asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will explain why storehousemen in the victualling department in Malta have not been included in the increased allowances awarded to principal and subordinate officers; and whether, seeing that the cost of living, in so far as procuring daily commodities is concerned, is the same for all serving in stations abroad, he will see his way to remedy this?

The allowances paid to these storehousemen were adjusted in 1925. Since that date the cost of living has fallen, and the emoluments paid to storehousemen at Malta, in addition to those payable at their home yards, are considered to be adequate.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will consider the payment of marriage allowance and children's allowances to all naval ratings over 22 years of age, in view of the number of junior ratings who are now in receipt of the new rates of pay; whether he is aware that the weekly rate of pay of an able seaman of 23 years of age is 23s. 4d. per week, and that many are married and have children; that ratings in receipt of marriage allowance perform the same duties as those not in receipt of the extra emolument; and whether he will cause inquiries to be made from the various service benevolent funds as to the distress which exists amongst the families of naval ratings not in receipt of marriage allowance?

After careful consideration I regret that I am not prepared to recommend any alteration. I would add that the weekly rate of full pay of 23s. 4d. quoted by the hon. Member takes no account of additions to full pay which may be earned by ratings.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will appoint a committee to consider the whole question of invaliding procedure; if in the meantime he will, for those naval ratings who are invalided every year, issue instructions that the men are to be informed by the board which examines them of the cause of their being invalided, whether the invaliding disability is attributable to service or not; and that, in the event of any men invalided not being satisfied with the decision of a purely medical board, they may appeal to the Commander-in-Chief of the port?

Under the present procedure, men invalided from the Navy have adequate facilities for making representations either to the local authorities or to the Admiralty if they feel dissatisfied, and I am unable to agree that there is any need for the issue of further instructions or for the appointment of any committee of inquiry.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will reconsider the decisions not to grant the sale of wines and spirits to the chief and petty officers' messes of shore establishments, observing that this privilege has long been granted to sergeants' messes of the Army and Royal Marines; and, if not, will he state what is the Admiralty objection to this request?

As the hon. Member is aware this decision has been reviewed and reaffirmed quite recently. The conditions of messes in naval depots are not really analogous in important respects to those of Army or Royal Marine sergeants' messes; and the Admiralty do not consider this change desirable.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the classes of certificates obtained in the Greenwich College course; the seamanship, navigation, gunnery and torpedo examinations by the mates promoted in December, 1929; and the months gained, as shown in the Navy List, for sub-lieutenants?

The classes of certificates obtained by mates in their examinations for the rank of lieutenant are shown in the Navy List. Those for the 1929 batch are shown on page 114 of the April edition. The five officers are due, on the results of the examinations, for promotion to lieutenant after serving 3 years 2 months, 3 years, 2 years 8 months, 2 years 6 months and 2 years 8 months as mates. The maximum period served by any mate is 3 years 2 months. The months gained, as shown in the Navy List, for sub-lieutenants are in respect of time awarded on passing out of the cadet training establishments. There is no item corresponding to this for mates.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the ages at which the 1929 mates will be due for promotion to the rank of lieutenant; and the ages at which Dartmouth College and special entry cadets are promoted to this rank?

The ages at which the five mates of the 1929 batch are due for promotion to lieutenant are 28½, 28¼, 25½, 24¾ and 24¾ years. Ex-Dartmouth cadets can be promoted to lieutenant at a minimum age of 21½ and a maximum of 24¼ years. The average age of promotion is approximately 22¾ years. The corresponding figures for ex-special entry cadets are 21¾, 25 and 23½ years.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will consider amending the reply given to general re-

It is not proposed to reconsider the decision, which was arrived at after full consideration of all the circumstances.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the total quantities and declared values of merchandise imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year 1930 consigned from the Soviet Union, Russia, distinguishing the principal commodities?

The following table shows the total quantity and declared value of merchandise imported into the United Kingdom and registered during the year 1930 as consigned from the Soviet Union (Russia), distinguishing the principal commodities.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will reconsider the previous decision and permit the entry into this country of Abbas Hilmi, ex-Khedive of Egypt?

