asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed persons in the Ayr district of burghs on 30th May, 1929, and 31st August, 1931, respectively?

The number of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in the Parliamentary Division of Ayr Burghs was 6,294 on 27th May, 1929, and 14,933 on 31st August, 1931.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of persons registered as unemployed at the Borough Employment Exchange at the latest convenient date; and will he give separate figures for male adults, male juniors, female adults, and female juniors, with the number in each of these four classes who are in receipt of benefit?

On 14th September, 1931, there were on the register of the Borough Employment Exchange 9,929 men, 226 boys, 3,368 women and 200 girls. The corresponding numbers with claims to benefit, admitted or under consideration were 9,472, 50, 3,101 and 17 respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour whether it is proposed that, in assessing the income of unemployed persons on transitional benefit, pensions received for the loss of sons in the War shall be taken into account and, deducted from the benefit?

A.—Number of Persons on the Registers at 14th September, 1931.
Employment Exchange.				Men.	Boys.	Women.	Girls.	Total.
Wakefield	…	…	…	5,029	222	1,502	231	6,984
Rothwell	…	…	…	1,227	55	178	23	1,483

B.—Number of Men and Women on the Registers at 24th August, 1931, with Claims authorised for Transitional Payments.
Employment Exchange.					Men.	Women.	Total.
Wakefield	…	…	…	…	814	117	931
Rothwell	…	…	…	…	263	15	278

In regard to the latter part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to a reply which I gave to a similar question by the hon. Member for Lincoln (Mr. B. A. Taylor) on the 15th instant.

The assessments of the amount of transitional payment to be paid to an applicant will be made by the public assistance committees, who will take into account such income as they would take into account in the case of an unemployed able-bodied person who applies to them for assistance.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons (men, women, boys, and girls) registered as unemployed within the area of the Employment Exchanges at Wakefield, Horbury, and Rothwell at the latest possible date, and the number who are at present in receipt of transitional unemployment benefit in the same areas who will be referred to the public assistance committees for the calculation of their rate of benefit; and whether the earnings of other members of the family and any other income into the household will be taken into account by the public assistance committees when deciding the amount of need of the unemployed persons?

There is no Employment Exchange at Horbury, and persons in that area probably register at Wakefield. The following tables give the information desired in respect of Wake field and Rothwell.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give particulars with regard to the circular which he has issued to managers of Employment Exchanges dealing with inquiries into income to be made in cases of claims made by insured women; what procedure is to be adopted for such inquiries; and under what authority such inquiries are being made?

I know of no such circular. Perhaps the hon. Member will let me know what her information is.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the increase in the number of registered unemployed persons in Lancashire between 10th May, 1929, and 22nd August, 1931?

Between 13th May, 1929, and 17th August, 1931, the nearest date for which figures are available, the numbers of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Lancashire increased by 343,259, from 216,044 to 559,303.

asked the Secretary of State for War why a number of boys now in the Duke of York's School are being sent back to their homes; how many of these children are orphans; what is the total number of boys in the school; and how many are orphans?

No boys at present at the Duke of York's Royal Military School are being discharged unless they have completed their normal period of training at the school. The present establishment of boys at the school is 480. Of this number at the present time 19 have neither fathers nor mothers, 218 are fatherless and 83 are motherless.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now consider the desirability of publishing the report of the inquiry into the iron and steel trades?

I have not had an opportunity of acquanting myself with my right hon. Friend's views on this matter.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he will recommend the Travel Association to let it be known to the public generally and, in particular, among various university and school authorities, that one of the means by which to reduce the strain on the pound sterling is to discontinue, at least temporarily, the practice of spending money upon winter sports on the Continent; and that it is desirable that money spent on holidays should be spent, as far as possible, in this country?

It is the function of the Travel Association to make known abroad the advantages of visiting this country. The desirability temporarily of discontinuing visits to the Continent has been dealt with by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his recent broadcast talk, which was widely reproduced in the Press.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the taxation per head in this country in a full year under present taxation proposals as compared with the latest available figures for France, Germany, Italy and the United States?

