asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department, in accordance with the recommendations contained in the interim report of the committee appointed to consider generally the administration of the Export Credit Guarantee Scheme, dated 11th April, 1929, to issue commercial accounts yearly in the form recommended by that committee, has prepared such accounts, and for what years?

Commercial accounts in the form recommended by the committee referred to have been published for the period 1st July, 1926 (when the second guarantee scheme commenced), to 31st March, 1928, in the volume of "Trading Accounts and Balance Sheets 1928." Commercial accounts for the year 1928–29 have been prepared, and will be included in a similar volume for 1929 to be published shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the figures for the British and German export trade and also for the world export trade for the years 1913 and 1929; and the change in volume of trade as between those years in all three cases?

Part I of the recently issued "Statistical Tables relating to British and Foreign Trade and Industry" (Cmd. 3737) contains (on page 165) the values of world trade, including figures for the United Kingdom and Germany, for 1913 and 1929 (and some intermediate years). For the reasons given therein the figures for 1913 are not strictly comparable with those for post-War years, and for these and other reasons figures showing the change in the volume of world trade are not available. The hon. Member will, however, find information as to the change in the volume of United Kingdom and German export trade between 1913 and 1929 in the answer given to the question by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Tamworth (Sir A. Steel-Maitland) on 27th November last, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the values and volume of British imports and exports for the years 1913, 1924, 1928, 1929, and 1930, together with the index number of wholesale prices for each of these years?

Comparative figures of the volume and value of the external trade of the United Kingdom together with the index numbers of wholesale prices in each of the years mentioned were published in the "Board of Trade Journal" of 23rd January, 1930, and 22nd January, 1931. I am forwarding copies of the articles to the right hon. Gentleman.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total exports of printing machinery for each of the years 1928, 1929, and 1930?

The following table shows, the total weight and declared

asked the President of the Board of Trade the annual world's crop of wheat for the years 1924 to 1930, together with, the British, imports of

asked the Minister of Health whether he can give any information on the effects of the present influenza epidemic on the amounts claimed by approved societies from headquarters to meet claims for benefit; and, if so, will he show in tabular form comparisons with the corresponding month of January for each of the last five years?

No precise information is available in regard to the effects of the influenza epidemic on the applications for funds to meet claims for benefit. The applications in January do not show any considerable variation in amount, but further applications which are now being received indicate a serious increase in the claims for benefit during the last three weeks that may be due to influenza.

asked the Minister of Health if he will request the committee which he has appointed to report from time to time on matters relating to vaccination to furnish him with replies to the following queries: what is the precise nature of the disease from which vaccine lymph is derived and how is its nature determined; what is a successful and efficient vaccination and for how long can it be guaranteed to remain so; how frequently has it been found possible to repeat vaccination on the same person; what is the relation of the possibility of frequently repeating vaccination to the question of immunity; and what means are recommended for ascertaining whether the immunity afforded by vaccination has lapsed?

The committee to which my hon. Friend presumably refers has recently presented its final report, and is now no longer in existence.

asked the Minister of Health what is the approximate percentage of the cost of an average municipal house which is spent in labour on the site?

I am advised that 37 per cent. of the building cost may be taken to be approximately the proportion spent in labour on the site. Expenditure on land, roads, sewers and fees has not been taken into account in this calculation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what housing authorities in Scotland have not adopted a scheme of assistance to private enterprise under the Housing Act, 1924, and which of these authorities have been certified in default?

Of the 227 local authorities in Scotland, the following have adopted schemes of assistance to private enterprise under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924: the county councils of Dumbarton, Dumfries, East Lothian, Inverness, Lanark, and the town councils of Airdrie, Alloa, Blairgowrie, Bo'ness, Denny, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Laurencekirk, Motherwell, Newton Stewart, and Perth. In addition, schemes adopted by former-district committees apply to certain areas in the counties of Fife, Kincardine, Roxburgh, and Stirling. The local authorities certified as in default in terms of Section 9 of the Act for having failed to promote the construction of houses under the Housing etc. Act, 1923, are the county council of Nairn and the town councils of Abernethy, Ballater, Ellon, Lochgilphead, Melrose, Stornoway, and Wick. No local authorities have been so certified for failure to promote the construction of houses under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses built in the area of each rural and urban authority in the administrative county of Leicester during the year 1930; and how many of these were built by the local authority and how many by private enterprise?

