asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the gross tonnage of British shipping laid up on 1st June, 1929, and on the latest date for which the figures are available?

The nearest available figures in 1929 to that asked for are 233,000 and 377,000 tons net, being the tonnage of British vessels reported to the Chamber of Shipping as laid-up in ports of Great Britain and Ireland on 1st April and 1st July, 1929, respectively; these figures roughly correspond to 375,000 and 600,000 tons gross, respectively. The latest figure available of the gross tonnage of British ships laid up in Great Britain and Ireland is 3,070,800 tons for vessels of 100 tons gross and upwards on 1st April, 1931.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity of herrings, fresh or frozen, exported from the ports of Yarmouth and Lowestoft during the fishing seasons of 1929 and 1930?

The following fable shows the total quantities of herrings, fresh or frozen, exported from the ports of Yarmouth and Lowestoft, registered during the five months August to December, 1929 and 1930.

——	August to December.
	1929.	1930.
	Cwts.	Cwts.
Exports from the Port of Yarmouth.	86,876	70,048
Lowestoft (including Southwold).	599,168	548,579

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Athens Gas Company, which normally uses Durham coal, have contracted to purchase 35,000 tons of Russian coal, and that the sellers have not only quoted a lower price than that quoted for Durham coal but have granted four months' credit without interest; and whether he will discontinue the grant to Russia of credit facilities which enable her to undersell our coal industry?

I have seen Press reports in the sense of the first part of the question, though I am advised that this is not the first time that the Athens Gas Company has bought Russian coal. The Export Credits Guarantee Scheme exists for the benefit, not of foreign importers, but of British exporters and was extended to cover transactions with Russia in order that British exporters might enjoy the same facilities for that market as for all other markets. I do not propose to withdraw these facilities nor do I think that they have any appreciable effect on Russia's ability to compete with British exporters.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware of the reduction in the pension awarded to W. Peronne, of 25, Maryland Road, Stratford, from 13s. to 9s. 9d. per week (Ref. No. 70,180 F.); and whether he will have this case investigated?

I have inquired into this case. In cases of this kind the degree of disablement is re-assessed from time to time. At the last assessment the Commissioners of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, decided that Mr. Peronne's disability could not be assessed at more than 30 per cent. of full disablement and he is consequently receiving the pension appropriate to this award under Article 1104 of the Pay Warrant. The Army medical authorities are satisfied that the assessment is fair and just.

asked the Postmaster-General if be has considered the representations from the residents of Yspytty Ystwyth, North Cardiganshire, on the need for a sub-post office in that district; and if he is able to meet their wishes in the matter?

I have considered these representations, but I regret that the circumstances do not justify the provision of a sub-post office.

asked the Postmaster-General what extra remuneration is paid to sub-postmasters for receiving the early morning mail?

Additional payment is made for such attendance, amounting in an average case to about 4d. per hour before 8 a.m. and 5d. before 6 a.m., in addition to the payment for handling the mail, which varies with the volume and character of the work.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that six boys have been appointed from the open competitions to clerical class vacancies in the money order department during 1930 and 1931, and that during this period no members of the P-class have been promoted to the clerical class in that department, although many suitable men are available; and whether the claims of these men will be met in accordance with Governmental undertakings?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. During 1930 and 1931, however, one P-class clerk in the Money Order Department was promoted to the established clerical class in another department of the Post Office; and two other officers who failed to obtain the requisite Civil Service certificates after recommendation for promotion were placed on the scale of the clerical class in an unestablished capacity. The qualifications for promotion to the clerical class of P-class clerks employed in the Post Office are reviewed from time to time, and as recently as last February a number of promotions were authorised. Unfortunately on that occasion none of the P-class clerks employed in the Money Order Department could be recommended for promotion, but their claims and qualifications will again be considered when further selections are made.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of incomes and the gross amount assessed to Income Tax in the last year for which the figures are available in the parishes comprised in the City of Bradford?

I regret that I am unable to furnish any Income Tax statistics in relation to cities or local areas.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been called to the practice in the French Colonial Empire to limit the staffs of British firms in the employment of British subjects; if he is aware that in the Crown Colonies foreign firms have the right to employ anyone of any nationality they please; and if he is prepared to make regulations whereby all foreign firms in the Crown Colonies shall be compelled to employ a fixed proportion of British subjects?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second and third parts of the question, foreign firms operating certain kinds of undertakings (e.g. oil concessions and various undertakings of a public utility character) in the British Colonies are already required in the interests of Imperial defence to employ specified minimum proportions of British subjects. Conditions of this kind are, however, only imposed in cases where they are considered desirable in the interests of public security. As regards the hon. Member's suggestion that a condition of this kind should be imposed on all foreign firms in the non-self-governing Colonies, I do not consider it to be either desirable or practicable to adopt, in this matter, a policy differing so radically from that followed in this country.

asked the Home Secretary how many persons were convicted during each of the last 10 years for driving a motor vehicle whilst under the influence of drink?

