon. Friend asks. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative.

Do we understand that all the motor cars are of British manufacture?

So I understand.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many free meals were given to school children in the cotton-weaving districts of Lancashire in the weeks ending 24th January and 14th February, 1931?

It is not practicable to give precise figures for all districts of Lancashire in which cotton-weaving is carried on; but in those boroughs and county boroughs where it is the predominant industry the number of free meals given to school children was 14,905 in the week ending 24th January, and 16,819 in the week ending 7th February. Figures for the week ending 14th February are not yet available. The figures given do not cover any part of the area for which the Lancashire County Council is the authority for elementary education, as the returns submitted by that authority relate to their area as a whole and not to separate districts.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the wide field covered by the terms of reference to the Departmental Committee now sitting to inquire into the position of private schools, he will strengthen the committee by the addition of one or more persons who are thoroughly conversant with the problems and working of such schools?

My right hon. Friend sees no occasion for making any further appointments to the Departmental Committee on Private Schools.

Does the right hon. Gentleman anticipate that the committee will present its report during the present Session?

I really could not say.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has granted recognition to the Roman Catholic school at Colwyn Bay?

It has been decided by the Board, under Section 19 (1) of the Education Act, 1921, that the proposed Roman Catholic school at Colwyn Bay is necessary.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the Denbighshire Education Committee, which has on it representatives of every party in the State, unanimously resolved to protest against the Minister's policy, and that the same decision was come to by the Federation of Welsh Local Educational Authorities, who protested against the injustice of his sanction?

My hon. Friend has recalled a fact and he must be aware that before we decided upon this course an inquiry was held.

Is the hon. Member aware that the conclusions come to by the Commissioner at this inquiry are regarded by competent opinion as against the weight of evidence at the inquiry.

Speech.

The hon. Member must give this information privately.

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply of the hon. Gentleman I beg to give notice that on an early occasion I will raise this matter on the Adjournment of the House.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has any information as to the use of any sound-film apparatus in any of the schools under his control; and can he give particulars?

My right hon. Friend is not aware of any schools in which sound-film apparatus is in regular use, but it has been brought to his notice that experiments are being conducted at the present time, in a small number of schools in Middlesex, to investigate the educational value of sound-films, his Majesty's Inspector will submit a report on the experiment in due course.

Is the hon. Member aware that these machines are of American manufacture?

No, I am not aware of that fact.

Will the hon. Gentleman make inquiries to see whether the same results cannot be obtained by British machines?

asked the Minister of Health whether he proposes to give any additional financial assistance by way of grant or otherwise to the necessitous areas?

I have nothing to add to my replies to the right hon. Member's questions on this subject of 27th November and 18th December last.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can now state the results of his inquiry into the scales of relief drawn up and administered by the public assistance committee of the Staffordshire County Council; and whether these scales have been or are likely to be increased?

I have been in communication with the county council in the matter and have been assured that they concur in my view that relief must be adequate in all cases. I understand that while the scale has not been altered it permits a discretion which has been recently exercised in the grant of coal allowances in certain cases during the winter months.

While thanking the Minister for the action he has taken, I wish to ask him whether he is aware that, whenever a case receives benefit upon that, scale, a special form has to be signed in respect of it, and that this acts as a deterrent; and will he do his best to get that form abolished? Further, may I ask whether he will undertake to have the correspondence published?

It is not customary to publish correspondence between myself and a local authority while the matter is still under consideration between us.

Will the Minister deal with the form to which I have referred, which has to he filled up by every person who receives such assistance?

This is the customary practice of public assistance authorities, with which I have no power to interfere.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the amount spent in Poor Law relief in the cotton-weaving districts of Lancashire in the weeks ending 24th January and 14th February, 1931; and if he will say whether he has issued any circulars to the Poor Law authorities in Lancashire with regard to the lock-out in the industry?

I am advised that the amounts spent on outdoor relief in the cotton weaving districts of Lancashire (including county boroughs) were £5,201 11s. 4d. in the week ending the 24th January and £5,347 2s. 3d. in the week ending 14th February. As regards the second part of the question, I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of a letter which I addressed to the Lan- cashire County Council on the 27th January, the terms of which were communicated to the other authorities concerned.

Is this in respect of weaving only, or do the figures include both spinning and weaving?

It includes all the out-relief in the areas affected by the dispute.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is yet in a position to state the approximate cost of providing a national maternity service covering the services of a doctor, midwife, and anaesthetic administration?

I regret that at present I can add nothing to the answers previously given to my hon. Friend on this subject.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give any indication as to when he will be able to provide the House with that information?

The question which my hon. Friend has put to me raises a complicated problem to which I cannot give an answer at present.

asked the Minister of Health whether it is the intention to set up a centralised pathological service in connection with public mental hospitals?

In some areas the local authority has provided a central laboratory for the several hospitals belonging to it. It is hoped, without prejudice to the principle of each hospital having a laboratory of its own, that such centralisation may be developed elsewhere, particularly where the laboratory service can be based on the medical school of a university. But it is not intended to attempt to set up a single central unit for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Health in view of the recent increase in the total number of cases of spotted fever in the country, whether he is satisfied with the precautions being taken to prevent this disease from spreading?

