asked the Minister of Labour how many cases at the South Kirkby Exchange have been considered under the Unemployment Insurance (Transitional Payments) Regulations, 1931; and what numbers of men, women, youths and girls have been put off benefit?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 26th November, 1931; col. 479, Vol. 260], supplied the following statement:Between 12th and 21st November, 1931, determinations had been made by public assistance committees for the Osgoldcross area, in which the South Kirkby Exchange is situated, on 211 applications for transitional payments, of which 209 were in respect of men and two in respect of women. In the case of eight applications (all made by men) the determination provided that no transitional payment should be made. These figures include cases arising from Employment Exchanges other than South Kirkby, for which separate figures are not available. Juveniles under 18 are not entitled to transitional payments and claims by juveniles are not referred to public assistance committees. At 23rd November, 1931, there was one boy on the registers of the South Kirkby Employment Exchange who had ceased to be entitled to insurance benefit under the new rules.

asked the Minister of Labour how many workers it is estimated will be employed on all schemes under which grants have been made by the Unemployment Grants Committee, including those who are employed at present?

It is estimated that the number of men directly employed on these schemes during the winter months will be in the neighbourhood of 50,000.

asked the Minister of Labour, separately, for each week beginning September to the present time, the total number employed and the total unemployed for the same week, giving the increase or decrease of employed and unemployed for each week?

asked the Minister of Health if any steps are being taken to ensure that, in the measures of economy now proposed by local authorities and other public bodies, these are not carried to such an extent as would ultimately bring about more unemployment?

I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of a circular letter on economy issued to local authorities in September last. He will see that they are specifically requested to have in mind the relation between possible economies and unemployment, and I do not think that I can usefully say anything further on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the average cost of houses built by the Scottish National Housing Company, financed entirely by the Government, of workmen's houses of that type known as the Weir construction; what number of these houses of that type have been built by this Government-financed company; what has been the average annual cost of repairs and maintenance; and what is the average cost of repairs and maintenance of houses with similar accommodation in Scotland constructed by ordinary methods?

Estimates of the number of insured persons in employment can only be made in respect of one date in each month. The following table gives for Great Britain the available figures from 21st September to 23rd November inclusive.

I am informed by the Second Scottish National Housing Company that the average cost of houses of the Weir type erected by them, including the cost of land, roads, sewers, fences, garden paths and other extras, is £495 per house. A total of 1,552 houses of this type has been erected by the company. The cost of repairs and maintenance of the Weir type has not been kept separate from the corresponding cost for all the houses provided by the company, but I am informed that it is considered that the cost for this type is no more than that, for the other types. The average for all types for the four years to 28th February, 1931 (the close of the last financial year of the company) was £3 1s. 3d. per house. I regret that the information desired in the last part of the question is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the need for economy, he will consider delaying bringing into operation the Probation of Offenders (Scotland) Act?

The operation of the Probation of Offenders (Scotland) Act, 1931, could not be postponed without legislation, and I am not satisfied that postponement would be justified.

asked the Minister of Transport how many toll roads and toll bridges in Great Britain and the Isle of Wight, respectively, have been freed since the passage of the Road Traffic Act, 1930; in what cases negotiations for this purpose are still proceeding; and what assistance by grant he has offered in each instance?

One toll road and one toll bridge have been freed since the passage of the Road Traffic Act, 1930. Negotiations are still proceeding in the case of two other toll bridges in Kent. The Isle of Wight County Council were informed last year that a scheme for the freeing and reconstruction of the toll bridge over the River Yar would be considered for a grant, but in view of the need for economy I must hold myself free to reconsider the case when I am in possession of full information as to the expenditure involved.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps, if any, he is taking with a view to avoiding cases of hardship resulting from any reduction of road transport services by the traffic commissioners?

I issued on 4th December certain general directions to all traffic commissioners which cover the point raised by my hon. Friend. A copy of these general directions has been presented to the House as a Command Paper, and I hope that prints will be available in the Vote Office very shortly.

asked the Minister of Transport how many workers are employed at present on schemes to which a grant has been made by his Ministry; and how many it is estimated will be employed on other schemes to which grants have been made but not yet commenced?

