asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been called to the invention whereby existing internal

Country and District.					Period.	Time spent underground (including one winding time per day) in a full week or fortnight.*
Great Britain:						h.	m.
Northumberland	Hewers	…	…	…	Fortnight	86	28
	Others	…	…	…	Fortnight	94	20
Durham	Hewers	…	…	…	Fortnight	92	27
	Others	…	…	…	Fortnight	95	21
Cumberland		…	…	…	Week	43	41
Lancashire and Cheshire		…	…	…	Week	47	13
Yorkshire		…	…	…	Week	45	33
Nottingham and North Derby		…	…	…	Week	46	18
South Derby		…	…	…	Week	46	32
North Staffordshire		…	…	…	Week	45	41
Cannock Chase		…	…	…	Week	47	58
South Staffordshire		…	…	…	Week	45	21
Leicester		…	…	…	Week	45	14
Warwick		…	…	…	Week	45	43
Shropshire		…	…	…	Week	46	3
Forest of Dean		…	…	…	Week	46	54
Somerset		…	…	…	Week	48	0
Bristol		…	…	…	Week	47	30
Kent		…	…	…	Week	44	13
South Wales and Monmouth		…	…	…	Week	47	27
North Wales		…	…	…	Week	48	22
Scotland		…	…	…	Fortnight	92	50
Belgium		…	…	…	Week	48	0
France		…	…	…	Week	46	42
Germany		…	…	…	Day	8	0
Netherlands		…	…	…	Week	17	0
Poland (Upper Silesia)		…	…	…	Week	48	12
* In some cases in most of the British coalfields individual collieries or certain classes of workpeople work shorter hours than those shown, especially under arrangements in regard to a short Saturday.

My attention has not been called to any invention precisely of the nature indicated in the question, but if the hon. Member will be good enough to furnish me with further particulars, I shall be very glad to refer the matter to one of my technical officers for examination.

asked the Secretary for Mines what are the hours of work underground now prevailing per week or per fortnight in each of the coalfields of Great Britain and in each of the principal coalfields on the Continent of Europe?

According to the records of the Mines Department, the position since the new district agreements were made in this country is as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Education if the West Ham education committee have made a further communication to him concerning tenders for the Tollgate school; and what is the present position of the matter?

The last communication which the Board received from the authority on this matter was dated 28th March last, and was to the effect that the authority had decided that tenders should be invited by public advertisement in the usual manner. I am awaiting a further communication from the authority.

asked the Home Secretary when the report containing the accounts to be presented by the Racecourse Betting Control Board will be available?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to questions by the hon. Members for Leith (Mr. E. Brown) and Cardigan (Mr. Morris) on this subject on the 18th instant.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the explosion which occurred at a London store arising from chemical experiments; whether he intends taking any action to prevent such experiments in populated areas; and whether an inquiry is to be held into this catastrophe?

The explosion referred to, which occurred on Friday last, has been fully investigated by two of the engineering inspectors of factories. Their report, which has just been received, will be carefully considered, and my right hon. Friend will communicate the result to my hon. Friend.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many officers and other ranks of the Royal Air Force have been killed and injured, respectively, since 1st January, and in the same period how many persons using civil aviation companies' machines have been killed and injured; and how do these figures compare with the same period in 1929, 1927 and 1925?

The following table gives the information required:

Aircraft Accidents during periods 1st January to 19th May.
—	1925.	1927.	1929.	1931.
Royal Air Force personnel.
Killed	16	24	16	45
Injured	47	39	31	39
Persons using commercial aircraft.
Killed	1	—	2	1
Injured	—	—	—	2

I should add that in 1931 there has been a very large increase in the amount of flying carried out both by Royal Air Force and civil aircraft as compared with the earlier years specified in the question. No persons were killed or injured while using machines of British companies operating regular or taxi air transport services in or originating from this country during any of the above periods. The figures exclude accidents to club or privately-owned aircraft.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the value of the Royal Air Force machines that have been lost this year as a result of accidents both at home and overseas?

The original cost of the machines referred to by the hon. and gallant Member was roughly £220,000, but the actual value at the date of loss was, of course, very much less: the value of the parts salved cannot be estimated without undue labour.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many machines have been destroyed belonging to the Royal Air Force at home and on foreign stations, respectively; how many were new machines under test; how many were machines of a type over three years old; and how many were wrecked by failure of engine or other material and how many on account of collision?

