asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the danger to pedestrians on main roads beside which no footpath is provided, he will take steps which will enable him to make grants towards the construction of such footpaths along main roads similar to the grants provided in the case of the improvement and reconstruction of main roads?

I am always prepared to consider applications by highway authorities for grants from the Road Fund towards the cost of constructing footpaths on important roads, and it is the rule to require such provision, where desirable and practicable, before any scheme of improvement or new construction is approved for grant from the Road Fund.

asked the Minister of Transport whether in the scheme for the completion of the Southend arterial road provision has been made for a footpath to run beside the road; and, if not, will he, in view of the danger to pedestrians, arrange for the provision of such a footpath?

The scheme for a second carriageway along a portion of the Southend arterial road makes provision for a footway.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has considered the advisability of having official crossings for pedestrians in busy thoroughfares indicated by two parallel lines instead of a single line an order to provide a wider margin of safety for pedestrians and a clearer indication to motorists of the necessity for caution?

In connection with the introduction of light control signals in Oxford Street, double white lines have been provided across the carriageway at the junctions controlled by the signals. Careful observation will be kept on the effectiveness of this method of indicating pedestrain crossing places.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the Moscow trade union broadcasting station has resumed broadcasting propaganda of a subversive nature on a wave-length of 1,300 metres and 56 metres; and whether he will make representations to the Soviet Government in respect of this renewed breach of the undertaking given by the Soviet Government to refrain from hostile propaganda?

The hon. Member will find in the Library of the House all the talks broadcast in English from Moscow since December last in uninterrupted sequence. If he will inform my right hon. Friend of anything in them which he regards as breaches of the propaganda pledges exchanged in December, 1929, the matter will be examined.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the Government will consider proposing at the World Disarmament Conference that the provisions of the peace treaties for the direct limitation of German armaments should, within a limited period, he replaced by a total budgetary limitation?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on the 3rd June in reply to a similar question.

asked the Lord Privy Seal, whether he has now any further schemes to propose with regard to unemployment?

Yes, Sir. Notice has just been given of a Measure to stimulate employment in the building and allied industries by the development of housing construction in rural areas.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will state the total number of cotton textile operatives employed directly on schemes initiated by the present Government for the relief of unemployment at the last convenient date?

As stated in reply to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Remer) on the 30th April, I regret that the information desired by the hon. and gallant Member is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she can state what is the average percentage increase in the rents, and in the rents and rates together, of urban working-class dwellings in London and the provinces, respectively?

The average increase in controlled and decontrolled working-class rents and rates together, as compared with 1914, is estimated at 50 per cent. for London and 55 per cent. for the provinces. The average increase in controlled rents, exclusive of rates, is nearly 40 per cent., the maximum ordinarily permitted under the Rent Restriction Acts, both for London and the provinces; corresponding figures for rents, exclusive of rates, are not available for decontrolled houses. The figures given do not cover post-War houses. I should add that, though the average is as stated, there are wide differences in individual cases in the increases applying to decontrolled houses.

asked the President of the Board of Education if his attention has been directed to the advertisements for uncertificated teachers now being issued on behalf of the education committees of Essex, Dorset, Herts County Council, Leicestershire County Council, and Holland (Lines); and whether he will consider the advisability of using his influence with these authorities to persuade them against the engagement of uncerficated teachers?

The employment of uncertificated teachers is allowed by the code, and I am not therefore in a position to press individual authorities to cease appointing them unless there are special circumstances present in their case.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will state the composition of the Committee that has recently been set up to consider the question of cultural and educational films; to what extent the Government is represented thereon; and the terms of reference?

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the unofficial Commission on Educational and Cultural Films, which was set up as a result of a conference of various societies and institutions held in November, 1929. I am sending the hon. Member a statement supplied me by the Commission, showing its present membership (including officers of Government Departments) and its terms of reference.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he will inquire of the Government of India the reasons why they have refused to adopt the suggestion of using tear gas for the dispersal of crowds; and whether they will reconsider their decision?

No, Sir. The suggestion was very carefully considered by His Majesty's Government, who rejected it.

asked the Secretary of State for India how many outrages, involving loss of life, injury to life, or damage to property, have taken place during the present year which are attributed to the so-called Red Shirt Army?

The answer to a question by the hon. Member in identical terms was given on 29th June.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether his attention has been called to the dilapidated state of the interior of the Clock Tower; whether he will state the date when the interior of the tower was last cleaned and painted; and whether he will have this matter attended to?

I have received no complaints in regard to the internal decoration of the Clock Tower. The staircase within the tower was last painted in 1926; the walls of the clock face room are lime-washed periodically: the underside of the cast-iron plates of the roof were painted over 20 years ago, but, as this paint is not necessary for their preservation, it has been decided not to repaint them. The other painted surfaces in the tower above the bell floor are due for repainting next year.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the pay of telephone attendants in His Majesty's dockyards is 10s. less than that of skilled labourers; and whether, in view of the duties these men have to perform, he can raise their wages at least to the level of skilled labourers?

