asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether under the Arms Traffic Convention or any other international instrument, steps are being taken to prevent the importation of arms into Manchuria?

The Arms Traffic Convention is not yet in force, and there is no other international agreement whereby the importation of arms into Manchuria.could be regulated. It is, however, the practice of His Majesty's Government to refuse licences for the export of arms to China, unless the transaction has the approval of the Chinese Government.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is proposed to make any statement upon the work accomplished by the British delegation to the League of Nations Assembly this year, including references to the situation in Manchuria; and what steps have been taken to protect British persons and property there?

In accordance with precedent, my Noble Friend proposes to issue a White Paper in due course dealing with the work of the Assembly, in which mention will be made of the discussions on the Manchurian situation. As regards the last part of the question, no special steps have been found necessary in the interests of British nationals or property in Manchuria, but the position is being carefully watched.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air (1) what subsidy was actually earned by Imperial Airways, Limited, during the financial years

asked the Minister of Transport if he has considered the complaints from the urban councils of Crayford, Dartford and Bexley against the excessive speed of motor coaches when passing crowded shopping areas; if he is aware that in order to work to the motor combine schedules the drivers must break the law; and if he will recommend that the owners should be prosecuted instead of cancelling a driver's licence, which is virtually his living?

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the reply which I caused to be sent to representations made by the urban district council of Bexley, but am unable to trace the receipt of any recent communication on this subject from the other two councils. The Road Traffic Act, 1930, requires that the traffic

The following table gives the information required:commissioners shall not grant a road service licence in respect of any route if it appears to them from the particulars of the time tables which the applicants are required to furnish that the provisions of the Act relating to the speed of motor vehicles are likely to be contravened. The commissioners have not yet dealt with all the applications for road service licences which have been made to them and, therefore, only a proportion of the road services have at present been brought under their review. The enforcement of the statutory speed limits is a matter for the police, and I have no doubt that both they and the magistrates are fully aware of the provisions of the Road Traffic Act which deal with persons who aid, abet, procure or incite any person to exceed any statutory limit of speed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total acreage of land in Great Britain; the total acreage used for roads, houses, woods, and waste; the total acreage of arable land; the total acreage of permanent pasture; the

asked the Minister of Agriculture the percentage of farming land used as grass in England, France, and Germany, respectively; the quantity of bread or grain produced per head of population in England, France, and Germany; and the percentage of population occupied in growing food in England, France, and Germany?

It has not been possible, in the short time available, to prepared the required information for circulation in the OFFICIAL REPORT. A statement will, however, be sent to the hon. Member.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that an undertaking existed whereby two years' notice was to be given before any withdrawal of the light-horse breeding subsidy; and whether, in view of the serious effect of the total withdrawal of this subsidy on the light-horse breeding industry and the hardship inflicted thereby on the breeders, farmers

The information desired is given as far as possible in the following statement:and organisations concerned, who, on the faith of the undertaking given, have purchased stallions and mares, he will consider making a temporarily reduced grant instead of withdrawing it entirely?

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if, in view of the depressed state of British agriculture and the need for fostering all branches of the national industry, he will reconsider the discontinuance of the grant for assisting the War Office light-horse breeding scheme?

The Secretary of State hopes shortly to have the pleasure of discussing the whole question with representatives of the interests concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what sum has been expended or is estimated will be expended in Scotland for the season of 1931 in providing allotments for the unemployed and in assisting with the purchase of seeds and tools for such allotment holders?

To meet the applications received, it is estimated that the total expenditure of the Department of Agriculture for Scotland under the scheme for 1931, will be approximately £630. To the extent of about £530, this expenditure is for the supply of seeds and tools, half the cost of which is, under the scheme, recoverable from the allotment holders concerned.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of men and women who will be affected in Wales by the proposed cuts and amendments in unemployment benefits and contributions, the amounts involved in cash, and the numbers concerned for each classification available and for each charge proposed; and the same details for the counties of Brecon and Radnor separately?

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons at present receiving unemployment benefit

asked the Minister of Labour the number, respectively, of men, women, young women, boys, and girls registered as unemployed at Erith, Dartford, Gravesend, and Woolwich Employment Exchanges; and the proportion at the last two Exchanges which register from homes in Swanscombe, Greenhithe, Bexley Heath, and Welling, respectively?

The following statement gives the information for which the hon. Member asks.

Such information as is available is being prepared, and will be sent to the hon. Member as soon as completed.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons registered at the Employment Exchanges of Maesteg, Pontycymmer, Ogmore Vale and Bridgend at the latest available date, and the number who will be transferred to the public assistance committees for calculation of benefit when the new proposals come into operations?

The following table gives the information desired:in the Blaydon, Dunston and Tanfield districts, and the number on transitional benefit?

At 21st September, 1931, there were 3,737 persons on the registers of the Blaydon Employment Exchange with claims to benefit admitted or under consideration, of whom 895 had claims authorised for transitional benefit. The corresponding figures for Dunston were 1,124 and 424 respectively. Separate figures are not available in respect of Tanfield.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can give an undertaking that, when contracts for fuel oil are being considered for the future requirements of His Majesty's Navy, a definite proportion of creosote oil will be purchased with a view to assisting home industry in this connection?

While it is not practicable to give the undertaking suggested, my hon. Friend may rest assured that when future requirements of fuel oil are in question full consideration will be given to the possibility of including some creosote oil.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any grant has been made or sanctioned by the Unemployment Grants Committee in respect of the Galloway water-power scheme; and, if so, to whom the grant has been made or sanctioned, to what amount, and for what purpose?

On the recommendation of the Development (Public Utility) Advisory Committee a grant of interest to the Galloway Water-Power Company under Part I of the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929, in respect of the carrying out of the hydroelectric scheme authorised by the Galloway Water Power Act, 1929, was authorised in August last. The grant which is payable over a period of 10 years has a present value of approximately 19 per cent. of the total cost of the scheme, which is estimated to amount to £2,444,000.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Mary Casson, 49, Sherwood Street, Wolverhampton, who died from meningitis following a fall at school, alleged to be due to her being pushed by her drill instructress; and whether he will cause compensation to be given to the parents of the child?

My attention has not been drawn to this case, but I am making inquiries and will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Board of Education what are the deficiency grants per child in attendance at elementary schools in the following county boroughs: Hastings, Eastbourne, Southport and Bournemouth?

On the basis of pre-audit returns of local education authorities' expenditure for 1930–31, the deficiency grants for that year are estimated as follow:

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the number of firms which have so far decided to participate in the textile section of the British Industries Fair, 1932; the number of those exhibiting in 1931 who have not hitherto expressed their intention to do so in 1932; and what steps are contemplated to make this section more representative of the industry?

The total number of firms who participated in the cottontextile section of the British Industries Fair, 1931, at the White City was 116. There were 69 further firms in the textile and clothing section at Olympia; of these firms 79 at the White City and 50 at Olympia have not yet applied for space for the coming fair. Allotments of space have been made to 119 representative textile exhibitors, of whom 63 are new exhibitors. In view of the fact that only some 10 per cent. of the total available space at the White City is still unlet, and of the high standing of the firms who have taken space, I do not feel that any special steps are necessary.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the number of men's and boys' suits, respectively, exported from this country each month for the past two years ended August, 1931;

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether

Particulars relating to the imports and exports of men's and boys' suits are not separately recorded in the trade returns of the United Kingdom, but the following statement shows the total declared value of the undermentioned descriptions of men's and boys' outer garments (not hosiery) imported into and exported from the United Kingdom, registered during each month from September, 1929, to August, 1931, inclusive. The number of these garments imported and exported is not recorded.he can give for a recent year the percentage of British shipping to the whole in the carriage of the trade between Great

Of the net tonnage of vessels that entered and cleared with cargo to or from ports in the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland) in the trade with the rest of the British Empire, exclusive of the Irish Free State, during the year 1930, 92.8 per cent. was British. Similar information regarding the trade between the rest of the Empire, exclusive of Ireland, and foreign countries is not available.

asked the Home Secretary the total number of policemen in Wales and in the counties of Brecon and Radnor, separately, that will be Affected by the proposed cuts in salaries and wages; what is the total amount of their annual salaries at existing rates; and the amount that will be payable under the new conditions?

I have not thought it necessary to trouble all the police authorities concerned to furnish precise figures, but I can give figures which are approximately correct. They are as follow:

asked the President of the Board of Trade the weight of iron and steel manufactures (other than pig-iron and ferro-alloys) and of machinery imported into and exported from the United Kingdom from and to Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands combined for 1913 and 1930?