I am not at present disposed to alter the previous decision.

asked the Home Secretary what steps have been taken to carry out the recommendations of the International Silicosis Conference of 1930 that an international classification of the stages of silicosis and their radiological diagnosis be established and that research be undertaken on an international basis into the causation of silicosis and other diseases due to dust?

The classification of silicosis mentioned in the report of the conference was, I understand; unanimously adopted by the conference, and I am advised that, having regard to the representative character of the conference, it may be regarded as generally accepted. As regards the other recommendations referred to, the intention of the conference was that each country should institute researches on the lines suggested and should communicate the results to the International Labour Office. So far as this country is concerned, the matter has been under consideration by the committee appointed by the Medical Research Council to investigate silicosis and other forms of pulmonary disease, and I am informed that schemes of research drawn up by this committee have now been approved and are being put in operation.

asked the Home Secretary, arising out of the recommendations of the International Silicosis Conference of 1930 that every effort should be made to emphasise the necessity for a whole series of provisions relating to hygiene, including methods for reducing production and diffusion of dust, maintaining the purity of the air in the mines, and the provision of suit-able means for ensuring personal hygiene whether he will say what steps he proposes to take to ensure that these recommendations are put into effect?

The particular recommendation mentioned in the question relates only to mines and does not, therefore, directly affect my Department. As regards, however, the protection of factory workers against exposure to dust, this question has, for many years past, received the greatest possible attention from the Home Office and has been dealt with not only by general provisions in the Factory Acts, but also by special provisions included in various codes of regulations for industries in which dangerous dusts are produced. The need of strengthening and extending these provisions is constantly under review, and my hon. Friend may be assured that every possible precaution will continue to be taken. I may add that the preventive measures recommended by the conference were, I understand, based on the measures actually adopted and applied in this country.

asked the Home Secretary (1) what premises are used as remand homes in Manchester, Liverpool, and elsewhere in the county of Lancashire;(2) in what areas are premises within the precincts of His Majesty s prisons, on immediately adjacent to His Majesty's prisons and houses of detention, used as remand homes for juvenile offenders?

Juvenile offenders under 16, if remanded in custody, are sent to places of detention which are provided by local authorities and have no connection with prisons. I will send my hon. Friend a list of such premises in Lancashire. Young offenders aged over 16, if remanded in custody, are sent to prison. At some prisons, where structural and other conditions permit, a separate block or portion of the buildings is used for young prisoners, and at all prisons young prisoners are as far as practicable kept apart from others. I know of no establishments, distinct from prisons, provided for the custody of prisoners over 16 remanded by courts.

asked the Postmaster-General the time at which the first delivery of letters is completed in Brighton, Richmond, York, Southend, Welwyn, Margate, Harrow, Dorking, Eastbourne, Chelmsford, Windsor, Beaconsfield, Maidstone, and Dartford?

I am having inquiry made and will write to the Noble Lord as soon as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General how much money was spent by the Post Office and how many persons were employed on telephone research by the Post Office and the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, respectively, during the year 1930 or nearest comparable period?

The number of persons directly employed on telephone research work by the Post Office during the year ended 31st March, 1931, was over 200, and the expenditure on such work was,

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the increase in the number of telephone subscribers for

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the number of telephones per thousand of the population possessed by Great Britain, Iceland, and Hawaii, respectively?

The figures are 44, 51 and about 75 respectively. There are two million telephones in Great Britain, less than 5,000 in Iceland and about 23,000 in Hawaii.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the cost of a trunk call at ordinary rates for 100 miles, 200 miles, 300 miles, and 400 miles, in Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, and America, respectively?

The answer is as follows:the following years, respectively: 1924–25, 1926–26, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, and 1930–31?

The net addition to the number of telephones in each of the financial years named were as follows:1924–25, 115,308; 1925–26, 116,353;1926–27, 118,633; 1927–28, 122,405;1928–29, 123,450; 1929–30, 127,469;1930–31, 100,061.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the approximate number of motor omnibuses which carry posting boxes on them?

The total number of motor omnibuses or trams which carry posting boxes is about 600.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the figure that represents the total capital investment of the Post Office?

Approximately £140,000,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he can state the total amount of money at present deposited in the Post Office Savings Bank?

