asked the First Commissioner of Works whether his attention has been drawn to the traffic blocks which occur in Hyde Park at the Victoria Gate entrance; and what action he proposes to take in regard to this matter?

I am at present in communication with the other authorities concerned, as to whether any measures can be taken to facilitate the flow of traffic at this point.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the numerous accidents which have occurred on the Kingston by-pass road at the junction of Warren Drive with the bypass at Tolworth Rise; and whether he will take steps to ensure greater safety by erecting a beacon at the centre of the junction and instituting one-way traffic round it similar to the arrangement at the Hook-Leatherhead crossing?

My attention had not been previously drawn to the accidents occurring at this junction. Arrangements were recently made for the erection of a lamp at the junction, but I am having inquiries made in order to ascertain whether any further action could usefully be taken by the local authorities to ensure greater safety.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has considered the representation sent to him from the Rural District Councils' Association that in all future improvements and widenings to classified roads the principle should be adopted, as in many other countries, of providing a metalled track suitable for motor traffic with 8 to 10 feet of gravelled roadway on one or both sides suitable for horses and horse-drawn vehicles; and whether he is prepared to give effect to this suggestion?

I cannot trace any such representation from the Rural District Councils' Association as that to which the hon. Member refers. It is the aim of my Department to secure the provision of carriageways which will be suitable for use both by horse-drawn and mechanically-propelled vehicles, without incurring the largely increased expense of providing separate tracks.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has reached any decision and, if so, what, with regard to the restricting regulations proposed to be applied to taximeter-cab drivers in certain streets of London?

The representations which I have received regarding the proposed London Traffic (Unhired Cabs) Regulations have been referred to the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee, and I am awaiting their report before reaching any decision in the matter.

asked the Minister of Transport the reasons for the threatened suspension by the traffic commissioners of the through service between Malmesbury and Gloucester as supplied by the Grey Motors, of Minchinhampton; whether he is aware that the district councils of Tetbury, Minchinhampton, Avening, and Nailsworth are in favour of its retention; and whether he will cause this decision to be reconsidered?

The company concerned are exercising their right of appeal under the Road Traffic Act against the decision of the traffic commissioners for the area. It is my practice to hold an inquiry as soon as possible in such cases, so as to assist me in reaching a decision.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will furnish a statement of the guarantees which have been given, showing the items separately, and the amounts now outstanding under the Trades Facilities Act and under the Export Credits Scheme?

Information with regard to the guarantees given under the Trade Facilities Acts and the amount outstanding under that scheme has been published in the White Papers issued under Section 1 (5) of the Acts ending with Command Paper No. 93 of 1931. As regards Export Credits, I am informed that from the introduction of the present Export Credits Guarantee Scheme in July, 1926, up to the end of June, 1931, the Export Credits Guarantee Department had entered into contracts guaranteeing the payment of bills of exchange for a maximum of £23,166,733 on which its maximum liability was £14,474,667. The amount outstanding on 30th June, 1931, was £6,566,534, on which the Department's liability was £4,089,664. I am unable to show each item separately, as the Department is pledged not to disclose particulars of individual transactions.

asked the Prime Minister on what basis the figures of naval expenditure for 1914 in his recent statement were converted into present day currency in the case of Great Britain and France, respectively?

In the absence of any definite standard for conversion of 1914 figures into terms of present-day currency, and in order to obtain some general measure of comparison which might be applicable to the estimates of each country concerned for each sucessive post-War year, the 1914 figures were converted on the basis of the average index of wholesale prices of the respective countries for the period 1922 to 1930 inclusive.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the amount expended by the Allotment Gardens for the Unemployed Central Committee in the provision of fertilisers to the latest convenient date; the names of the firms and companies from which fertilisers have been, purchased; and the amount of business passed to each?

The amount of expenditure incurred in the purchase (including rail and delivery charges) of fertilisers, but not including lime, up to 14th July

asked the Minister of Agriculture in respect of England and Wales, the acreage under permanent grass for the first year for which he has statistics and also for each of the past 10 years; the acreage under arable cultivation for the same years; and the acreage under wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes, respectively, for the same years?

The following statement shows the acreage of permanent grass, arable land, wheat, barley, oats and potatoes in England and Wales in the under-mentioned years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture in respect of England and Wales, the total number, respectively, of horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs for the first year for which he has

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will give particulars relating to the length and cost of haulage of beet consignments in Belgium to supplement the figures given with regard to other countries in tables 41 and 42 of the report on the Sugar-Beet Industry published by the Ministry?

The following statement shows the number of horses, cattle, sheep and pigs in England and Wales in each of the under-mentioned years.

I understand that the authors of the report decided, after eon-suiting leading authorities in Belgium, that the information available as to the length and cost of haulage of beet consignments in that country would not be truly comparative for the purposes of the tables mentioned. I am, however, sending the right hon. Gentleman certain particulars in regard to railway rates in Belgium which have been obtained.