The pay of telephone attendants is from 47s. to 51s. a week, and the normal rates for skilled labourers range from 48s. to 51s. a week. Rates in excess of 51s. a week up to a maximum of 58s. a week are available, on a percentage basis, only for skilled labourers employed on the more important duties.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that commissioned shipwrights serve nearly 11 years in that rank before receiving promotion to shipwright-lieutenants, whereas other comparable ranks are promoted to lieutenant or lieutenant-engineer after seven or eight and two-third years; and whether, to mitigate this material disparity, he will consider the promotion of a shipwright-lieutenant to be borne additional, irrespective of the percentage allowance, until such time as promotion to shipwright-lieutenant will be comparable with other branches as regards time served as commissioned officer from warrant rank?

The whole question of promotion in the shipwright branch is at present receiving consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of the administrative action taken by the Government following upon the inquiry into the cotton trade?

I would refer to the replies given on the 30th June to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Remer).

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make representations to expedite the bankruptcy proceedings of Sir Arthur Wheeler and the liquidation of the assets?

The hon. Member may rest assured that everything possible is being done to expedite the bankruptcy proceedings and the administration of the estate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the total tonnage of merchant shipping under construction during the first quarter of 1929 and 1931, respectively, in British shipyards and the shipyards of all other countries, taking the most suitable date in each quarter for purposes of comparison; and if he can state the reason or reasons for the apparent falling on from the 1927 figures in the tonnage laid down during the first quarter of 1931 in British shipyards in comparison to the smaller falling off in foreign shipyards?

According to returns published by Lloyd's Register of Shipping, the tonnage of merchant vessels of 100 tons gross and upwards under construction in Great Britain and Ireland on 31st March, 1929 and 1931, was 1,357,000 and 694,000 tons gross, respectively; for the rest of the world the corresponding figures are 1,480,000 and 1,306,000 tons gross, respectively. I am afraid that it would be impossible within the scope of this answer to deal at all adequately with the latter part of the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is now in a position to say whether the export credits advisory committee is prepared to guarantee any loans for shipbuilding orders to Russia or to any other country;(2) whether he can state the terms of credits offered under the export credits scheme for heavy engineering orders placed with British firms by continental buyers; and whether the Government is prepared to re-examine its terms with a view to securing more orders?

I should be obliged if my hon. Friend would be so good as to repeat these questions to-day week.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state when the next census of production will be taken and at what date the figures are likely to be available?

A census of production is being taken at the present time in respect of production in Great Britain in 1930, and it is hoped to begin publishing the preliminary results in about six months' time.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will state the circumstances under which it has been found necessary to reappoint to his Department a non-service medical officer formerly retired from his Department on grounds of age; and whether, in the matter of the appointment to which the non-service medical officer has been reappointed, full consideration was given to the claims of ex-service medical officers for such appointment?

The hon. and gallant Member would appear to have been misinformed. No non-service medical officer has been reappointed by me to the medical service of my Department.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has now considered the representations made to him with regard to the importation of carton meat into this country; and whether he has satisfied himself that all precautions are taken to prevent spotted fever and other bacterial infections being brought into this country in this food?

I still have these representations under consideration in consultation with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland. As regards the second part of the question, the safeguarding of the public against infection is one of the matters which is being considered.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the recent disclosures, he proposes specially to investigate the purity of Russian, food, fresh and cold storage, before it is allowed to enter for sale for consumption in this country?

All articles of food are subject to examination on arrival in this country under the Imported Food and Preservatives Regulations. On the information at present before me I do not consider that any special investigation of imports from Russia is necessary.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the policy of his Department with regard to the suggested pooling of all surpluses of the funds of the approved societies?

I am not at present in a position to make a statement on the subject.

asked the Minister of Health if he is prepared to bring in an amending Bill to make provision for pensions for all widows, as promised before the last election?

I fear that no legislation of the kind indicated can be contemplated at present.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he can give an estimate to date of the cost incurred by the commissions and committees of inquiry set up by the present Government?

The expenditure to date of Royal Commissions appointed by the present Government, whose expenses are borne on the Treasury Vote for Royal Commissions, etc., is approximately £23,000. The cost of departmental committees is, in general, borne upon the Votes of the Departments concerned, and I would suggest that if the hon. Member has any particular committee in mind he should address an inquiry to the Minister concerned.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he can state the total number of commissions and committees of inquiry set up by the present Government?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the list given in the OFFICIAL REPORT for the 30th April last, in answer to a question put by the hon. Member for Fareham (Sir T. Inskip). Since that date, two additions have been made to the list.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) if he will state the number of inspectors in his Department whose whole-time duties are to examine the imports of plants, shrubs, or trees from foreign sources, and the ports at which they are stationed;(2) if there are any ports where foreign plants, shrubs, and trees enter this country at which there is no whole-time inspector?

None of the Ministry's inspectors is wholly employed on the inspection of imported plants, trees and shrubs. All the Ministry's staff of horticultural inspectors, numbering 30, are available for this duty and give to it such time as may be required. The second question does not arise on the facts I have stated, but I may say that inspectors are stationed at or near all the principal ports of entry for such produce.