asked the Minister of Labour the number of men placed in improverships, after industrial training, during 1930, and the longest period any individual had been on the waiting list?

During 1930, 5,160 men from the Government training centres were placed in employment. It is not possible to state the number of these placings which can be classed as improverships. There is no "waiting list" such as was maintained under the Disabled Ex-Service Men's Training Scheme, but I may say that the majority of the men are placed in employment immediately on the completion of their course.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the new regulations which have been issued governing grants to local authorities from the Unemployment Grants Committee are based upon a reduced amount at the disposal of the committee; and, if so, the amount of reduction?

No specific sum has been placed at the disposal of this committee. The answer to the first part of the question therefore is in the negative, and the second part does not arise.

asked the Minister of Labour if he can give an estimate of the number of unemployed persons who will be placed in the transition category when the 26 weeks' rule begins to operate in the case of those then on standard benefit?

asked the Minister of Labour what is the estimated number of unemployed workers which the new condition for obtaining standard benefit will deprive of such benefit?

pursuant to his reply[OFFICIAL REPORT, 17th September, 1931, col. 999, Vol. 256], supplied the following statement:Figures obtained in respect of 14th September, 1931, show that on that date about 377,000 persons (of whom about 80,000 were women) in receipt of benefit other than transitional benefit had received 156 days benefit or more in their current benefit year. This is approximately the number that will be transferred from insurance benefit to transitional payments at the date when the 26 weeks' rule comes into operation

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can give any assurance, that the pension rights of teachers will not be affected by any cuts in salaries?

It is not proposed to make any Amendments to the provisions of the Teachers (Superannuation) Acts. Generally speaking, pensions are calculated on the average salary received during the last five years of service, and reductions of salary during that period will therefore affect the amount of pension payable.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether it is contemplated to retain and use the present negotiating machinery of the Burnham Committee; and, if so, whether he will use the same to determine the incidence of the proposed cuts in salaries, especially in areas where teachers come under the lowest scale, so as to relieve them of the full amount of the proposed cuts?

I would invite the attention if my hon. Friend to paragraph 15 of the Board's Circular 1413, of which I am sending him a copy. That paragraph reads as follows:

"The President of the Board was anxious to secure the maintenance, so far as is practicable, of the full machinery of the Burnham Committees. In addition to minor matters affecting the interpretation and application of the Government's decision, it would be open to the Committees to sub- mit for the consideration of the board alternative proposals which, while securing to the Exchequer the seine aggregate saving, would vary the relative share to be borne by individuals."

asked the Secretary for Mines what kind of haulages are used underground in mines and the total horse-power operating the various haulages; whether there are, in the view of his Department, any advantages in the use of electrical power over compressed air as motive power; and the approximate ratio of horse haulage to the total of mechanical haulage employed underground in mines in each of the inspection divisions?

Mineral is transported underground by various forms of rope haulage, by mechanical conveyors, by horse haulage, by manual labour, to a small extent by suitable locomotives, and by manifold combinations of these methods. In some circumstances, rope haulages and conveyors can be operated more economically by electricity than by compressed air, but the question whether electricity may be used is primarily and strictly governed by considerations of safety. The aggregate horse-power of electric motors in use below ground for haulage, at 30th June, 1930, was 400,818, and for conveyors and loaders 22,426. I regret I am unable to give any corresponding figures as to other forms of mechanical power, and consequently unable also to answer the last part of the question. The number of horses employed below ground was 49,243.

asked the Secretary for Mines the total number of conveyors used in each of the divisions in 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930, respectively; and whether it is his intention to secure the more general use of conveyors in all coalfields?

The information is given in the following table. There has been a steady growth in the use of conveyors which will, I believe, continue; but I have no intention, and indeed no power, to intervene in this phase of the progress of technical development.

asked the Secretary for Mines the total number of animals employed underground in all the mines of the coal-producing countries, excepting Britain, for each of the last 10 years?

I regret that this information is not available except in the case of Prussia during the years 1926 to 1929, when the number of horses employed below ground was 2,560, 2,512, 2,218 and 2,353 respectively.

asked the Home Secretary the number of factories and workshops not visited for one, two, or three years up to December, 1930?

I can give the following figures:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the office of medical referee under the Workmen's Compensation Acts for the county of Lanark, advertised by the Department two years ago, has not yet been filled?

The hon. Member is apparently referring to a vacancy advertised in 1927, which it was subsequently decided not to fill. It was considered at the time that a further appointment was not necessary; and I am advised that the present panel of referees for the county is still adequate for the work.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what were the total acreages under arable cultivation and permanent grass, respectively, on 1st June, 1929, and on 31st July, 1931?

The Ministry's information is based on returns furnished annually on 4th June. According to the returns collected on that date in 1929 and 1931, the total acreages under arable cultivation and permanent grass in these years were as follow: