asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many men, established and hired, respectively, are now employed in the Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham, Kent?

The number of workpeople employed in all departments in Chatham Dockyard is:

Established	…	…	2,397
Hired	…	…	5,992
Total	…	…	8,389

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what steps have been taken with respect to the oil engines for the proposed cruisers; and if those of German design made under licence here will be used or will British engines be adopted?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. Steam turbine-driven propelling machinery will be fitted in the cruisers of the 1931 programme.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will issue a list showing the local authorities which have up to date declined to put into operation the 10 per cent. reduction in teachers' salaries, and the number of teachers involved?

I have not been informed by any local education authority that they do not intend to put into operation the 10 per cent. reduction in teachers' salaries; but I understand that one authority, that for Heston and Isle-worth, do not propose to put the reduction into immediate operation. The number of teachers in this area is about 210. The Board's grant in respect of salary expenditure will, of course, be reduced in this case by 10 per cent. as in the case of authorities generally.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has given his decision on the appeal of the Ledbury Transport Company against the award of the Southern Traffic Commissioners to refuse them a licence for their Green Line London to Maidenhead service; and whether he has considered the views of the Wokingham Town Council and the petition from the inhabitants of that district in the matter?

Two appeals have been lodged by the Ledbury Transport Company against decisions of the Traffic Commissioners for the Southern Area in respect of services between Reading and London. The inquiries into these appeals have been heard and my decisions have been announced. Representations in respect of the service forming the subject matter of one of these appeals were received from the Wokingham Town Council and were carefully considered. I am afraid I am at a loss to understand the reference in this connection to the Green Line London to Maidenhead service, which, I may point out, does not touch Wokingham.

asked the Prime Minister when it is proposed to wind up the affairs of the Clearing House (Enemy Debts), at Cornwall House, Stamford Street, S.E.?

I have been asked to reply. Substantial progress has been made towards the completion of the affairs of the Clearing Office, and the position is kept under constant review. The work remaining to be done is of an intricate legal and accounting nature, and it is not yet possible to state when it will be completed.

asked the Prime Minister when the next meeting of the Committee of the Economic Advisory Council is to take place?

The proceedings of the Council are confidential, and it would be contrary to established practice to announce in advance the dates arranged for its meetings.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of pits that have been abandoned since 1926 in the County of Lanark; the number that have been suspended temporarily during the present year; whether any of those suspended temporarily have been reopened and, if so, in what part of the county they are situated?

Since 1926, 140 pits in Lanarkshire have been abandoned. During the present year, 15 pits have been temporarily closed and have not reopened, and 11 pits which had been temporarily closed for at least a month have re-opened. Three of the latter pits are situated at Motherwell, two each at Coat-bridge and Tollcross, and one each at Clarkston, Cleland, Larkhall and Millerston.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he can make any statement as to the instructions given to the British Delegation attending the International Congress on Bituminous Coal, at Pittsburg, so far as the prospects of low-temperature carbonisation is concerned?

There is no official representation of this country at the Pittsburg Conference on Bituminous Coal. The rest of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Home Secretary what is the percentage decline, if any, on 1930 in the sales of beer in the Carlisle state management area during the month of October?

I regret that I cannot give any figures of this nature. I may, perhaps, refer to the answer to the hon. Member for North Portsmouth (Sir B. Falle) given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 17th November.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, in consequence of the depreciation of the pound to 15s., the income from our foreign investments and invisible services will decline by approximately £80,000,000 per annum, with a loss of about £1,500,000,000 on capital account; and if he can indicate the steps the Government propose to take to prevent these losses?

It is not possible to discuss within the limits of a Parliamentary answer the effect of the depreciation of sterling on the balance of trade, or the steps which the Government may take to deal with the question. I would, however, draw my hon. Friend's attention to the fact that the greater part of our foreign investments are in terms of sterling, and that the sterling income is not affected. His figures in any case appear to be much too high.

asked the Home Secretary what were the circumstances which necessitated mounted and foot police being used in connection with the eviction of nine persons from their homes at Battersea, on Thursday, 19th November, 1931?

Police were employed to prevent a breach of the peace and to preserve order when steps were taken to execute the magistrate's warrant. This course was necessary in view of threats having been made to resist the bailiff, which caused a considerable crowd to gather in the vicinity.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office the number of men and women discharged from the Royal Army Clothing Factory, Pimlico, during the four weeks ended 21st November, 1931, and the reason for the discharges?

There were no discharges during the period in question. Four female workers resigned voluntarily.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can now give the final figures for the year 1930–31, showing the surplus or deficit on the postal, telegraph and telephone services, as published in the commercial accounts?

