asked the Minister of Labour what amounts of money have been granted for work for the relief of the unemployed in Carmarthenshire from the Road Fund, from the Unemployment Grants Committee, and from other sources during the year ended 30th April; and for how many men has employment been found?

During the year ended 30th April, 1931, 30 schemes, of an estimated total cost of £273,000, were approved for State assistance. As regards the employment provided, the returns relate to the numbers directly employed on one day in each month. On 27th March last, 707 men were directly employed on schemes then in operation.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of men employed on the construction of the Shrewsbury by-pass road, together with the number of local unemployed for whom employment has been found in the same connection?

On 24th April, 50 men were employed on this scheme of whom 35 were local men. Three other local men had been employed on the scheme for short periods, but were not at work on the date in question.

asked the Minister of Labour the total amount received by the chairman of the Bristol court of referees during January, February, March and April of this year in fees and allowances; and the basis on which such were paid?

The total fees paid were £34 2s. 6d. to the chairman in respect of 13 sittings, and £165 7s. 6d. to three reserve chairmen in respect of 63 sittings. No other allowances were paid. The scale of payment is 2½ guineas for each sitting, together with travelling expenses and subsistence allowances where chargeable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) briefly the data upon which Sir Richard Hopkins based his figure of the conjectural cost of transitional benefit, during the year commencing l6t April, 1931, as £35,000,000 to £40,000,000, or even more, as given in evidence before the Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance; and whether in view of the time that has elapsed since this evidence was prepared, he is able to give any closer figure;(2) briefly the data upon which the Memorandum on the Financial Resolution relative to unemployment insurance of 11th February, 1931 (Cmd. 3788) estimates the cost to the Exchequer of transitional benefit under the existing legislation, as increased by the acceptance of the Resolution, to be £30,000,000; and whether he will give estimates of the probable cost to the Exchequer if the full operation of transitional benefit were continued till the end of December, 1031, and till the end of the present financial year, respectively?

The forecast of £35,000,000 to £40,000,000 or even more, to which reference is made in the first question, was the conjectural cost if the transitional period had been extended throughout the financial year commencing 1st April, 1931. It was necessarily based, not on precise data, but upon the trend of current expenditure, and, as was stated to the Commission, the higher figure envisaged the possible range of cost in the event of the industrial situation further deteriorating. The estimate of £30,000,000 given in the Memorandum on the Financial Resolution (Command Paper 3788) for the cost in 1931–2, of extending the transitional period to October, 1931, was framed upon a similar basis. The corresponding estimates, had the transitional period been extended to 31st December, 1931, or 31st March, 1932, are £33,500,000 and £35,000,000 respectively. I cannot at present give any closer figures.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether Members of the House of Commons can be given an opportunity of seeing some of the posters that have been prepared in his Department with a view to advertising various ancient monuments under his charge?

I should be glad to consult the authorities with a view to arranging an exhibit of a few posters in the Tea Room at an early date.

asked the Home Secretary whether experiments in gland grafting on animals are operations which require a licence under the Cruelty to Animals (Vivisection) Act?

All experiments on living animals, if calculated to give pain, are subject to the Act and require a licence.

asked the Home Secretary which variety of licence to experiment on living animals was granted to V. G. P. Male, of Reading, during 1930 or 1931; what animals were involved; and how many experiments were performed?

No licence has been granted to this gentleman. I am not in possession of the information specified in the last two paragraph, but I am making inquiries into the case.

asked the Secretary for Mines what is the present average price of semi-anthracite Welsh coal at the pit-head; what are the average costs of delivery and freight charges to the consumer; and what are the present merchants' prices being charged in London?

I have no information regarding the average pithead price of individual classes of coal. Assuming that semi-anthracite means Welsh dry steam coal, I am advised that a typical railway rate (including wagon hire) on this coal is 13s. 2d.–13s. 6d. per ton. I do not know what additional charges would be incurred in delivering this coal into the consumer's cellar. The present retail price in Central London is 51s.–52s. per ton.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the plans and specifications for two destroyers to be built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, have been submitted to the firm; and when the laying down of the keels is likely to be commenced?

The plans and specifications for the two destroyers to be built by the Fairfield Company were supplied to the firm on 4th February, 1931; the keels of the two vessels were laid on 20th and 22nd April, respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what support is being given by his Department to the scheme for providing a national mark for British steel?

I have followed with interest and sympathy the establishment under the auspices of the British iron and steel industry of a mark to be applied to steel of British origin, and my Department have in the exercise of their powers under Section 62 of the Trade Marks Acts, 1005 to 1919, permitted the registration of this mark as a trade mark by the National Federation of Iron and Steel Manufacturers (Corporate Organisation) Limited.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the percentage of the balance of trade in respect to United

asked the Postmaster-General why the increase in the number of telephone subscribers for the year 1930–31 was less than that for any of the preceding six years?