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that Mr. Arthur Cecil Avenell, pensioner No. 5/HA/1,037, late corporal of the 6th Wiltshire Regiment, applied six months ago on the appropriate forms for part commutation of his pension; that he was informed that his application was approved,

Returns as to houses erected without State assistance are obtained only for half-yearly periods ending in March and September, respectively. The last year for which complete figures can therefore at present be given is that ended 30th September, 1930. The following statement shows the desired particulars for that year.but that he is unable to obtain a settlement; and will he take steps to expedite this application?

The hon. and gallant Member has, apparently, not been made fully acquainted with the circumstances of this case. Mr. Avenell was definitely informed on 10th October last that his application for commutation of part of his pension could not be sanctioned, and again on 18th October that no grounds were found, on review, for altering that decision.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether the recent decision of the Ministry against the claim of Mr. Fred Brazil, of 90, Evesham Street, Redditch, for a pension due to service in the late War was arrived at after hearing medical evidence in person; and, if not, will the Ministry reopen the matter and allow the medical authorities concerned to give evidence?

This case has been reopened as a result of representations to the War Pensions Committee, and is at present under consideration by that body. All the medical evidence produced in support of the application will certainly be most carefully considered, and if the man's medical advisers are able to supplement the evidence already given by them, I shall be glad to receive any additional information from them.

asked the Secretary of State for India the number of casualties in the communal riots that have recently taken place in Benares; and what was the origin of the rioting?

The disturbances were due to strained Hindu-Moslem relations consequent on the murder of a Muhammadan cloth dealer on 10th February. I believe that the number of casualties amounted to about 200. The condition of the city was nearly normal by 17th February, on which date a meeting was held and addressed by Hindu and Moslem leaders. Resolutions were passed deploring communal riots and expressing sympathy with the sufferers and raising funds for the repair of temples, mosques, shops and houses and compensating the injured.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether there have been any further outbreaks of communal trouble in Rangoon or other towns in Burma; and whether there is any evidence that such are due to the activities of Congress agents from India?

The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for India the cost of the operations in Burma; the amount of damage to Government and other property, respectively; and the loss of life in consequence of the armed rising?

I fear I am not at present in possession of the information asked for. The Government of India will no doubt supply me with a detailed report on the whole outbreak in due course, but at the moment operations are still in progress and I am unable to make any statement.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether it is intended that India shall be represented at the forthcoming Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa; and what steps are being taken, if any, to explore the potential benefits which may accrue to India by the adoption of a greater degree of Imperial Preference?

I am in correspondence with the Government of India about representation, and have asked them to consider all the questions likely to come up for consideration.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has made a decision in regard to the proposed reduction of the Wellington (Somerset) Head Post Office to the status of a salaries sub-office; and if he can state the effect upon the staff at that office?

The matter is at present under my consideration. I will communicate my decision to the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he has considered the resolution passed by the Jarrow education authority asking that legislation to provide boots for necessitous school children be introduced on the lines of the Children (Provision of Footwear) Bill, 1928; and whether, in view of the worsened condition of the children to-day, he intends to introduce such legislation?

A Bill dealing with this subject; introduced by a private Member, is already before the House.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the recruits in the Royal Air Force stationed at Uxbridge, who recently contracted cerebro-spinal meningitis had been vaccinated or inoculated; if so, how many, and what were the dates on which these operations were performed; and how many cases have occurred and how many proved fatal?

Twelve cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis of which six proved fatal, have recently occurred among Royal Air Force personnel stationed at Uxbridge., Eleven of the 12 men concerned had been vaccinated, but none had been inoculated. The dates of vaccination range from 30th September, 1930, to 20th January, 1931.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether the Royal Fine Art Commission, when consulted as to the building line to be adopted for the new Government offices on the Embankment side of the Whitehall site, had their attention drawn to the building line fixed by Section 14 of the Public Offices (Sites) Act, 1912; what views were expressed by the Commission; and what reasons were given in support of such views?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; in regard to the second and third parts of the question the Commission came to the definite conclusion that, both on architectural and other grounds, the adoption of the building line now proposed was justified in preference to that fixed by Section 14 of the Public Offices (Sites) Act, 1912. I understand that the report of the Commission, in which their views and the reasons for such views are given in extenso, will be issued in the course of this week.