I am unable at present to state the final figures, but I am advised the following statement is not likely to undergo any substantial alteration:

	£
Postal surplus	9,850,000
Telegraph deficit	1,005,000
Telephone surplus	343,000
Total net surplus	£9,188,000

asked the Minister of Health whether the Medical Research Council have completed their report on the result of their inquiries into the deaths of 76 infants in Lubeck, Germany, following the administration of the Calmette prophylactic tuberculosis vaccine; and, if so, when is it proposed to make the report public?

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a reply given by my predecessor to a question on this subject on 6th November, 1930. As stated in that reply, the report made to the Medical Research Council by their two representatives who visited Germany was a confidential one and dealt with technical matters which are of interest only to research workers. It is, therefore, not proposed to make the report public. The report did not traverse the ground of the official German inquiry which was made by the Imperial Board of Health. The substance of the report on that inquiry was given in reply to a question on 17th February last, a copy of which I am also sending to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will ascertain and state the nominal amount of Brazilian Government securities floated on the London market, and now in default in respect of sinking fund and interest contractual obligations?

My right hon. Friend is not prepared to give an official estimate, but I understand that my hon. Friend can obtain approximate figures by application to the Council of Foreign Bondholders.

asked the Secretary of State for India how long the trial of the Meerut prisoners has lasted; and when he expects that it will be brought to a conclusion?

The trial in the Sessions Court began on the 31st January, 1930, and the prosecution case was closed in March, 1931. The date at which the trial is likely to end depends mainly upon the time taken by the accused in presenting their defence, and I am therefore unable to give any estimate of its probable duration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the number of horses exported from this country to Continental ports for butchery purposes during each of the past six months, respectively; the places to which such horses were respectively consigned; and what were the methods used for the slaughter of such horses, respectively?

According to information supplied to the Ministry's inspectors at the port of shipment, the number of horses shipped from authorised ports to Continental ports during each of the last six months and intended for immediate slaughter on arrival, were as follow:

May	…	…	…	159
June	…	…	…	96
July	…	…	…	108
August	…	…	…	199
September	…	…	…	230
October	…	…	…	371

All these horses were shipped to Rotterdam, Holland, in which country the use of the mechanical killer at both public and private slaughterhouses is compulsory by law.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether having regard to the circumstance that the import of cut flowers from the Netherlands into this country has increased from 260 tons, of the declared value of £39,039, in 1924 to 3,951 tons, of the declared value of £504,233, in the first eight months of the year 1931, that 75 per cent. of the imports of such cut flowers arrive each year during the first four months of that year, and that there is an increase in unemployment in the flower-growing industry in this country, he will consider the desirability of taking steps at once to check the import of cut flowers into this country?

I am aware of the facts stated in my hon. Friend's question, and I will certainly bear his suggestion in mind.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many schemes have been put forward for marketing organisations under the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1931; and which, if any, of the various boards proposed by that Act have yet been constituted?

No schemes under the Agricultural Marketing Act have been submitted and no boards have been constituted.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many interviews he has granted to representatives of the National Farmers' Union, during the past three weeks, to discuss agricultural policy; and how many interviews he has granted to representatives of agricultural workers?

While I do not feel I am under any obligation to give public information as to such interviews, I may state in this instance that during the past three weeks I have had one discussion, which took place this morning, with representatives of the National Farmers' Union, and one, last week, with a deputation from the Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculture, which included representation of agricultural workers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the difficulty of land drainage commissioners in preparing valuation lists under Schedule A for the purpose of levying drainage rates under Section 24 (4) of the Land Drainage Act, 1930; and whether, in view of these difficulties, he will consider extending the period of six months' grace given in that section during which the drainage rates may be levied on the basis of acreage instead of on annual value?

I am aware of the difficulty referred to by my Noble Friend, but would point out that although the six months' grace given in Section 24 (4) expired on 31st January last, my predecessor took advantage of certain powers under the Act to extend, to 30th September last, the period in respect of which rates levied on an acreage basis might be brought to account. I have no power to make any further extension.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the fact that the imports of pottery not safeguarded for October, 1931, showed a large increase over those of October, 1930; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the terms of the Order I made on 20th November.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he proposes to take powers, if necessary, to stop foreign firms coming to this country to manufacture goods so as to evade the imposition of duties by the Board of Trade on imports, and thus render it impossible for such foreign firms to take moneys out of this country in the nature of profits made by them?

The answer is in the negative. I do not think it desirable to prevent foreign concerns from employing British workpeople in this country.