The offence mentioned has only been created a few months by the Road Traffic Act, 1930. As regards the older offence of being drunk in charge, figures for the period of two and a half years ended 31st December, 1930, have been published in Motoring Offences Returns (Returns to Addresses Nos. 110, 139 and 113). These figures include offences by drivers of motor vehicles under Section 12 of the Licensing Act, 1872, and Section 40 (1) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1925. For earlier years it is not possible to give the number of offences by drivers of motor vehicles under the former enactment.

asked the Home Secretary what contribution is made by the organisers of the tennis tournament at Wimbledon towards the added cost of traffic control and police supervision?

At Wimbledon, or elsewhere on similar occasions, traffic control and police supervision on the roads outside the ground are undertaken at the cost of the police fund as a matter of ordinary police duty. Inside the ground 64 police of various ranks are employed for supervision purposes at the cost of the organisers of the tournament.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will state the number of unemployed men, women, and juveniles in Bethnal Green at any convenient date in April, May, and June 1928, 1929, 1930, and 1931, respectively?

The following table gives the information desired.

NUMBERS of PERSONS resident in the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green on the registers of Employment Exchanges.
Date.		Men.	Women.	Juveniles.	Total.
1928.
16th April	…	1,976	278	69	2,323
14th May	…	2,048	327	58	2,433
11th June	…	2,097	421	49	2,567
1929.
15th April	…	2,308	324	72	2,704
13th May	…	2,178	388	62	2,628
17th June	…	2,215	397	46	2,658
1930.
14th April	…	3,060	561	53	3,674
12th May	…	3,104	611	64	3,779
16th June	…	3,604	625	94	4,323
1931.
13th April	…	5,011	1,457	211	6,679
11th May	…	4,787	1,423	154	6,364
15th June	…	5,517	1,214	133	6,864

asked the Minister of Labour if she will state the number of women unemployed in the textile industries on 1st May, 1931, or on the

INSURED WOMEN AND GIRLS in the Textile Industries. Classifications recorded as Unemployed in Great Britain.
——			21st May, 1928.	27th May, 1929.	26th May, 1930.	18th May, 1931
Women:
Wholly Unemployed	…	…	23,353	36,207	102,614	155,042
Temporarily Stopped	…	…	40,296	51,714	129,322	96,723
Total	…	…	63,649	87,921	231,936	251,765
Girls:
Wholly Unemployed	…	…	822	982	3,088	3,925
Temporarily Stopped	…	…	1,672	2,424	7,779	5,216
Total	…	…	2,494	3,406	10,867	9,141
Total:
Wholly Unemployed	…	…	24,175	37,189	105,702	158,967
Temporarily Stopped	…	…	41,968	54,138	137,101	101,939
Total	…	…	66,143	91,327	242,803	260,906

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he can give the House any further information regarding the situation in Burma?

Following is the statement covering the week ended 27th June:The situation generally is improving. In Tharrawaddy District four dacoit gangs have been broken up, and in Insein District one gang has been completely accounted for, its leader and his last two followers having been killed yesterday. In the Henzada District an important gang has been broken up, and the leader wounded and captured. In the Prome District about 130 surrenders have already taken place and others are expected shortly. Dacoities are still numerous in the Thayetmyo and Henzada districts.2. Attacks on Indians are decreasing in numbers and are now almost confined to Pyapon and My Aungmya Districts, but the emigration figures are still unusually large.3. The Government's Proclamation of an Amnesty was well received generally.

The following table gives the information desired.Further orders are being issued with regard to the requests to widen its scope.4. The only Government casualties reported since 10th June are one village headman killed, one Military Policeman slightly wounded, and one Public Works overseer wounded. Rebel casualty figures are still uncertain.5. The economic situation shows little change. Cultivation is progressing fairly well except in the rebel areas of Tharrawaddy and parts of the Pegu District, where intimidation is being practised against tenants who agree to work land owned by Indians.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he can state the quantities of iron and steel and manufactures thereof exported to British-India from Great Britain, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Belgium, respectively, during the five months ended 31st May in the present year; and if any preferential consideration has been extended to goods of British against those of foreign origin?

For the four months ended 30th April, 1931, the following quantities of iron (excluding ore), steel, and iron or steel were imported into India. Out of a total of 188,580 tons imported, 145,019 tons came from the following countries:

——	Iron	Steel.	Iron or Steel.	Total.
	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.
United Kingdom.	283	5,003	51,354	56,640
Sweden	132	—	513	645
Belgium	121	15,910	36,733	52,764
Germany	—	935	11,832	12,767
Luxemburg	—	8,113	—	8,113
France	—	2,337	8,322	10,659
United States of America.	—	—	1,427	1,427
Norway	—	—	887	887
Netherlands	—	—	860	860
Poland	—	—	257	257
Total	536	32,298	112,185	145,019

In the case of the balance of 43,561 tons, the names of the exporting countries are not stated. The figures for May are not yet available.As regards the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to pages 19 to 26 and 29 of the Indian Tariff, of which I am sending him a copy.