asked the Prime Minister if the Government will be willing to add to the reduction in the cut of teachers' salaries to not more than 10 per cent. the further concessions of modification of the date of operation of the cut, so as to give those concerned the opportunity to make arrangements to meet it, payment by two or more instal- ments where desired, recognition of pensions to be undisturbed by the cut, and give assurances that the duration of the cut shall not exceed the duration of the emergency which calls for special measures?

As regards the first and second parts of the question, the Government cannot undertake to make any further concessions which would involve an increased charge on the Exchequer. As regards the third part of the question, the position will be reviewed as and when the financial position of the country permits.

asked the President of the Board of Education what was the average salary received by teachers in secondary schools in 1930?

On 31st March, 1930, the average rates of salary for all teachers in grant-aided secondary schools were: men, £424; women, £322; men and women, £373.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the. Government are taking, or intend to take, any steps to prevent the dumping of foreign produce into this country caused by the expectation of the imposition of duties at an early date?

It is the plain duty of every British citizen at the present time to give all the help he can to British industry by buying British goods. Anyone who imports foreign goods unnecessarily is rendering a real disservice to his country; and the Government are confident that both individual buyers and traders will recognise this common obligation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the annual amounts paid in dividends by breweries in Great Britain for the years 1913 to 1930, respectively?

There is no official information on this subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total retained imports received in Great Britain front the chief exporting countries in the current year up to the last convenient date, and the total retained exports from Great Britain to each of those countries, respectively, in the same period?

The total declared value of merchandise imported into and exported from the United Kingdom in the trade with individual countries during the first six months of the current year is given on pages 199 to 207 of the issue of the monthly "Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom" for July, 1931. Particulars of the retained imports of merchandise consigned from individual countries are prepared in respect of calendar years only and given in Volume I of the Annual Statement of Trade. No information is available to show the extent to which exports from Great Britain in 1931 to other countries have been retained by those countries, i.e., not re-exported.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present total value of British capital in every form of foreign investment; and the approximate total amount of interest per annum received by British investors?

According to an estimate made by Sir Robert Kindersley, the results of which are stated in an article in the "Economic Journal" for September, 1931, the total nominal amount of British capital invested abroad (i.e., in British and foreign countries) in 1929 was about £3,738,000,000, and the income derived therefrom in that year was estimated at £231,000,000.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can give an estimate of the average weekly cost to the State of a seaman?

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement of average cost of men of the Navy which is set out in paragraph 99 of the report of the Committee on National Expenditure (Command 3920).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the depredations of foreign trawlers in the Moray Firth continue unabated; and whether he proposes to take action to deal with this question?

As regards the first part of the question, I am aware that a considerable number of foreign trawlers have worked in the Moray Firth during the present year, although none have been observed in recent months. As regards the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to-day to a similar question by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ross and Cromarty (Mr. Macpherson).

asked the Minister of Labour the reason why a stoppage of work on the Aberfoyle Road, Perthshire, which lasted only from 7th to 11th August, was declared by his Department to be a dispute extending to 22nd August; and will he inquire into the matter, with the object of fixing the date of the termination of the dispute to coincide with the date on which work was resumed on the road?

As I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 15th September, the date when the stoppage ended was determined by the statutory authorities, with whose decision I have no power to interfere.

asked the Secretary of State for India the effect of the transition of Indian currency from silver to gold; in what way the stocks of silver were disposed of and the rate per ounce at which it was sold; and by what other nations it was bought.

When the Indian Mints were closed to the free coinage of silver in 1893, the effect was to divorce the exchange value of the Indian rupee from the value of its silver content, and for many years before the War its exchange value was kept stable on a basis of 1s. 4d. During the latter part of the War and subsequent years the exchange value of the rupee became unstable, and when stabilisation was again effected by Act of the Indian Legislature in 1927, it was on a basis of 1s. 6d. The silver that has been sold in recent years has been disposed of in various ways which it would not be in the public interest to disclose, and the price per ounce has varied in relation to market fluctuations from time to time. As the silver has been in the main disposed of commercially, it is not possible to say what its ultimate destination has been.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the sum or sums paid by the Government to, and accepted by, Mr. T. B. Barrett as compensation for his wrongful conviction at Accra?

The sum of £10,000 has been paid by the Government of the Gold Coast to Mr. Barrett, who has accepted it as a final settlement of his case.

asked the hon. Member for Central Leeds, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the number of cases dealt with under the Benefices (Ecclesiastical Duties) Measure in connection with which application has been made to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners by Bishops for costs; whether costs were allowed in every case; and the amount in each case?

Since the passing of the Benefices (Ecclesiastical Duties) Measure, 1926, nine proposals by Bishops to take proceedings thereunder have been submitted to the Examiner appointed by the Archbishops under the Ecclesiastical Commissioners Measure, 1926, and in each case the course proposed to be taken by the Bishop has been approved by that official. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are required by measure to pay out of their common fund the costs and expenses incurred by a Bishop in relation to any such approved proceedings. The following amounts have been paid accordingly in respect of the above-mentioned nine cases:

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he can give an estimate of the average weekly cost to the State of a private soldier?

The cost of a private soldier varies with the Arm and other conditions of service, but the average cost of emoluments per caput for soldiers below the rank of officer is given on page 38 of the Report of the Committee on National Expenditure, Cmd. 3920.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that many coal dealers are finding difficulty in supplying the coal the public want; and whether, in the interests of trade, he will take action to remove the existing difficulty of supply?

Although isolated cases of temporary shortage of particular classes of coal have been brought to my notice, my information is that coal dealers generally are finding no difficulty in meeting their customers' demands.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he proposes to take any steps towards obtaining restriction or prohibition of the importing of foreign potatoes during the forthcoming winter in view of the present position of British potato growers?

It is not proposed to take any such steps as are suggested by my hon. Friend.