asked the First Commissioner of Works if he is aware that a great part of the land between the building-line fixed by Section 14 of the Public Offices (Sites) Act, 1912, which it is proposed to repeal by the Public Offices (Sites) Amendment Bill, is land reclaimed from the Thames under the provisions of the Thames Embankment Act, 1862, and handed over to the Crown, and that other land similarly reclaimed has been preserved as a public open space or has been made subject to statutory restrictions against building thereon; and whether he will apply this principle in fixing the building line on the Embankment between Whitehall Gardens and New Scotland Yard for the purpose of the new Government offices?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; in regard to the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to the Address to Her Majesty made on 19th July, 1870, wherein it was stated inter alia that such a limitation of the use of this land would not appear to have been within the contemplation of the Statute referred to. An opportunity will, however, be given for full discussion of this question on the Second Reading of the Public Offices (Sites) Amendment Bill.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of women earning £3 per week or less who would be affected by the proposed cut in Civil Service wages; and the estimated saving from this economy?

The number of non-industrial full time women and girls now earning £3 per week or less affected by reduction of the bonus element in remuneration is approximately 45,700, and the estimated sum involved is £160,000 for the period of six months in question.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of persons drawing unemployment benefit and the total number drawing transitional benefit at the latest date; and the total sums involved in each case?

During the week ended 31st January, 1931, the approximate number of payments made to claimants who satisfied the 30 contributions condition was £1,964,000 and the amount paid was £1,753,000; in addition, approximately 404,000 payments of transitional benefit were made amounting to about £429,000.

asked the hon. Member for Central Leeds, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, whether the commissioners lodged claims for re fund of Income Tax due to them in respect of the charitable nature of their work for any years earlier than 6th April, 1916; and, if so, were the claims admitted and paid?

No such claim was made by the commissioners for any earlier year than that named.

asked the hon. Member for Central Leeds, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, whether the sum of £57,258 5s. 7d. set forth on page 24 of their last annual accounts as expended on structural repairs, etc., to house property included any expenditure, and, if so, how much, on property in Paddington; and whether the sum of £55,432 14s. 10d. set forth on page 26 as applicable to the payment of the incomes of the bishops included any sum payable to the Bishop of London?

The expenditure on the Paddington joint estate is not included in the sum first mentioned in this question; no sum payable to the Bishop of London is included in the amount secondly mentioned.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he is now able to give the result of the recent test made by the Government Fuel Research Board on the Turner process of low-temperature carbonisation of coal at Coalburn, Lanarkshire?

A report on the recent test has been prepared with a view to publication. In accordance with the conditions on which these tests are made, a copy has been sent to Mr. Turner to enable him to express his views on the method of presentation of the facts. The report will be published as soon as possible after his comments have been received and considered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will give a list of the lands situate in the urban district of Coulsdon and Purley, Surrey, which are subject to rights of common, giving in each case the acreage and the name of the freeholder of the soil?

My Department has no complete information as to the present acreage or ownership of lands subject to rights of common in the urban district of Coulsdon and Purley, Surrey. I, therefore, regret that I am unable to supply the list which my hon. Friend requires.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has selected any areas for the experiment of large-scale farming and, if so, where?

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has any information as to what acreage of sugar-beet has been contracted for by the Brigg factory since the settlement?

I understand that up to 21st February the acreage provisionally contracted for by the Brigg factory was 7,000 acres, but offers are still being received.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he can now say when the financial assistance, authorised by the supplementary Estimate, for new allotments under the Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Bill will be available?

This financial assistance is already available in connection with the supply of seeds, etc., for the use of unemployed persons, or persons who are not in full-time employment. These facilities are not confined to persons taking up new allotments but are also available to existing allotment holders who are unemployed or only partly employed. The arrangements made by the committee, of which Sir William Waterlow is chairman, have been given wide publicity and the committee's chief concern now is that all persons desiring to take advantage of the facilities should put in their application as quickly as possible. I am sending my hon. Friend two leaflets showing the arrangements now in active operation.