asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Governments of Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia have practically prohibited the export of cash in payment for British exports; and whether he will make representations to the Governments concerned with a view to getting these restrictions removed and helping the British export trade?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the effect upon the trade balance of one-sided payments by this country for imports from foreign countries, which, by regulation, prevent their nationals from paying sterling for British exports, and as other countries are meeting this difficulty by entering into bilateral agreements under which exporters in the respective countries are paid from pools created by importers, His Majesty's Government are taking any steps to make similar agreements?

I am aware that systems of control of exchange have been introduced in a number of countries, including those referred to by the hon. Member for Stroud. While His Majesty's Government cannot take exception to the adoption by these countries of measures regarded as necessary to maintain their exchanges in the present abnormal circumstances, they are carefully watching the situation in order to safeguard the interests of British exporters so far as possible, and are in particular examining the possibilities of coming to special arrangements with the countries concerned. The whole question is, however, one of great difficulty, and I am not yet in a position to indicate what action, if any, may be found possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total tonnage of iron and steel in wire rods, wire, and wire nails imported during the first and second 10-day periods of November?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 24th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. Herbert) in regard to the objections to statistics for shorter periods than one month.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make it clear that overcoats in the Customs Importation Order, 1931, include women's two-piece or three-piece suits, seeing that an overcoat forms part of such suits?

My hon. Friend's proposal would require an amendment of the Order in question, and I would refer her to the answer given on 25th November to the hon. Members for Barnstaple (Sir B. Peto), Ealing (Sir F. Sanderson), and South-East Leeds (Major Milner).

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the manufactures of men's outer clothing made wholly of cotton, and of all cotton trouserings, suitings, and gabardines are suffering from the increase of imports of these products from Belgium, Italy, and Czechoslovakia; and whether he will consider taking early steps to give protection to these manufactures?

"Overcoats" and "Men's and Boys' Suits, Coats, Waistcoats and Trousers," whether of cotton or other material are among the articles to which the provisions of the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Act have been applied. With regard to the other articles mentioned by my hon. and gallant Friend, I must refer him to the answer given to the hon. Members for Barnstaple (Sir B. Peto), Ealing (Sir F. Sanderson) and South-East Leeds (Major Milner) on 25th November.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the desirability of restricting the import of silk manufactured goods as luxury articles by reason of our adverse balance of trade, he will take powers to impose a duty on these and similar goods?

I would remind my hon. Friend that silk and goods made of silk have been subject to duty for some years. As regards the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Act, I would refer him to the reply given on 25th November last to the hon. Members for Barnstaple (Sir B. Peto), Ealing (Sir E. Sanderson) and South-East Leeds (Major Milner).

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his Department can furnish an estimate of the financial advantage accruing to the national income from free imports of iron and steel, having regard to the cost of maintenance of the unemployed iron and steel workers and the loss of wealth in wages and production in the iron and steel industry?

I am afraid that no reliable estimate can be made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will ascertain and publish the destinations of the principal classes of goods dumped into this country before the recent anti-dumping legislation, in order that the public may be warned not to pay unduly high prices for these goods?

I am afraid my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion is not practicable.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether there is any subsidy by the Australian Government on the export of eggs to this country; and, if so, the cost of carriage of a crate of eggs from Australia to London and from the Orkneys to London?

I am informed there is no subsidy on eggs exported from Australia.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he proposes, in connection with the operations of the restriction of imports of an abnormal character under the recent legislation, to take into consideration the wages paid to the workers on such goods in the exporting countries, so as to ensure that imports produced under conditions equal to our own receive preferential treatment as against those imports where this is not the case?

No such discrimination is provided for in the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Act, which has been designed for the sole purpose of avoiding the prejudice to United Kingdom industries resulting from abnormal importations of particular foreign goods, whatever their origin.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the contribution from the United Kingdom towards maintaining, in accordance with Articles 36 and 37 of the Safety Convention, a service in the North Atlantic for the destruction or removal of derelicts, for the study and observation of ice conditions and for ice patrol; and what is the estimated cost for 1932–33?

The last contribution paid by the United Kingdom, namely that for the 1930 season, was £12,914 9s. 3d. The account for the 1931 season has not yet been submitted by the United States Government, but the amount taken in the estimates is £14,500. The estimated amount for 1932–33 is £16,500.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the intention of the Government to pass into law the Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load Line Conventions) Bill before the Christmas Recess; and, if not, whether it is intended to call any further conferences with a view to obtaining the agreement of all shipping interests with regard to Clause 29?

It will not be possible, owing to pressure of other business, to pass the Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load Line Conventions), Bill before the Christmas Recess, but it is intended to proceed with it as rapidly as possible as soon as the House reassembles. No useful purpose would be-served by any further conferences at this stage on the principle of Clause 29. The Board of Trade will call into consultation the Associations of Merchant Service Officers and others concerned in the shipping industry as to the best and safest method of bringing the change into effect.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office, if he will furnish details of the cost of the full-dress uniform of a private in the Foot Guards including the busby, and of a bandsman in the Foot Guards; the cost of the full-dress uniform of a trooper in the Household Cavalry, including helmet and breastplate, and of a bandsman in the Life Guards; whether the cost of full-dress uniform is the same in the Royal Horse Guards as it is in the Life Guards; and whether it is proposed to effect any economy in the cost of this equipment?

asked the Minister of Labour the number of schemes approved in Scotland by the Unemployment Grants Committee since 1st September last and their estimated cost?

