asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the state of employment in the fabric glove industry since the withdrawal of the Safeguarding Duty; and, in view of the fact that workers in some factories are only employed on short time one week in three and that the scale of wages is reduced by 10 per cent. from the scale paid before the withdrawal of the duty, whether the Government will consider what steps can be taken to relieve the consequent distress?

The information as to employment in the manufacture of fabric gloves, formerly supplied to my Department by the Joint Industrial Council, has not been furnished for the period subsequent to the lapse of the

The following table shows the strength on 1st May, 1931, of infantry battalions of the Territorial Army raised in Lancashire, together with the surplus or deficiency on establishment.duty, and I understand that the Ministry of Labour statistics of unemployment do not separately distinguish the fabric glove industry. I am informed, however, that there has been no recent variation in the rates of wages in the industry.

asked the Minister of Labour in how many cases in the Isle of Wight her Department has assisted allotment holders under the scheme introduced by the Minister of Agriculture for the benefit of the unemployed; and what has been the nature of the assistance?

Local officers of the Ministry of Labour are co-operating in the scheme by bringing the facilities available to the notice of unemployed or partly employed persons. Four application forms for plots have been issued in the Isle of Wight for completion and return to the local authorities concerned, and a certain number of inquirers for seeds were referred to the appropriate local organisation.

asked the Minister of Labour how many applications for unemployment benefit have been rejected, from 13th March, 1930, to the latest available date, at South Shields on the ground that the applicant was not normally in insurable employment; and how many applications were rejected during a similar period

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total quantity of all cotton piece goods imported into this country from foreign countries during the year 1930?

During the year 1930, the total quantity of cotton piece goods imported into the United Kingdom and registered as consigned from foreign countries was 79,447,000 square yards.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of quartern loaves of bread made from a sack of wheat; the present price of flour; and how much of the 7d. paid for each quartern loaf represents the cost of the corn in the loaf?

The following table gives information in respect of the South Shields and East Boldon Employment Exchanges. Separate figures for the South Shields Exchange alone are not available. The figures for certain grounds of disallowance other than those specified in the question have been added because a comparison between the periods in the table would otherwise be misleading.

There is a not inconsiderable variation in the output of bread per sack of 280 lbs. of flour but the normal yield may be estimated at 92 or more 4-lb. loaves. The present price of London straights flour, delivered in, is 23s. 6d. per sack of 280 lbs. The present cost of the wheat in a 4-lb. loaf may be estimated at about 2¼d. plus the handling charges (loading, unloading, commission, etc.), and the cost of the inland transportation of the wheat, the milling of the wheat and the transport of the flour.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value and amount of agricultural machinery exported to Soviet Russia from this country during the last 12 months?

The exports of agricultural (including dairy) machinery and parts thereof manufactured in the United Kingdom registered during the 12 months ended 31st March, 1931, as consigned to the Soviet Union, amounted to 599 tons, of a declared value of £83,592.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the report of the committee appointed by the French Government to examine the proposals of the British Government for a reduction of tariffs; and whether, in view of the report of that committee that the time has come to negotiate a commercial agreement with Great Britain, he will press on with his negotiations for a reduction of tariffs?

I have seen newspaper reports as to the attitude of certain French industries to the proposals for tariff reductions submitted to the French Government by His Majesty's Government, and the matter has formed the subject of preliminary discussions with French officials who recently visited this country. Detailed negotiations have not yet commenced, but I need not say that I am anxious to take all possible steps which are likely to lead to a reduction in the French and other European Customs tariffs. I am now considering what is the course best likely to lead to this desirable end.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the comparative figures for Great Britain and the United States since the passing of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Bill, showing the number of countries which have raised their tariffs against the products of both countries, and also the fall in the exports of both countries?

A large number of countries have made some increases in tariff rates since 17th June, 1930, the date of passage of the new united States Tariff Act, and in some 20 to 30 cases the increases may be regarded as important in scope or amount Except in the case of Empire countries the increased rates of duty resulting from such revisions are, generally speaking, applied equally to imports from the United States and the United Kingdom, and I am afraid I cannot give any indication as to the extent to which such increased duties are aimed at, or affect, American or British goods. As regards the last part of the question, the total exports from the United Kingdom during the nine months ending 31st March, 1931, as compared with the same period a year earlier declined by £184,528,000, or 30.3 per cent., and in the case of the United States, by £260,658,000, or 33.9 per cent.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he is now able to state whether he has received from the British official directors of the Suez Canal Company information about the probable requirements of materials for the Suez Canal during the coming year; and whether they propose to assist British export trade by visiting the chambers of commerce in suitable industrial areas and explaining to the members how orders for the requirements of stores for the canal may be obtained?

It will take some time to obtain from the directors of the Suez Canal Company, the information which I promised to obtain on 4th May. Consideration of the present matter must, therefore, be postponed until such information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether the investigations into the question of the wheat quota which are being made in preparation for the forthcoming Economic Conference at Ottawa are now complete; and whether it is the intention of the Government to make any announcement as to the result of such investigations before the commencement of this conference?