Returns are only avail-in respect of improvement and new construction on classified roads. The latest available return is for Friday, 30th October, at which date 35,387 men were directly employed on such works, in addition to which it is estimated that an equivalent number were indirectly employed in the production of material, etc., All schemes of road and bridge construction and improvement, which form the subject of commitments from the Road Fund, are now being reviewed, and until this review is complete, no estimate of the employment which will in future be afforded by works of this character is possible.

asked the Minister of Transport what will be the total sum payable by grant in respect of the building of the new bridge at Loftsome; and what is the total cost of the scheme, including the necessary approach roads and the purchase of land therefor?

A grant of £32,996, being 85 per cent. of the cost (estimated at £38,819) of building a new bridge at Loftsome, including land and approach roads, was made to the Yorks East Riding County Council in February, 1931. In consequence, however, of unusual difficulties with the foundations, the revised cost is now £46,403, to which must be added £1,878 for administration expenses. The possibility of making a further grant towards this additional expenditure is receiving my consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport what has been the revenue from tolls on the Menai Bridge for each of the past 10 years, together with the expenditure for each year on the maintenance thereof?

The revenue derived from the lease of the Menai Bridge tolls for the five years to the end of 1925–26 only slightly exceeded the disbursements. The sums realised by direct collection of tolls during the five years to the end of 1930–31, and the figures of expenditure (including the cost of collection) were as follow:

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of companies engaged in the fruit and vegetable canning industry in this country; and the number of factories, with the approximate output for the past five years to date, and the number of persons employed?

So far as is known, there are 50 firms engaged in the canning of fruit and vegetables in England and Wales on a commercial scale. These operate 59 factories of which 38 pack under the National Mark. The approximate outputs for the years 1927 to 1931 are:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity and value of potatoes exported to Spain for the 10 months ended 31st October, 1931?

During the 10 months ended 31st October, 1931, the domestic exports of potatoes from the United Kingdom registered as consigned to Spain amounted to 48,870 cwts. of a declared value of £11,848.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take in the matter of the report by the Senior Assistant Official Receiver on the British Cement Products and Finance Company in connection with the issue of the circular dated 5th June, 1929, and the facts relating to the non-delivery of the shares of the Ship Canal Portland Cement Company, Limited?

The matters referred to are still the subject of investigation by the Senior Official Receiver, and what action is to be taken depends upon his report.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the difficulty experienced by inhabitants in email villages in drawing supplies from the main electricity cables which are taken through their districts; and whether he will direct an inquiry into the matter and particularly into the question of the prices charged for laying auxiliary cables and supplying current in such cases?

The question of improving the supply of electricity to rural areas has been under consideration by the Electricity Commissioners and by the conference convened by them for investigating various aspects of rural electrification. If my hon. Friend has any particular cases in mind, I will have them investigated if he will furnish me with the necessary information.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will furnish a return of all Royal Commissions and committees of inquiry which are still in being, together with their terms of reference; the date of their appointment; the approximate date on which their report may be expected; and their cost to date?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 3rd December, 1931; col. 1269, Vol. 260], circulated the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the number of appeals that have been made by the President of the Council of the League of Nations to Japan since the beginning of the present trouble in Manchuria to cease from acts of war and to retreat into the railway zone, in accordance with the covenant and the Kellogg Pact, and the number of assurances which have been received from Japan that this would be done?

I am not aware of any such appeal having been made in the terms indicated in the question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air, whether he is aware that a soldier's highest category is "Exemplary" with "Very good" as second; and whether he will consider a revision of Royal Air Force categories, according to which "Very good" is the highest character assessment an airman can receive on his discharge certificate in order that an ex-airman shall not appear at a disadvantage in civil life when applying for a post as compared with an ex-soldier, both having the highest category character records?

The Royal Air Force system of recording the characters of airmen is based on that of the Navy, and my Noble Friend does not accordingly consider that ex-airmen should be placed thereby at any disadvantage in civil life. I may add that a supplementary testimonial is given on discharge in appropriate cases, and its terms are such as should prevent any misconception on the point raised by my hon. Friend.