asked the President of the Board of Education the number of elementary school pupils voluntarily remaining at school over the age of 14 in Newcastle-on-Tyne; and how many such children are in receipt of maintenance allowances from the local authority?

During the year ended 31st March, 1930 (the latest period for which figures are available), 923 pupils remained in public elementary schools maintained by the Newcastle-on-Tyne local education authority, for some period after the end of the school term in which they attained the age of 14. The authority incurred no expenditure in respect of maintenance allowances for these children.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what is the number of aeroplanes in private use, including machines the property of flying clubs and used for instructional purposes, during the years 1928, 1929 and 1930?

The number of registered privately-owned aircraft, Including aircraft owned by civil flying schools and light aeroplane clubs, on 31st December, 1928, 1929 and 1930 was 223, 328 and 499 respectively.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the number of persons killed while piloting or flying in privately-owned aeroplanes, including machines the property of flying clubs or used for instructional purposes, during the years 1928, 1929, and 1930?

The number of deaths in the circumstances mentioned by the hon. Member was 10 in 1928, 11 in 1929 and 15 in 1930.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the total establishment of medical officers in the Air Force and the shortage of regular medical officers on the establishment in each year since the War?

The following table shows the figures required in respect of the years for which statistics are available:

Medical Officers, Royal Air Force.
Year.			Establishment.	Deficiency.
1920	…	…	142	29
1921	…	…	141	50
1922	…	…	177	55
1923	…	…	197	65
1924	…	…	213	68
1925	…	…	219	70
1926	…	…	210	51
1927	…	…	204	40
1928	…	…	204	26
1929	…	…	205	28
1930	…	…	210	39
1931	…	…	210	46

These deficiencies of regular officers have been made good to a substantial degree by the engagement of doctors on contract, either on a commissioned or on a civilian basis.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he is aware that under the operation of the provisions of Part I of the Coal Mines Act, 1930, best house coal can be delivered and sold in Bolton at 32s. 6d. per ton by Staffordshire collieries, whereas the Lancashire Colliery Company charge 45s. per ton in Bolton for similar coal; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent the quota being allocated in such a way as to give an advantage to the products of one coalfield in the area of another?

The latest information in my possession is that the schedules of minimum prices drawn up by Lancashire and Staffordshire, under the provisions of the schemes in force under Part I of the Coal Mines Act, 1930, have not yet been put into operation by the respective Executive Boards, pending consultations with neighbouring districts and the Central Council with regard to co-ordination of prices. In these circumstances, it does not appear that the prices referred to by my hon. Friend can be attributed to the operation of the Act. I understand that all possible progress is being made with regard to the co-ordination of prices between the various districts.

asked the Minister of Labour the 12 cities or towns in the country of 20,000 persons or over, exclusive of London, which have the largest proportions of unemployed to their re-

Exchange.		Numbers insured against Unemployment.	Numbers of persons on Registers of Employment Exchanges at 16th February, 1931.		Numbers on Register as a percentage of numbers insured.
			With claims to benefit admitted or under consideration.	Total of "Persons on the Register."
Blackburn	…	58,910	29,569	30,857	52·4
The Hartlepools	…	24,020	11,042	12,011	50·0
Ashton-under-Lyne	…	27,950	12,816	13,768	49·3
Oldham	…	88,890	38,337	39,376	44·3
Accrington	…	31,860	13,165	13,853	43·5
Gateshead	…	29,660	10,861	12,659	42·7
South Shields	…	32,200	12,733	13,678	42·5
Sunderland	…	56,440	21,662	23,669	41·9
Newport (Mon.	…	27,370	9,916	10,561	38·6
Burnley	…	48,670	17,858	18,389	37·8
Chorley	…	21,800	7,816	8,147	37·4
Bolton	…	72,220	25,715	26,873	37·2

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total number of agricultural holdings in Great Britain at the latest available date, together with the number of holdings of 50 acres and under?

The total number of agricultural holdings returned on 4th June, 1930, in England and Wales was 395,826 of which 254,975 were holdings ex-

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 16th February, 1931; col. 873, Vol. 248], supplied the following information:The statistics of unemployment are ascertained by Employment Exchange areas, which do not necessarily coincide with city or town boundaries. The following table gives the available Exchange figures for the 12 cities or towns in which the proportion of persons on the registers of the local Exchange, estimated as a percentage of the numbers of insured persons normally using the Exchange, is highest among all Exchanges with an "insured persons" total of over 20,000.ceeding one, but not exceeding 50 acres in extent. The latter figure includes a number of pieces or parcels of land which were separately returned, but which, especially as regards those under 20 acres, are not what are usually understood as agricultural or small holdings. The exact number of these cannot be given. With regard to Scotland, I must refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any information to give the House regarding the proposed new machinery for the collection of Income Tax?

My right hon. Friend cannot give any information on this matter at the present time.

asked the Home Secretary how many men, women and children have been found dead in the streets of the Metropolitan area during the first two months of the present year?

The numbers of persons found dead in the streets and public places of the Metropolitan Police District during the months of January and February, 1931, are as follow:

Men	85
Women	30
Children under 16 years of age	2
Newly born infants	12
	129