The estimated total amount of money deposited in the Post Office Savings Bank on 1st May, 1931, was £294,000,000, including accrued interest to 30th April.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many secondary schools in Great Britain are without playing fields at the present time; what proportion this number represents of the total; and what action he proposes to take to ensure that every secondary school shall have a playing field available with the least possible delay?

There is no information available as to the number of secondary schools in England and Wales which have no playing fields. Such schools are required by the board's regulations to make adequate provision for organised games, and normally do so either by means of playing fields attached to the school or by securing facilities for games elsewhere.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, if he can state the number of floggings carried out in each of the Crown Colonies in the last year for which figures are available?

I am having a return prepared, giving the information desired by my hon. Friend, and will arrange for it to be communicated to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available.

asked the Secretary for Mines how many prosecutions have taken place under the Coal Mines Act for breaches of the law as to working hours since the passage of that Act?

Assuming that the hon. Member refers to the Coal Mines Act, 1930, the answer is "None."

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will state the number of men, in England, Scotland, and Wales, respectively, working under the spread-over agreement?

So far as my information goes the relevant figures at the end of April, 1931, for England, Scotland, and Wales, respectively, were 450, 89,406, and 10,897.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of accidents, both fatal and otherwise, which occurred in the Somerset coalfield during the years 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930, respectively, giving the name of the colliery and the percentage of accidents in relation to the number of men employed?

, pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 5th May, 1931; col. 185, Volume 252), supplied the following statement:

asked the Minister of Labour whether the real value of wages has fallen or increased during the last 12 months and, if it has fallen, by how much?

At the beginning of April, the latest date for which figures are available, working-class cost of living, as indicated by the index numbers compiled by the Ministry of Labour, averaged approximately 6½ per cent. lower than a year earlier and weekly full-time rates of wages averaged about 1 per cent. lower.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she has any information as to the wages paid per ton of iron and steel produced in Great Britain and the principal countries whose iron and steel goods compete with ours?

I regret that the available information does not enable me to make this comparison.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she is aware that a number of men were refused unemployment benefit by reason of not attending to do snow-clearing, although the directions given to them were of a conditional character to attend at 7 a.m. in the event of a snowfall, no date being specified, and although the snowfall did not occur until 2.30 a.m.; whether she will institute an inquiry into the circumstances with a view to the men being allowed benefit; and whether she will issue to insurance officers an explanatory memorandum to the effect that directions should be specific and unconditional to constitute a basis for the withholding of benefit for non-compliance?

By arrangement with the Corporation Cleansing Department, the unemployed men at the Exchange were invited to volunteer to be available for snow-clearing. There was a large response, and 675 men were selected, to whom cards were issued directing them to attend at specified places at 7 a.m. in the event of a fall of snow during the night. On the night in question there was a heavy fall of snow, but only 221 of the men had attended by 9 a.m. on the following morning and over 200 others had to be specially engaged. After elimination of the cases in which there appeared to the local insurance office to be a sufficiently good reason for the failure to attend, the claims of 286 men were referred to courts of referees, which decided in 53 cases that the claimants had a reasonable excuse and disallowed benefit in the other cases for three days. This decision cannot be altered by me. As regards the last part of the question, I would point out that the conditions under which these directions may be given are prescribed by the 1930 Act, and that it is for the court of referees to decide, in cases of dispute, whether they are reasonable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will state the number of persons in the Isle of Wight who have applied for allotments under his scheme for assisting the unemployed; and how many persons have actually been provided with allotments?

In order to supply the required information it would be necessary to circularise all the allotment authorities in the Island, and I do not think that the labour and expense involved in this inquiry would be justified. I understand that there have been no requests for the supply of seeds at reduced prices.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has; been called to the condition of High Street, Eltham, and particularly the state of the roadway between Barclay's Bank and Archery Road; and whether he can take action to expedite the widening of the High Street, with a view to obviating the danger to pedestrians and mitigating the loss traders are suffering on account of the delay in the execution of the necessary works?

I understand that the council intend to proceed with the widening works as soon as certain negotiations with property owners are completed. No action on my part appears to be called for.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the number of Royal Commissions and committees of inquiry set up by the late Government; the number that reported; and the approximate expenditure incurred?