The following is the answer:

Royal Air Force flying accidents during period 1st January to 19th May, 1931.
—	Home.	Abroad.
Aeroplanes crashed and written off charge.	56	17
These figures include:
New aeroplanes under test	Nil	Nil
Aeroplanes of a type over three years old.	47	12
Aeroplanes crashed as the result of failure of engine or other material.	6	2
Aeroplanes crashed as the result of collision.	8	Nil

Full information as to the causes of many of the accidents which resulted in aircraft being written off charge is not at present available, and it is possible that the figures relating to engine and other failure may have to be revised.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he has any information regarding the fatal accidents to the service machines of France, Italy, Germany, and the United States of America this year; and what proportion of their machines were over three years old?

I regret that the countries concerned do not publish data which would enable me to answer the hon. and gallant Member's question. Incidentally, I may point out that under the Treaty of Versailles the armed forces of Germany must not include any naval or military air forces.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) the counties in Scotland where there are the highest and lowest infantile mortality rates, and the deaths per 1,000 in these two counties;(2) the average infantile mortality rate for Scottish counties and the corresponding rate for English counties;

The average infantile mortality rate for the whole of Scotland, excluding burghal areas, in 1930 was 69 per 1,000 births. The mean of the rates for the individual counties (again excluding burghs) was 61 per 1,000. The highest rate was 89 per 1,000 in Dunbartonshire, and the lowest was 23 per 1,000 in Bute. If my hon. Friend intended to include burghal areas, the answer to the first question would be that the highest rate was 100 per 1,000 in Wigtownshire and the lowest 25 per 1,000 in Bute; but I should have to make further inquiry as to average rates. For comparable English figures I must refer my hon. Friend to the Minister of Health.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether all the lands which belong to the Crown and which were scheduled in the report of the Highlands and Islands Royal Commission in 1892 as fit for smallholdings have now been broken up into smallholdings for ex-service men; and, if not, what Crown lands have not been broken up?

I have been asked to reply. The following Grown Lands were specified in the schedules to the report of the Royal Commission as suitable for smallholdings, namely:

(1) 954 acres of the Dorrery Estate, Caithness;

(2) 184 acres of the Stemster Estate, Caithness;

(3) 51 acres of the Lythmore Estate, Caithness.

The Dorrery Estate was offered to the Board of Agriculture for Scotland, but the Board declined the offer, considering that more suitable subjects were available for the purpose. The whole of the Stemster Estate, comprising 675 acres, was sold to the Board and converted into smallholdings. The Lythmore Estate was offered to the Board, but the Board declined the offer, other more suitable land adjoining being available.The following estates, parts of which were scheduled, were acquired by the Crown after the report of the Royal Commission, namely:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the prescribed minimum weekly wage, as expressed in sterling, which must be paid to the mui-tsai of Hong Kong?

The prescribed minimum wage is $1 per month for mui-tsai under 15 years of age, and $1 50 cents for mui-tsai of 15 years and over, plus in all cases free food, clothing and medical attendance. The present sterling equivalent of those sums is about 1s. and 1s. 6d.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what reductions are being proposed in the estimates for educational purposes in British Guiana; how many schools will be abolished; and what is the comparative cost per head as compared with Great Britain?

The estimates in British Guiana for the year 1931 disclose no reduction in the number of Government teachers employed in Government or in grant-aided schools, and no such reductions have up to the present been approved by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. A Financial Commission has recently visited the Colony, and the commissioners will be returning to this country in the near future, when their recommendations in regard to these estimates, including the provision for expenditure on education, will be examined. In the meantime, approval has been given for the continuance of expenditure on all existing services. The total Government expenditure on education per head of population in British Guiana is 5s. 4d., as compared with a total expenditure from public funds on education of £2 1s. 9d. per head in England and Wales, which figure, of course, includes expenditure on many forms of higher education which have no counterpart in British Guiana.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the maximum sum a paymaster-commander in charge of a general mess may expend per man per day in order to provide complete messing for men messed under the general messing system, as stated on page 37 of the Navy Estimates for the year 1931?

Under the system of general messing, the Admiralty provides a full day's messing of a reasonable and sufficient standard. It follows, therefore, that the paymaster is not provided with a fixed money allowance for daily use; he obtains and expends what food is necessary to provide the recognised standard of messing, and the Admiralty bears the cost. The latter is a fluctuating figure depending upon prices and other conditions, and it varies in different parts of the world and as between seagoing ships and shore establishments.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will consider the provision of suitable cooking and washing accommodation on the sides of the smaller docks in Portsmouth dockyard used for the docking of small craft, observing that at present temporary arrangements for cooking are made on the upper deck of the vessel in dock and that there is no washing accommodation for engine-room ratings available when bath rooms are under repair and no hot water when boilers are out?

Cooking facilities for small craft when docked in the smaller docks at Portsmouth are provided by means of temporary galleys erected on the decks of the vessels or on the side of the dock, and these are considered adequate for the requirements of the small complements of these vessels. Washplaces are not available in the vicinity of the smaller docks, but inquiries are being made as to the practicability of providing suitable facilities for washing at a reasonable cost.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) whether a greater number of candidates from the lower deck are to be enabled to obtain commissions at an age to allow them to compete for the highest ranks;(2) whether a greater number of lieutenant-commanders (ex-mate) are likely in future to be selected for commanders, observing that there are now 24 engineer-commanders (ex-mate E) but only six commanders (ex-mate)?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of to-day to the hon. Member for Central Portsmouth (Captain W. G. Hall).

asked the Minister of Health the date of the rescission of the order made under the Public Health Meat Regulations, 1908, prohibiting such imports as boxed loins and legs of pork, boneless beef, and other forms of scrap meat used by sausage manufacturers; the reason for the original prohibitions; and what fresh facts were disclosed to justify the rescission?

The Public Health (Foreign Meat) Regulations of 1908 and 1909 were revoked in 1925, but their substance was re-enacted with slight modifications by the Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations, 1925. The importation of scrap meat (i.e., meat which affords insufficient means of identification with definite parts of a carcase) is still prohibited, the reason for the prohibition being that such meat cannot be satisfactorily inspected at the time of importation. Boxed loins and legs of pork have never been regarded as scrap meat, and their importation has always been allowed if they are accompanied by official certificates recognised as satisfactory by the Minister of Health. The official certificates of a number of countries have been recognised for this purpose at various dates from 1909 to 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour the total wages paid in the year ended 31st December, 1920, and also in the year ended 31st December, 1930, in the following industries: coal, cotton, iron and steel, shipbuilding, and on the railways?

The total wages bill in the coalmining industry is estimated by the Mines Department at £265,000,000 for 1920 and £105,000,000 for 1930. Information is not available as to the total wages bill of all railways, but for the four main lines payments for wages and salaries amounted to £114,000,000 in 1929; a corresponding figure for 1920 or 1930, or for wages without salaries, is not available. I regret that I am unable to give figures for the other industries mentioned.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) the total number of persons employed during the year ended 31st December, 1920, and the year ended 31st December, 1930, in the following industries: coal, cotton, iron and steel, shipbuilding, and on the railways;(2) the total number of days worked during the year ended 31st December, 1920, and the year ended 31st December, 1930, in the following industries: coal, cotton, iron and steel, shipbuilding, and on the railways?

Statistics of employment in particular industries comparable with those for 1930 are not available for 1920. The earliest complete year in respect of which such figures are available is 1924, and particulars for that year and for 1930 are given in the following table. The total number of persons who obtain employment during the year in any industry is not known. Estimates are made of the numbers of insured persons in each industry at July of each year and similar figures for other dates are not available. The estimates of the numbers in employment given below have been obtained by deducting from the estimated number of insured persons at July of each year, the average number of insured persons recorded as unemployed during the calendar year. No allowance has been made in respect of absences from work through sickness, holidays and other forms of unrecorded non-employment, or of persons directly involved in trade disputes. The estimated numbers of days worked have been obtained by multiplying the estimated average numbers of persons employed by the number of working days in the year

Industry.	1924		1930.
	Estimated average number of insured persons aged 16 to 64 years in employment.	Estimated number of days worked.	Estimated average number of insured persons aged 16 to 64 years in employment.	Estimated number of days worked.
		(Thousands).		(Thousands).
Coalmining	1,152,000	354,816	850,200	261,011
Cotton	486,500	149,842	355,600	109,169
Pig Iron (Blast Furnaces).	24,100	7,423	16,600	5,096
Steel Melting and Iron Puddling, Iron and Steel Rolling and Forging.	156,500	48,282	119,600	36,717
Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing.	169,400	52,175	137,900	42,335
Railway Service*	157,200	48,418	126,100	38,713
* Non-permanent workpeople only. Permanent workers in railway service are excepted from the scope of Unemployment Insurance.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the practice under which heads of branches notify to the Board scholastic successes which are attained by members of the established staff applies also to members of the unestablished staff in his Department; and, if not, whether he will cause it to be so applied?

In accordance with the provisions of the Departmental promotions procedure, members of the unestablished staff equally with the established staff may supply to the establishment department, through the head of the Department in which they are employed, particulars of any special official qualifications or service, and any professional

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will sanction a rebate on British shipping passing through the Suez Canal from the moneys received on the Government shares by way of dividend on the ground that a reduction in dues as advocated by this country would have automatically reduced such dividend?

I would refer the hon. Baronet to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for the Lewes Division (Rear-Admiral Beamish) on 1st April.