The taxation per head in this country in a full year under the proposals in the Finance Bill will be £16 7s. 1d. The latest available figures for the other countries named are as follow:

	Taxation per head.	= £ at par.
		£	s.	d.
France	1243 francs	10	0	2
Germany	143·45 Reichsmarks	7	0	5
Italy	414 lire	4	9	6
U.S.A.	$28·76	5	18	0

In the case of Germany and the United States of America the figures refer only to Federal taxes, and local taxation is excluded in all cases. For this and other reasons, the figures are not strictly comparable.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of wage-earners employed at the Harton, St. Hilda and Westoe, Boldon and Whitburn pits, respectively, of the Harton Coal Company, South Shields, for each week of the last 12 months for which figures are available?

I am sending the hon. Member the information desired, which involves a very long tabular statement.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of wage-earners employed at the Harton, St. Hilda and Westoe, Boldon and Whitburn pits, respectively, of the Harton Coal Company, South Shields, on the dates in 1919, 1920, 1921, and 1922 which correspond to 12th September, 1931?

The only information available for these years relates to the number of persons ordinarily employed during the year and is as follows:

Name of Pit.	1919.	1920.	1921.	1922.
Harton	3,321	3,315	3,406	2,957
St. Hilda and Westoe.	2,909	3,095	3,033	2,727
Boldon	2,820	2,992	2,929	3,163
Whitburn	3,213	3,360	3,497	3,565

These figures are not strictly comparable with those given to the hon. Member on 16th September for the years 1923 to 1931, as they include clerks and salaried persons and do not relate to a specific date.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number and ages of the lower-deck ratings who appeared before the selections boards for the commissioned rank of mate at Portsmouth, Devonport, and Chatham, and on foreign stations in August last?

Twelve candidates appeared before the recent Fleet selection boards for consideration for promotion to the rank of mate. Their ages were approximately as follow:

1 aged 21.	1 aged 23.
2 aged 21½.	2 aged 23½.
2 aged 22.	1 aged 24½.
3 aged 22½.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when an announcement on the report of the committee on the systems of cadet entry into the Navy will be made?

The consideration of the committee's proposals has not yet reached a stage at which I can take a decision, and I am sorry that I cannot say when I shall be able to make an announcement.

asked the Home Secretary whether any further disciplinary action is being taken in connection with bookmakers and police; whether the C Division was the only division found to be concerned in taking money; whether any inquiry has been held into similar practices in any other division; if so, what has been the result; and whether he and the Commissioner are satisfied that the practice has now ceased?

Three isolated cases have occurred in other divisions. In two oases the men concerned have been dismissed; in the other case inquiries are still proceeding. The matter is still engaging the Commissioner's attention, and should any further cases come to light the necessary action will, of course, be taken.

asked the Home Secretary the number of official posts in each grade, from chief constable to commissioner, inclusive, in the Metropolitan Police Force, and the salaries attached thereto, at the present time and at the corresponding period in 1914, 1920, and 1928; how many in each grade have risen from the ranks of the police; and how many in each grade are attached to the Criminal Investigation Department, the uniform branch, and the mounted branch, respectively, in each of the years mentioned?

—	Commissioner.		Assistant Commissioners.		Deputy Assistant Commissioners.		Chief Constables.
	Post.	Salary.	Posts.	Salaries.	Posts.	Salaries.	Posts.	Salaries.
September, 1914—
Uniform Branch	1	£2,500	3	£1,200	—	—	4	£600–800
C.I.D.			1				1	£750–850
September, 1920—
Uniform Branch	1	£,3000 + special bonus £500.	2	3 at £1,200 1 Director of Intelligence at £2,000 (all receive bonus in addition).	—	—	4	£800-£1,000
C.I.D.			2		1	£800-£1,000.	—
Mounted Branch			—		1		—
			(1 from the ranks)				(2 from the ranks)
September, 1928—
Uniform Branch	1		3	1 (Deputy Commissioner) at £1,800 and 3 at £1,500.	—	£1,000-£1,200.	4
C.I.D.		£3,000	1		2		1
Mounted Branch			—		1		—
							(3 from the ranks)
September, 1931—				1 (Deputy Commissioner) at £1,800 and 3 at £1,500.
Uniform Branch	1		3		—		6
C.I.D.			1		2		1
Mounted Branch			—		1		—
							(5 from the ranks)

The particulars for which the hon. Member asks are given in the following table.