I am advised that an increase in the number of cases of cerebro-spinal fever, or spotted fever, is usual in the early months of the year, especially when influenza is prevalent. There is every reason to believe that the local authorities and their medical officers of health are alive to the importance of urging such precautions as are practicable to prevent the spread of this disease.

Will these precautions be advertised so that the public may know what they are?

There are other questions on the Order Paper on this subject which I think will meet the hon. Gentleman's point.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can state the number-of cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis that have been reported to his Department during the previous two months; and whether he can give particulars of the districts in which these fresh outbreaks have occurred?

272 cases of this disease in civilians have been reported during the 11 weeks ended the 14th February. I will send my hon. Friend a list of the districts in which these cases occurred.

Can the right hon. Gentle-man say the number of soldiers confined to barracks from this cause?

That question should be put to the Secretary of State for War.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of cerebrospinal meningitis have been reported recently in the West Riding of Yorkshire; how many deaths have occurred; and whether he is satisfied that all is being done to cope with this outbreak?

79 cases of this disease have been reported in 20 sanitary districts in the West Riding of Yorkshire during the period from the 3rd January to the 14th February. The number of deaths cannot yet be stated. I am advised that such preventive measures as are practicable are being taken in the districts concerned.

Can my right hon. Friend give an assurance that his Department is co-operating with the medical officers of health in these localities?

Most certainly.

Thank you.

asked the Minister of Health what action he is taking in regard to recent outbreaks of cerebro-spinal meningitis?

The action taken by my Department includes the close observation of reported cases of this disease, and the giving of advice, on request, to local authorities and medical officers of health on the isolation of patients and any practicable preventive measures. If necessary, visits are paid by medical officers of the Department to the districts affected. The type of the prevalent organism is studied in the laboratory by the pathologists of the Department, who work in co-operation with the pathologists of the Army, Navy and Air Force. I have under consideration the question of publishing a general statement relating to the occurrence of this disease.

With regard to preventive measures, can the right hon. Gentleman say whether much progress has been made?

Do I gather that the statement will include a report from the Medical Research Council on the relationship of this disease to influenza?

What I am concerned about is the present position. We shall consult them, but it will not be their statement; it will be mine.

asked the Minister of Health if he is causing investigations to be made as to whether recent outbreaks of cerebro-spinal meningitis are due to overcrowding?

I am advised that it is well established that overcrowding of persons in barracks, schools and other residential institutions favours the spread of meningococcus infection. The existence of overcrowding in such circumstances would be investigated in any district affected, but I am informed that no notable example of such overcrowding has been discovered during the present prevalence of this disease.

asked the Minister of Health if, in view of the special problem which London presents as regards housing, he will set up a Royal Commission or select a Departmental committee for the purpose of inquiring into the position and making recommendations, with a view to improving housing conditions in London generally, and particularly in the congested areas of East London?

No, Sir. The Housing Act, 1930, placed on the London County Council the responsibility for reviewing housing conditions in London and I do not at present consider that the adoption of the hon. and gallant Member's proposal would accelerate either the provision of new houses or the clearance of slums.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the London County Council have made suitable progress in connection with housing, and needs no assistance from a commission?

It is quite true that they have a programme for the next five years which is 33⅓ per cent. more than the last five years, but I am not satisfied that that is the best that they can do.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has any statement to make to the House as to new proposals relating to house building; when the conference of employers, employés, and producers of raw materials is to be called by him; and if he can state the purpose of the conference and the financial expenditure that is involved?

The housing policy of the Government is contained in the Acts of 1924 and of last year. The Building Industry Committee and the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Prices of Building Materials, formed in October, 1924, and in April, 1923, respectively, are still available for consultation, but while it has not yet become necessary for me to confer formally with either of these committees in connection with the operation of the 1930 Act, a close watch is being kept upon prices and other factors in house building.

Will the Minister of Health see that the Liberal spokesman of yesterday is invited to attend this committee, and present his programme in order that he may explain how houses are built without any cost to the State?

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the very high price of bricks in London at the present time, and that a ring has been formed to keep up the price?

I am aware that building prices generally have fallen, but I am not satisfied that they have reached the lowest possible point.

When are we going to have the Profiteering Bill which was promised, two years ago?

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the price of bricks went up last year?

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many applications for grants under the Housing (Rural Workers) Act., 1926, have been refused by the local authorities during the last two years in the counties of Devon and Cornwall, respectively;

With the permission of the hon. and gallant Member, I will answer these questions together. Nine applications in the county of Devon and nine in the county of Cornwall have been refused by the local authorities during the last two years. I have no power of granting or refusing applications made under the Act.

Can the Minister of Health give the reason for these refusals?

I am afraid that I cannot without notice.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities have built shops on the building estates they are developing; whether such shops receive the building subsidy; what are their aggregate numbers; whether the local authorities concerned have to obtain official sanction in all cases before erecting such shops; and whether the loss incurred by any shops not being let becomes a charge on the rates?

I regret that it is not readily possible to ascertain how many local authorities have built shops on their housing estates, or what are the aggregate numbers of such shops. No subsidy is payable under the Housing Acts in respect of shops. The reply to the fourth and fifth parts of the question is in the affirmative.