asked the President of the Board of Trade the total exports from this country to Russia and the total imports into this country from Russia during each of the three years ended 30th June, 1931?

The following table shows the total declared value of merchandise imported into and exported from the United Kingdom in the trade with the Soviet Union during the years ended 30th June, 1929, 1930 and 1931:

—	Year ended 30th June,
	1929.	1930.	1931.
	Million	Million	Million
	£	£	£
Total Imports, consigner from the Soviet Union.	24·2	27·7	35·7
Exports consigned to the Soviet Union:
Produce and Manufactures of the United Kingdom.	2·8	4·6	7·4
Imported Merchandise.	2·1	3·2	2·0

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number and net tons of the sailing and steam and motor vessels which were sold to foreign countries during 1930?

The number and net tonnage of vessels removed from the register of the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands during the year 1930, on sale to foreign subjects, were as follow:

		Vessels.	Tons net.
Sailing	…	14	8,570
Steam	…	184	325,551
Motor	…	30	7,620

asked the Minister of Transport how many route miles 6f the primary transmission system of 132,000 volt lines have been erected by the Central Electricity Board; how many are in operation; and what is the grand total for all their schemes?

I am informed that approximately 1,070 route miles of the 132,000 volt lines have been erected, and that approximately 380 route miles are in operation. For all the schemes adopted to date approximately 2,925 route miles of 132,000 volt lines are proposed.

asked the Home Secretary in which divisions of the Metropolitan Police official inquiries have already been made into recent cases of alleged irregularities; and whether it is intended to pursue the inquiries throughout all the metropolitan divisions?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on the 24th instant to a question by the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Winter-ton). If any further cases come to light in which evidence of corrupt practices is available, disciplinary action will be taken. It is neither practicable nor desirable that information should be given with regard to cases that have not yet reached that stage.

asked the Home Secretary what was the strength of the mounted branch of the Metropolitan Police Force, and the various grades, in July, 1914; what is the strength now; how many horses were attached in 1914 and now; how many were allotted to the use of superintendents and patrolling officers and how many to ordinary patrol work; what are the duties of the mounted branch; how many men and horses are attached to the reserve stables; what was the cost of the branch in July, 1914; and what is the cost now per annum?

On account of changes in organisation, it is not possible to give figures which are precisely comparable, but, approximately, the strength of the mounted branch in 1914 and at present may be stated as follows:

Strength on 5th July, 1914:
Sub-Divisional Inspector	1
Inspectors	3
Station Sergeant (Instructor)	1
Section Sergeants	7
Acting Sergeants (including one Instructor)	23
Constables (including 11 Instructors)	252
	287

(These figures do not include 52 constables who were employed part-time as grooms in connection with the mounted branch nor the Chief Inspector and the 32 sub-divisional inspectors who also gave part of their time to mounted duties.)

Strength at present:
District Inspectors, ranking as Sub-divisional Inspectors	5
Inspectors	3
Station Sergeants	5
Section Sergeants	13
Constables (including six Instructors, 14 Uniform Strappers and eight Grooms)	230
	256

On 5th July, 1914, there were 343 horses on the strength of the branch, of which 49 were ridden by four chief constables, 12 superintendents, one Chief Inspector, 32 sub-divisional inspectors, and 273 on patrol duties, the remaining 21 being attached to the reserve stables. The present strength of horses is 240, which is five less than the present authorized establishment. In addition to daily routine duties, mainly on patrol, the mounted branch is regularly employed in connection with the regulation and supervision of traffic, and is able to render particularly valuable assistance to the foot police in the handling of large crowds. The present training establishment, formerly designated the reserve stables, includes nine men and 20 horses. In reply to the last two parts of the question, the present annual cost is approximately £100,000. I regret that I cannot give corresponding figures for the pre-War cost, because the branch was not then organised as a separate establishment.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of offences of fraud under the Old Age Pensions Acts reported during 1930; and the number of prosecutions instituted and convictions obtained during the same period?

As regards the first pare of the question, I am afraid that the particulars required are not readily available, and the labour and expense of collecting them would not be justified. As regards the second part of the question, the number of prosecutions and the number of convictions in the year 1930 under the Old Age Pensions Acts, 1908–24, are 10 and 8, respectively.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the present position with regard to the intervention of the Council of the League of Nations in the dispute between China and Japan in Manchuria, and the extent to which the United States of America has been a party to the proceedings?

The appeal addressed by the Council of the League of Nations to the Chinese and Japanese Governments was described in my reply to the hon. Member for Northampton (Mr. Malone) on Thursday last. In reply, the Chinese Government expressed gratification at the action which had been taken, together with the hope that further measures would be forthcoming. They have, however, modified their original demand for the appointment of a neutral commission of investigation into a proposal that the Council should help the parties to reach an agreement as to arrangements on the spot, which would make it possible to fix an early date for the completion of the withdrawal. At two successive meetings of the Council the Japanese delegate has reported the progressive withdrawal of Japanese troops from Chinese territory. He has declared that his Government has no territorial designs on Manchuria, and that they maintain their determination, of which practical proof has been given during the last few days, to withdraw their forces within the railway zone, in so far as the safety of Japanese nationals and their property is effectively provided for. He added that all Japanese troops were now withdrawn, except for those in Mukden and Kirin, and for a small number in two other towns. The Council will consider the matter again to-day. The United States Government has been kept informed of the action of the League Council.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the draft convention for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments referred to in the reply of 4th June, 1930, has been considered, and with what result; and whether any decision has been come to with regard to entering into informal negotiations with certain other countries?

