asked the Secretary of State for India whether he will ascertain the views of the Government of India on matters relating to the iron and steel trade between Great Britain and India as a basis for discussion at the forthcoming Imperial Conference at Ottawa?

I will consult the Government of India in regard to the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of ships of upwards of 1,000 tons on the British register of shipping that are now laid up, and the total tonnage thus unemployed; what proportion are ships of less than five years of age; what proportion are cargo freight; what proportion are liner passenger tonnage; and how do these figures compare with German, French and Greek shipping?

According to information supplied by the Chamber of Shipping, 655 British vessels of 1,000 tons gross and upwards were laid up at ports in Great Britain and Ireland on 1st April, 1931, the gross tonnage of these vessels being 3,034,700 tons. These vessels included 57 vessels built, according to Lloyd's Register of Shipping, in the years 1926 to 1930 and one vessel built in 1931, their total gross tonnage being 305,300 tons or about 10 per cent. of the total tonnage of laid up vessels of 1,000 tons gross and upwards. The tonnage built prior to 1926 which was laid up on 1st April last formed about 19 per cent. of the tonnage of vessels of 1,000 tons gross and upwards registered prior to 1926 and remaining on the register on 31st December last, the corresponding figure for vessels built from 1926 onwards being 7 per cent. No information is available as to the division of the laid-up

NUMBERS on the Registers of the Borough Employment Exchange at 2nd June, 1930, and 1st June, 1931.
——			2nd June, 1930.			1st June, 1931.
			Wholly unemployed.	Temporarily stopped.	Total.	Wholly unemployed.	Temporarily stopped.	Total.
Men	…	…	6,604	44	6,648	9,723	150	9,873
Boys	…	…	131	—	131	212	—	212
Women	…	…	2,182	68	2,250	3,030	93	3,123
Girls	…	…	120	—	120	106	—	106
Total		…	9,037	112	9,149	13,071	243	13,314

asked the Minister of Labour the number of vacancies filled by the Walworth Road, Borough, Employment Exchange for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

During the 12 months ended 1st June, 1931, 14,516 vacancies were filled by the Borough Employment Exchange.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the 110,000 men employed on State-aided schemes are engaged upon road work; and the various categories of work upon which the remainder are employed?

Of the total of nearly 110,000 directly employed on 24th April on the site of schemes approved

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed persons registered at the Walworth Road, Borough, Employment Exchange either wholly or temporarily stopped as at the last convenient date, giving the comparable figures for the same period, 1930?

The following table gives the information desired:since 1st June, 1929, the number of men employed on schemes of road work assisted by the Ministry of Transport and the Unemployment Grants Committee was about 43,000. The remainder were employed on other schemes assisted by the Unemployment Grants Committee, for particulars of which I would refer the right hon. Member to the Committee's last report (Cmd. 3744), on schemes undertaken by railway companies and public utility undertakings with assistance under Part I of the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929, or on land drainage and other miscellaneous schemes.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) how many districts where there are juvenile unemployed have not been supplied with training centres;(2) how many juvenile unemployment training centres have been opened at the latest available date; and how many young persons are attending them?

The number of juvenile instruction centres and classes open on 20th May, 1931, was 158, with an average attendance of about 22,000 during the week ending on that date. In addition, evening class facilities for unemployed boys and girls were provided in 200 towns and villages during the session which ended at Easter. I cannot give an average attendance in these cases, but the number who passed through the classes was 6,600. There are many parts of the country in which the number of unemployed juveniles is not large enough to justify a separate centre. In most areas, however, in which the number of unemployed juvenile claimants for benefit is at all considerable, facilities of some kind are provided, and where this is not so I am pressing the matter upon the attention of the local authorities concerned.

asked the Minister of Labour the estimated number of insured persons aged 16 to 64 years in employment on approximately the following dates: 21st January, 21st March, and 21st May, 1931?

It is estimated that, at 18th May, 1931, there were approximately 9,380,700 insured persons in employment in Great Britain, as compared with 9,267,200 at 23rd March, 1931, and 9,128,300 at 26th January, 1931. These estimates have been obtained by deducting from the total numbers insured the numbers recorded as unemployed and those directly involved in trade disputes, together with an allowance of 3½ per cent. of the numbers insured in respect of persons absent from work through sickness and other forms of unrecorded non-employment other than holidays.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many senior officers of the shipwright branch are due for retirement, in accordance with the age clause, from 1933 onwards; and if he will consider whether it would be possible for vacancies to be anticipated by promoting a number of shipwright ratings to warrant rank during the current year in order to make the flow of promotions regular and to enable those who would otherwise become over age to avoid disqualification on this ground?

The numbers of senior officers of the shipwright branch, i.e., those at present holding the rank of shipwright lieutenant or commissioned shipwright, due to be retired on account of age during each of the years 1933–1940, inclusive, are as follow:

Year.	…	…	…	…	Number of retirements.
1933	…	…	…	…	8
1934	…	…	…	…	14
1935	…	…	…	…	8
1936	…	…	…	…	10
1937	…	…	…	…	19
1938	…	…	…	…	8
1939	…	…	…	…	4
1940	…	…	…	…	10

The question whether any promotions to warrant shipwright can be made pending absorption of the existing surplus of shipwright officers is under consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many shipwright ratings have qualified for promotion to warrant shipwright; what proportion these shipwright ratings bear to the total complement of the branch; and how many of them, although qualified, will be unable, by reason of the age clause, to obtain the benefit of their qualification when the next batch for promotions is made?