I are not in a position to add anything to the answer which I gave to a question on this subject addressed to me by the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Hurd) on 21st April.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies in reference to the proposal of the Government of Uganda to grant a concession for the exploitation of the fisheries of the Victoria Nile and the neighbouring swamps and waters, when the agreement with the proposed concessionaire was made; what is his name and place of residence; what are his qualifications for operating the concession; and what is the minimum amount of capital to be raised before the concession will be granted?

The agreement was signed on 10th March, 1931, between the Crown Agents for the Colonies acting on behalf of the Government of Uganda and Mr. R. A. Pelham Burn. Mr. Pelham Burn has resided in East Africa for many years, but he came to this country towards the end of 1929 and is now understood to be in London. My Noble Friend is not aware that Mr. Pelham Burn has any special qualifications for working the concession; but, as stated in the reply which I gave on 28th April, the concession will be worked by a company which is to be formed for the purpose, and the right will be reserved to the Government of Uganda to cancel the concession at any time after three years from the date on which it is granted, if it is not developed satisfactorily. The company to which the concession will be granted must have an authorised share capital of not less than £20,000, of which not less than £12,000 must be subscribed and fully paid up in cash before 10th March, 1932.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what number of new holdings and enlargements, respectively, were constituted in Scotland during the year 1930?

The numbers of new holdings and enlargements constituted in 1930 were 100 and 112 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health if he will introduce legislation to reduce rents of working-class houses, up to £50, by 50 per cent., seeing that since the landlords got the increase of rent, which is equal to 50 per cent., wages have been reduced by 50 per cent. and are still being reduced; and whether he is aware that whereas 25 per cent. of the increase was given on the understanding that the landlords would do all the necessary repairs, and the factors before the War did all the internal painting and papering the walls of working-class houses, now they do nothing of the kind?

I would remind my hon. Friend that the operation of the Rent Restriction Acts is at present under consideration by the Inter-Departmental Committee which was appointed by myself and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. Amending legislation must clearly await the Committee's report, which, as my right hon. Friend has already indicated, he hopes to receive before the end of the Session.

asked the Minister of Health the number of women contributing to health insurance in this country in the years 1920 to 1921 and 1930 to 1931?

The number of Women in Great Britain who were contributing for National Health Insurance purposes on 31st December, 1920, was 5,064,000 and the corresponding figure on 31st December, 1930, was 5,750,000.

asked the Minister of Health when the report on the Third Valuations of Approved Societies will be issued?

The third valuations are still proceeding and will not be completed for some months. The Government Actuary informs me that he hopes, however, to summarise the results and issue his report thereon before the end of the year.

asked the Minister of Health the amount of grant given each year to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the British Empire Cancer Research Fund since the inauguration of each; and what other grants have been given each year, if any, from Government or local funds for the purpose of cancer research?

As regards the first part of the question, I have no funds at my disposal for the purpose of making grants to the bodies referred to, and information is not available in my Department of the extent to which contributions may have been made to them out of local funds. As regards the second part, I may mention that any part of the inclusive grant-in-aid received by the Medical Research Council from the Exchequer may at their discretion be allocated to work on cancer, and that certain expenditure on the investigation of this subject through a Departmental Committee is borne on the Vote for my Department. I have no information as to any similar expenditure out of local funds.

asked the Minister of Health whether tests are applied to or analyses taken of fruit pulp imported from Russia: whether preservatives are permitted in this product and, if so, what are they and in what proportion; and what steps are taken that this foodstuff, to be used for jam making, is of a sound and wholesome character and fit for human consumption?

All imported fruit pulp is subject to examination in this country under the Imported Food and Preservatives Regulations. The latter Regulations permit the use of sulphur dioxide in fruit intended for conversion into jam up to a maximum of 3,000 parts per million in cherries, 2,000 in strawberries and raspberries and 1,500 in other fruit. The pulp may be destroyed if found on examination in this country to be unsound or otherwise unfit for human consumption.

asked the Minister of Health how many deaths were registered as due to smallpox during the year 1930; in how many of these deaths was some other disease mentioned on the death certificate; and what were the ages of those who died from smallpox alone and from smallpox and some other disease?

There were 30 deaths in England and Wales in 1930 in which smallpox was certified as a cause of death. In 26 of these some other disease was also mentioned on the death certificate. The ages of those who died from smallpox alone were 13 days, 3 weeks, 9 years, and 33 years. The ages of those on whose certificates smallpox and other diseases were mentioned were 18 days, 1 month, 7 weeks, 8 months (2), 5 years, 10 years, 11 years (2), 13 years, 16 years, 45 years, 46 years, 47 years, 50 years, 55 years, 56 years, 58 years, 59 years, 63 years, 66 years (2), 69 years (2), 77 years, and 82 years.

asked the Minister of Health how many deaths were registered during the year 1930, in which vaccination, vaccinia, or post-vaccinal encephalitis were mentioned on the death certificate; whether any and, if so, how many other deaths occurred during that year within one month of vaccination; and what were the ages of the persons in regard to whose deaths vaccination was mentioned on the death certificate or in any report from the certifying doctor?

The answer to the first part of the question is six. Vaccination was mentioned on the death certificates of all these persons, and their ages were 5 months, 3 years, 4 years, 10 years, 19 years, and 71 years. I have no information in regard to the second part of the question.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of collectors and assessors of taxes, respectively, and, in addition, the number of those officers who undertake both duties?

The numbers are as follow: