asked the Minister of Labour the number of wholly unemployed persons registered at the Employment Exchanges for the week ending 3rd October, 1931, and succeeding weeks until the nearest available date?

The following statement gives the figures for which the hon. Member asks:

Numbers on the Registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain.
Date.	Wholly Unemployed.	Total.
28th September, 1931	2,080,659	2,824,772
5th October, 1931	2,108,511	2,791,520
12th October, 1931	2,120,410	2,766,746
19th October, 1931	2,119,769	2,737,878
26th October, 1931	2,127,943	2,726,092
2nd November, 1931	2,129,699	2,710,944

asked the Minister of Health approximately the number of insured persons who have been able to maintain their membership of approved societies, to the last convenient date, through the operations of the Prolongation of Insurance Act, 1930?

A reliable figure of the number of persons whose period of insurance has been extended under the provisions of the Prolongation of Insurance Act, 1930, will not be available until returns have been received from the 7,000 approved societies and branches after the end of the current year.

asked the Prime Minister if the Government propose to continue the present Act for the prolongation of insurance which expires this year?

I have been asked to reply. The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty who is responsible for the dismissal of the 24 naval ratings attached to the Atlantic Fleet; the reasons for the dismissals; whether they have been deprived of pension rights and decorations; and why the pledge given in this House has been disregarded?

These men were discharged "Services no longer required" by order of the Board of Admiralty, after full consideration. The reason for their discharge was, as stated in the Official Statement issued by the Admiralty, that after the return of the Atlantic Fleet from Invergordon to the Home Ports, they had continued conduct subversive of discipline. Men discharged "Services no longer required" are not eligible for pensions, but they retain any war or other medals which they hold prior to discharge. The statement made by my predecessor in this House on 17th September, referred obviously to matters which had taken place prior to that date, and not to matters which occurred subsequently.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give statistics of the growth of the canning industry in this country?

The recent progress of the fruit and vegetable canning industry in this country is shown in the following figures:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of depositors and the amount of deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank; the amount of money loaned to the Unemployment Insurance Fund from the deposits; and the date, or dates, when such loans were made, together with the amount withdrawn from the bank by the depositors for the weeks ending 24th and 31st October, respectively?

The total estimated deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank on 31st October last amounted, including accrued interest, to £292,000,000 and the number of depositors was 10,350,000. Statements are published from time to time showing the nature and amount of the securities held against these liabilities, and I may refer the hon. Member to the Post Office Savings Banks Account presented to Parliament on 29th June, 1931, which gives these particulars as on 31st December, 1930, and shows an item of £43,268,000 as Advances to His Majesty's Exchequer under Unemployment Insur- ance Act, 1921, Section 5, and (No. 2) Act, 1921, Section 4. The amount of the outstanding loans to the Treasury from this source for the purposes of the Unemployment Insurance Fund is £72,778,000; no money is lent to the Unemployment Insurance Fund direct. The loans in question have been made at varying dates as occasion required. The net loans made in recent years have been:

			£
1928	…	…	7,680,000
1929	…	…	5,764,000
1930	…	…	14,080,000
1931 to date	…	…	29,510,000

The withdrawals by depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank in the week ended 24th October were £1,489,200, against deposits of £1,025,400, and in the week ended 31st October withdrawals were £1,519,700 against deposits of £1,118,100.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the purchases and encashments of savings certificates for each month of the present year?

The figures are as follow:

1931.	Issues (Purchase price).	Repayments (including conversions but excluding interest).
	£	£
January	6,242,000	3,357,000
February	5,065,000	3,107,000
March	4,613,000	3,495,000
April	4,527,000	3,083,000
May	4,545,000	3,148,000
June	4,514,000	3,221,000
July	5,204,000	3,435,000
August	3,491,000	3,129,000
September	3,498,000	3,925,000
October (subject to adjustment).	3,491,000	4,516,000