There are at present nine shipwright ratings qualified and eligible for promotion to warrant shipwright, or about 1 per cent. of the total complement of the branch. The question whether any promotions to warrant shipwright can be made, pending absorption of the existing surplus, is under consideration, and it is not possible to say how many of the qualified candidates will fail to obtain promotion by reason of the age clause.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the time served by shipwright officers as warrant and commissioned shipwrights before promotion to shipwright lieutenant compares unfavourably with that served by warrant officers in other branches of the service before receiving an equivalent step in rank; and whether he will undertake to remedy this inequality?

The time served by warrant shipwrights before promotion to commissioned shipwright is the same as that served by warrant officers in other comparable branches, namely, 10 years. The number of shipwright lieutenants is 8 per cent. of the total number of officers in the branch, i.e., it is based upon the same rule as that applicable in other comparable branches. There is no material disparity between the shipwright and such other branches as regards the time served as commissioned officer from warrant rank, and it would not be practicable under the 8 per cent. rule to so regulate promotion as to equalise the time served in that rank.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the annual report of the city analyst of the city of Birmingham with regard to the low standard of fruit content in jams sold under the descriptions of Full Fruit Standard and Lower Fruit Standard; and whether, in view of the inadequacy of the present law to deal satisfactorily with the position, he will consider the introduction of the necessary legislation to ensure that the contents of jam are adequately described on each container?

I am aware of the report to which the hon. and gallant Member refers. The description of articles of food such as jam comes within the terms of reference of the committee which, in conjunction with the Secretary of State for Scotland, I have recently appointed to investigate the question of food standards, and pending their report, I do not propose to consider the introduction of legislation on this matter.

asked the Minister of Health whether all the enumerators engaged on the last Census have now received their full fees for the work performed; and whether he has received any complaints of the difficulties experienced by many enumerators in obtaining their fees?

Accounts have not been received from all areas; but those already submitted are being examined and remittances issued with all possible expedition. Priority is being given to those types of area in which there is understood to be an urgent need of payment, and it is expected that remittances will be issued in these areas within a week. As stated in my reply of the 4th instant to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Beaumont), applications have been received from a certain number of enumerators anxious to obtain payment of the balances due; but the need for the exceptional steps taken to expedite payments on the present occasion has been fully realised irrespective of such applications.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the overcrowding of the Cambridge casual ward; and whether any immediate steps are being taken to deal with the primitive conditions obtaining there?

The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is in the affirmative, but I am glad to be able to say that the Cambridgeshire County Council have the matter in hand, and have prepared plans which will provide considerably larger and better accommodation for casuals at Cambridge.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will furnish a statement showing the additional appointments made to the factory inspectorate following upon the report of the Departmental Committee on the Factory Inspectorate?

Following the Departmental Committee's report, the Government decided to increase the general inspection staff from 180 to 243, the medical staff from five to eight, the electrical staff from five to 12 and the engineering staff from six to 10, these increases to be spread over a period of five years. Up to the present the general inspection staff has been increased by 29, the medical staff by three, the electrical staff by five and the engineering staff by three.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the importance of the September bonus to the Civil Service, the Treasury proposes to await the report of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service on this particular point before fixing what such bonus shall be?

Under existing agreements the Civil Service cost-of-living bonus, payable for the six months from 1st September, 1931, depends upon the average of the index figure as calculated by the Ministry of Labour for the preceding six months. This average cannot be determined for certain until the August figure is known about the middle of that month, and I understand that the report of the Royal Commission will be presented in July.

asked the Home Secretary how many omnibus licences were held by the London General Omnibus Company and its associated companies in 1924; how many at the last available date this year; and how many were held on the same dates by other interests?

The number of licences are as follow:

1924.
London General Omnibus Company, Limited, and Associated Companies	4,279
Other interests	1,105
On 20th May, 1931.
London General Omnibus Company, Limited, and Associated Companies	4,766
Other interests	687

asked the Home Secretary whether the provisions of the draft regulations which it is proposed to issue affecting the operation of cranes in the building and other industries are yet agreed upon; and if, in view of the dangers to life which continue whilst cranes are operated under present conditions, when it is proposed to issue orders?

I regret that on some important points these Regulations have not been agreed. Various objections have been lodged, and unless these objections are withdrawn or the draft Regulations amended to meet them, it will be necessary under the terms of the Statute to hold a public inquiry. Certain negotiations and inquiries have been proceeding which are not yet completed, but I expect to be able to come to a final decision at a very early date. I regard the matter as one of great urgency and am taking all possible steps to expedite it.

asked the Home Secretary whether any of the tickets purchased in the Irish hospitals lottery by officers of Scotland Yard acting under his instructions drew prizes in the ballot?

I have given no instructions for the purchase of tickets, but I understand that certain tickets were bought by Metropolitan Police officers in the execution of their duty, and I am informed that no ticket so purchased drew a prize.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he intends to introduce legislation to fix the periods for the opening and closing of the herring-fishery seasons for England and Wales?

The matter is receiving the attention of the Departments concerned, but I am unable to make any further statement on the subject at present.