The falling-off in the net telephone growth in 1930–31 is due to the prevailing economic depression. The falling off in 1930 in Germany and the United States of America was very much greater, being about 75 per cent. and 85 per cent., respectively, as against 15 per cent. in this country.

asked the Postmaster General whether any instructions have been issued to discontinue the custom of warning telephone subscribers of the expiration of their three minutes for a toll or trunk call; and whether callers are now charged for

The following table shows the total declared value of merchandise imported into and exported from the United Kingdom during 1929 and 1930 registered as consigned from and to Sweden, Finland and the Soviet Union (Russia), together with the excess of imports over exports, both in value and expressed as a percentage of the total imports.an extra call on expiry of the three minutes without any notice; and, if so, whether public notification has been given of this change in procedure?

The answer to the first and second parts of the question is in the negative; the third part does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Post-master-General whether there is any prospect of the reduction of the rentals of telephones due to the introduction of the automatic system?

In view of the relatively small surplus on the telephone account, I regret that a reduction in rentals is at present impracticable.

asked the Postmaster-General the total number of staff, established and unestablished, employed by the Post Office on 31st March, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1931, respectively?

The total numbers of staff employed by the Post Office on 31st March, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1931, respectively, were as follow:

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider the public advantage of having time tablets inserted in post office letter boxes, especially in country districts, to indicate whether or not the box has been cleared, and at what time is the next collection?

The times of collection from letter boxes at country post offices are ordinarily shown in a window near the box, and as the last collection is usually made before the post office closes, inquiry can be made at the counter in cases of doubt. I am considering the question of modifying the existing arrangements in the case of country sub-offices.

asked the Postmaster-General what percentage the profits of the last financial year represent on the total capital investment of the Post Office?

The information desired is not yet available for last financial year. The percentage of profit on the average capital investment for 1929–30 was:—

asked the Minister of Pensions (1) the number of men in receipt of disability pensions in respect of tuberculosis during the years 1928, 1929 and. 1930 respectively, who have had their pensions increased as a result of the findings of the medical board that their condition had deteriorated, and the number of men during the same period who have had their pensions decreased as a result of the findings of the medical board that their condition had improved;(2) the number of reviews during the years 1928, 1929 and 1930 respectively, by medical boards of cases where disability pensions have been granted in respect of tuberculosis; and the number of cases during the same period where the disability pension has been withdrawn on the ground that the effects of tuberculosis have passed away or by reason of the pensioners having died as the result of the disease?

The records of the Ministry do not enable me to state precisely the number of disabled officers and men pensioned for tuberculosis whose cases have been reviewed in the years referred to and, consequently, I cannot state the number whose pensions have been increased or decreased. I understand, however, that normally in a majority of the cases the pension either remains the same or is increased, while the number of cases in which the pension has ceased to be drawn on the ground that the effects of war service have passed away is in comparison negligible. The deaths of tuberculosis pensioners reported during each of the three years were, in 1928, 1,450; in 1929, 1,400; and in 1930, 1,050, but the number of these cases in which death was due to the disability cannot be stated.

asked the Secretary of State for India how many Indian students are now in residence at English and Scottish universities and enjoying educational hospitality?

According to figures supplied by the institutions concerned, the total number of Indian students at present studying at universities, colleges, medical schools and other educational institutions of similar standing in Great Britain is approximately 1,740.

asked the Secretary of State for India the total number of cotton factories in Bombay; the number that are owned by Indian subjects; the total capital invested in these factories, and the amount owned by British investors?

I will give what figures I have in reply to this question. But I fear they are not complete. The total number of cotton mills in the Bombay Presidency in 1929 was 183. Of 172 of these the total authorised capital amounted to Rs.34,49,81,000 (£25,873,575), the paid-up capital to Rs.25,87,79,815 (£19,408,486), and the debentures to Rs.2,64,00,000 (£1,980,000). No information is available as to the capital of the other 11 mills, which remained closed during the year. Up-to-date statistics are not available of the amount of capital held by British investors, but in 1924 the Government of India reported that the total capital of the mills then working in Bombay City was approximately Rs.19,11,00,000 (£14,330,000), of which about Rs.2,33,00,000 (£1,747,500) was held by European shareholders. There were at that date 329 Indian and 62 European directors. I do not know what changes have taken place since 1924.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will inquire what proposals are at present being considered by the Government of India for increases in import duties; and what steps are being taken to safeguard British interests?

The Government of India are considering reports of the Tariff Board on the Indian chemical industry, the magnesium chloride industry and the sugar industry.

asked the Minister of Health the number of certifiable mental defectives in England and Wales for each of the five years ended 31st December, 1930?

Statistics are not available as regards the number of persons certifiable as mental defectives, but the number of persons detained under certificates under the Mental Deficiency Acts on 31st December in each of the last five years is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any arrangement has now been reached for a definite frontier line between Libya and the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan?

No, Sir. It is unlikely that an early demarcation of this frontier will take place, as it traverses desert country some hundreds of miles distant from any populated areas in either territory.