Since 1st September, the Committee have approved for grant from Exchequer Funds 18 schemes submitted by authorities in Scotland of the total estimated cost of £770,325.

asked the Minister of Transport whether in view of the financial position of the country and the doubts which have been expressed as to the economic advantages of the Severn barrage scheme, he will reconsider the decision to issue a report on this matter in 1932, and arrange for the conclusion of the inquiry forthwith?

The present stage of this important scientific and technical investigation is on the verge of completion, and it would be wasteful not to formulate such conclusions as can be drawn from the data accumulated at considerable cost. No decision regarding the publication of this report or the future of this inquiry will, however, be taken until the report has been received.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action

The approximate annual cost of maintaining the full-dress uniform in the several cases mentioned compares as follows:in respect of the Isle of Wight has so far been taken under Part III of the Finance Act, 1931?

No action has yet been taken in this area beyond the carrying out of certain preliminary clerical work.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange for the Inland Revenue Department to facilitate arrangements whereby employers can pay the Income Tax due by their employés and recover the tax by deductions from pay spread over several months?

Yes, Sir. A number of these cases have been brought to my notice, and I should like to express my appreciation of the public-spirited action of these concerns, which has the double advantage of securing the revenue for the Exchequer and easing the incidence of the tax for the employé. The Inland Revenue Department will gladly give every possible facility for any such arrangement.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury when it is anticipated that he will be able to furnish a reply to the representations from the Civil Service Clerical Association about dismissals of temporary clerks in the Civil Service?

Representations on this matter were made to me a few weeks ago by the general secretary of the Civil Service Clerical Association, then hon. Member for Wolverhampton West. I have gone into the question, and find that it is not anticipated that there will be any serious difficulty in finding further employment, without an appreciable break, for fully efficient temporary clerks now on the books of the Joint Substitution Board. I am communicating with the general secretary in this sense.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government will consider, in the interests of economy, the amalgamation of all pensions business in one Department; and if he will give the names of the Departments of State which at present undertake pension business of any sort?

This question has been examined many times, but it has not been found that action such as that suggested by my hon. Friend would be conducive to economy. The existing distribution of pension work among different Departments has in fact been mainly determined by considerations of economy. The Departments principally concerned with the award or payment of different classes of pensions are: the Treasury, including the Pay Office, the Home Office, the Scottish Office, the Revenue and Service Departments, the Ministry of Pensions, the Board of Trade, the Ministry of Health, and the Board of Education.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number and names of the mines which have exceeded their quota within the last year; and what action has been taken in each such case?

The administration of the schemes is in the hands of the committee of coalowners; consequently the information asked for in relation to individual mines is not in my possession.

asked the Secretary for Mines if the experiments for carrying lamps by pit ponies have been satisfactory; and whether he proposes to issue new regulations to provide ponies with light to enable them to see their way and thus avoid dangers due to obstructions on the roads?

This and other questions of the improvement of mine lighting are having particular attention, and everything is being done to encourage experiment; but further practical experience is necessary to evolve the safest and most suitable lamp for pit ponies and to determine whether its use is likely to be generally safe, practicable and desirable.

asked the Secretary for Mines the rate per 1,000 at which boys under 16 employed below ground in mines were killed and injured during the last three years; whether he contemplates the general adoption of a systematic training scheme for these boys, as recommended by the divisional reports of the mines inspectors during the past few years; and whether it is proposed to amend the present Regulations in regard to this matter?

During 1930, the death-rate per 1,000 boys under 16 years of age employed below ground was 0.96, and the injury-rate 250. The corresponding figures for 1929 were 1.37 and 249 and for 1928, 1.13 and 230. The injury-rates covr all accidents involving absence from work for more than three days. The difficult question of safety training and instruction for boys is having my active attention. The best results will, I think, be obtained by co-operative effort in the districts rather than by any uniform scheme under statutory Regulations, and I am glad to have this opportunity of mentioning the excellent scheme launched this autumn in Yorkshire by the combined efforts of all sections of the industry and the local education authorities. I hope that this scheme will meet with sufficient success to justify the adoption of similar schemes in other coalfields.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of colliery disasters during the last 10 years into which formal inquiries were held; the number in which breaches of the Coal Mines Act or Regulations were found; and the number of cases where prosecutions were instituted?

During the 10 years 1921–1930, formal investigations under Section 83 of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, were held into 25 colliery disasters. Prosecutions were instituted on behalf of the Mines Department against the colliery management in seven cases where the evidence proved that serious breaches of the Coal Mines Act or Regulations had been committed.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of colliery explosions caused by the ignition of firedamp and the number caused by the ignition of coal dust during the last 10 years?

Of the 136 colliery explosions involving loss of life during the years 1921–30, nearly all were explosions of firedamp. In one or two cases only was there any doubt whether firedamp or coal-dust was the original cause; and in only a few cases was an initial explosion of firedamp spread to any significant extent by a subsequent explosion of coal-dust.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will consider the question of introducing legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Mining Subsidences of June, 1927?

I am already considering the recommendations of the Royal Commission, but I cannot hold out any hope of early legislation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware of the evasion of the National Marks Act by the importation into this country of unmarked foreign eggs; and if he will take steps to remedy this?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave yesterday to questions on this subject by my hon. Friends the Members for Salford South (Mr. Stourton) and Blackburn (Captain Elliston).