The information desired by my hon. Friend is not available in the Treasury, and could not be obtained without the expenditure of considerable time and labour.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when an announcement may be expected as to the reduction of Cabinet salaries?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on Monday last to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for West Woolwich (Sir K. Wood).

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been called to certain packets of butter, bearing the name of a Somerset firm on the wrapper, which are being sold in large quantities in this country; if he is aware that this butter is, in fact, Argentine butter and merely blended in this country; and what action he intends to take to ensure that purchasers of such butter shall know that they are buying foreign butter blended in England?

I am not in possession of details of the particular case referred to, but an inquiry has recently been held into an application by various butter interests for an Order in Council under the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926, to require the marking of all imported butter with an indication of origin, and I am now awaiting the Standing Committee's report on this application.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what action he intends to take upon the report to him of the decision of the Suffolk County Wages Committee?

I have no power under the Agricultural Wages (Regulations) Act to take any further action.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the number of cases discovered of underpayment of wages, and the amount under the Agricultural Wages (Regulations) Act, 1924, during each year since the operation of the Act?

Prior to last year the investigations made by the Ministry's inspectors under the Agricultural Wages (Regulations) Act were tabulated simply according to the number of employers found to be infringing the Act, and I supplied my hon. Friend with such particulars in reply to his question on the 19th March. For the 12 months ended 30th September, 1930, the number of workers in respect of whom infringements were discovered was 3,060. In many of these cases the infringement was relatively minor and no action appeared necessary in regard to recovering arrears of wages. In the cases which were taken up by the Ministry in that year the total amount recovered was £18,542.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of children under two years of age who died from small-pox during 1930 and the number who died from causes associated with vaccination or in which the death certificate included vaccinia?

The information asked for in the first part of the question was given to my hon. Friend in reply to his question of the 4th February last. As regards the second part of the question, in addition to the death mentioned in the reply to the question of the 4th February, there has been notified to my Department the death of a child under two years of age within six weeks of vaccination, which I am advised should be considered as due to causes associated with vaccination.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give figures showing the total invested funds of approved societies for the last three available years?

The figures asked for are those given in reply to the hon. Member's question of 27th April, less an amount of £l½ million, approximately,

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he can state, as a result of any official survey, how many houses in the borough of Islington are suitable for demolition; bow many are overcrowded; how many of these are let in tenements; how many people they house; and if any figures are available;(2) whether he will state if any official survey of housing conditions in Islington has been undertaken either by the borough council or the London County Council since 1920 and the date of the last such survey?

Housing conditions in any borough are constantly under the review of the officials concerned, but I am not aware of any special survey undertaken either by the borough council or by the London County Council before the one which, as my hon. Friend is aware, is now proceeding. Pending the completion

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of houses built under the various Housing Acts during the period 1918 to the end of 1930 by the town council of Leigh and the urban district councils of Atherton and Tyldesley; and will he give the separate figures under the different Housing Acts?

The following statement contains the desired particulars:of that survey I am unable to give detailed replies on the other points which he raises.

asked the Minister of Health what is the present position with regard to the programme of housing and slum clearance submitted by the corporation of Darlington?

The programme submitted by Darlington Town Council has been the subject of discussion between my officers and representatives of the council, and I am now awaiting a report which was asked for at that discussion.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the decision of the casual ward committee of the Lymington institution to cover the wire beds with feltine, because the wire mesh damages the men's nightshirts; and whether, as this does not comply with the requirements of the new order, he will call the attention of this committee to the necessity of providing proper mattresses?

I am making inquiries and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the conditions at Loughborough Poor Law Institution where men on tramp are required to sleep in hammocks instead of proper beds; and whether he will intimate to the Poor Law authorities in Leicestershire that they must comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Health an that and other respects?

I am aware that at present the cubicles and one of the men's dormitories of the Loughborough Casual Wards are supplied only with hammocks or mattresses. In the other men's dormitory and in the women's ward there are proper bedsteads. I have called the attention of the Leicester County Council and the Leicester and Rutland Joint Vagrancy Committee to the requirements of the new Public Assistance (Casual Poor) Order, 1931, in this matter and I am glad to say that the appropriate sub-committee have now recommended the supply of bedsteads throughout the wards.