The following table shows the total weight of the undermentioned commodities imported into and exported from the United Kingdom and consigned from and to Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands during 1913 and 1930.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will furnish a return of the number of claims for re- payment of Income Tax and repaid by the Income Tax authorities, and the amount repaid, in the financial year 5th April, 1930–31-; if he is aware that from the receipt of dividends until some of these repayments are made a period of 15 months may elapse; and will he consider the advisability of arranging that claims for repayment can be made twice in the year?

In the year ended 31st March, 1931, repayments of Income Tax amounting to £48,502,037 were made on approximately 1,750,000 claims for repayment. Every effort is made to deal quickly with repayment claims and, as explained on the form of repayment, it is the practice of the Department to make interim repayments during the year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount paid in direct taxation by single persons and married couples with three children, respectively, upon incomes of £250, £500, and £1,500, in Great Britain, France, Ger-

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is satisfied that Death Duties are now paid upon estates whose owners have registered them as being owned by estate companies; and, if not, whether he is taking steps to stop this evasion of Death Duties?

As the hon. Member is aware, legislation designed to check avoidance of Death Duties by the method to which he refers, was introduced in the Finance Act, 1930. The effect of that

As regards Great Britain, the hon. Member will find the Income Tax payable in the tables recently issued in a White Paper—Command Paper 3954. I regret that I cannot furnish similar information in the case of the other countries mentioned.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the incidence of taxation under the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1931, under the heading of Income Tax, Surtax, and provision against Death Duties by insurance separately on incomes of £3,000, £5,000, £10,000, £20,000, and £50,000 per annum?

The figures for incomes of £3,000 and £20,000, respectively, are shown in the following table. As regards the other incomes mentioned, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for the Blackley Division (Mr. P. Oliver) on 14th September.legislation is being carefully watched, and if an extension of those provisions is found to be necessary, there will be no hesitation in asking Parliament to deal with the matter.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the total taxation per head, estimated or actual, for food, drink, and tobacco in the United Kingdom, France, the United States of America, and Germany?

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the downgrading of ex-service men about to take place in the Enemy Debts Clearing Office, which will result in reductions of pay varying from 16s. 8d. to 9s. 6d., he will consider the possibility of setting up a departmental class, as was recently set up in the Ministry of Pensions, to deal with this problem?

The staff changes now taking place in the Clearing Office (Enemy Debts) are not downgradings within the office, but actual reductions of staff who have become redundant. Every effort is being made to provide suitable work in other Departments for the men whose services in the Clearing Office are no longer necessary. The cases now under consideration, in which the alternative employment may be in a grade lower than that at present occupied, are very few in number, and, as at present advised, I do not consider that any special measures are necessary.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the fall in value of the pound sterling, it is his intention to increase foreign parcel-post charges; and, if not, whether the resulting loss will be borne by his Department?

Great Britain is at present a creditor country on the balance of the International parcel post accounts which, for the most part, are settled on a gold basis. The fall in the

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the present rate of interest on advances made by the Public Works Loans Board to local authorities for the purposes of homing, and on what date the last alteration in the rate of interest was made?

The present rate is 4¾ per cent., which came into operation on 1st September, 1931.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the comparative figures for beer and wine consumption in the United Kingdom in 1913, allowing for the Irish Free State, and for the latest year available, stating how much was British, foreign, and overseas Empire production?

The figures as far as they are available are as follow:exchange value of sterling does not therefore entail any loss, and I do not contemplate making any immediate increase in foreign parcel post charges.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the total annual charge to be met for interest, sinking fund, and upkeep in connection with the Zambesi bridge; and whether that charge is to be met by this country, by Nyasaland, or out of the charges for freight and passenger traffic?

The full amount of interest and sinking fund payable by Nyasaland Railways Limited on the bonds held by the Nyasaland Government in respect of the Zambesi bridge and southern approach is estimated at £103,865 per annum, this total being reached in 1939. The upkeep of the bridge is estimated at £3,000 per annum. All these charges are to be met by the company out of its receipts. The interest and sinking fund thus received by the Nyasaland Government will be applied to the service of the guaranteed loan to Nyasaland, when issued.