The draft provisional convention for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments, which resulted from the negotiations between the British and Belgian legal experts in January, 1930, was duly considered by His Majesty's Government. As a result it was decided that the British experts should enter into discussions with the French and German legal experts for the drafting of similar conventions with the French and German Governments. These discussions took place at Berlin and Paris respectively at the end of January and the beginning of February this year, and provisional conventions of a similar kind were drawn up. The British experts subsequently drew up a report on their discussions at Brussels, Berlin and Paris. The Lord Chancellor is appointing a committee to consider that report, and to examine the possibility of framing a Statute to provide for the conclusion with foreign Governments of conventions of this nature.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the precise reasons why the Admiralty are not proposing to purchase any supplies of home-produced creosote oil in the near future; and whether, in view of the assistance to home industry which would be given by such purchase, he will cause the matter to be reconsidered?

The Admiralty's commitments for fuel oil render it impossible to purchase any quantity of creosote oil this financial year.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many promotions of clerical officers, Treasury class, have been made to higher clerical, executive, and other posts, respectively, between 1st April, 1930, and the latest convenient date?

Between 1st April, 1930, and 25th September, 1931, the following promotions of clerical officers, Treasury class, serving in the Admiralty, were made:

To higher clerical officer	1
To junior executive officer (including two acting appointments)	5

In addition seven clerical officers previously holding acting appointments as higher clerical officers and two as junior executive officers have been confirmed in their appointments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the reason for providing an interpreter when the labour inspector at Nairobi investigates a dispute between an employer and his employés is that the labour inspector himself is not sufficiently proficient in Swahili or some other reason?

My right hon. Friend is having inquiries made of the Governor in this matter.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of persons on the unemployment register in the counties of Brecon and Radnor; the number in receipt of transitional benefit at the present time; and the estimated number of those who will have completed their standard benefit and passed the transi-

—	Brecon.	Radnor.
Number of persons on the registers at 21st September, 1931	2,161	183
Number with claims authorised for transitional benefit at 21at September, 1931.	991	37
Numbers at 14th September in receipt of benefit other than transitional benefit who had received 156 days or more in their current benefit years.	176	15

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons on the unemployed register on 6th June, 1929, and for the latest date available

Numbers of persons on the registers of the Gainsborough and Lincoln Employment Exchanges.
—	Gainsborough.		Lincoln.
	3rd June, 1929.	24th August, 1931.	3rd June, 1929.	24th August, 1931.
Men	500	1,444	1,335	4,237
Boys	11	33	34	243
Women	81	111	230	472
Girls	79	115	209	190
Total	671	1,703	1,808	5,142

asked the hon. Member for Central Leeds, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, what salaries have been fixed for the chairman and secretary of the Cathedral Commissioners; what sum it is proposed to authorise for office and staff expenses; and what is the total estimated annual expenditure on account of the work of these commissioners?

No remuneration is being paid to the chairman of the

The following table gives such information as is available. I am unable to make any estimate of the number of persons who will cease to be entitled to standard benefit in the months referred to.Persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in the counties of Brecon and Radnor:before the coming into office of the present Government, at Gainsborough and Lincoln, respectively?

The following table gives the information desired.Cathedral Commissioners: the salary of the secretary has been fixed at £500 per annum: no sum has been fixed for office and staff expenses, but no such expenses are incurred without general or special sanction of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners have not committed themselves to any estimate of total expenditure.

asked the hon. Member for Central Leeds, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, what were the nine cases of which the costs have been given; whether there are any other cases to procedure in which the consent of the examiner appointed under the Ecclesiastical Commissioners Measure, 1926, has been obtained but for which no bill of costs has yet been presented; and whether the Commissioners have incurred any other expenditure, directly or indirectly, under the Benefices (Ecclesiastical Duties) Measure, 1926?

As the Ecclesiastical Commissioners think it undesirable that they should answer questions relating to details of administration for which they are not responsible to Parliament, I am not prepared to give particulars of the nine cases; there is no other case under the Benefices (Ecclesiastical Duties) Measure outstanding. Other expenditure has been incurred in respect of the examiner's fees and the expenses of the court constituted under the above-mentioned Measure.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the Consumers' Committee, the Agricultural Marketing Facilities Committee, or the Agricultural Marketing Reorganisation Commission have yet been appointed under the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1930; and, if so, what are the names, qualifications, and salaries of the members?

No committee or commission has been appointed under the Agricultural Marketing Act.