asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department what was the amount of long-term credit insurance for orders from Russia authorised by the late Labour Government; whether this authorisation has now been exhausted; and, if not, what amount of long-term credit insurance for Russian orders is now available?

I must explain that guarantees under the Export Credits Guarantee Scheme, whether in connection with exports to Russia or to other countries, have always been given on the recommendation of the statutory Advisory Committee, who take into consideration the merits of each application made to them and determine the conditions as to length of credit, amount, etc. As regards Russia the Committee in July last approved arrangements for certain credits up to 30 months maximum. This programme, amounting to £6,000,000 has now been exhausted, and the Committee are at present prepared to consider applications involving not more than 12 months' credit.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that consignments of confectionery and stearine candles valued, respectively, at 3d. per lb. and 5½d. per lb., have recently been imported from Soviet Russia; and will he say in what quantities?

I have no information as to the value of particular consignments, but the imports of chocolate confectionery into the United Kingdom registered during the months of December, 1931, and January, 1932, as consigned from the Soviet Union amounted to 770 cwts., of an average declared value of £1 98. 10d. per cwt. (3.2d. per lb.) the corresponding figures for sugar confectionery being 1,352 cwts. and £3 16s. 1d. (8.2d. per lb.) respectively. The imports of candles during the period amounted to 210 cwts., of an average declared value of £1 10s. 10d. per cwt. (3.3d. per lb.), but I am unable to state what proportion of these imports comprised stearine candles, as these are not separately recorded in the trade returns of the United Kingdom.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the amounts of block and sheet balata, respectively, imported from British Guiana last year?

The imports of block and sheet balata are not separately recorded in the trade returns of the United Kingdom, but the imports of gutta percha and balata into this country during 1931 registered as consigned from British Guiana amounted to 724,000 lbs. of a declared value of £55,000. It is understood that the bulk of these imports consisted of balata.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he is aware of the practice of United States firms to establish subsidiary companies on Canadian soil where American raw materials are processed and thence imported to this country as British; and whether he will place this matter on the agenda for the Ottawa Conference in order to prevent such products being included in any system of Empire Preference which may result therefrom?

My attention has already been drawn to this matter. The question whether the products mentioned are entitled to preference in this country depends upon the proportion of their value attributable to Empire labour and material. This proportion is now fixed at 25 per cent. as a general rule, but it can be varied at any time in respect of goods of any class or description if circumstances justify such a course. The situation will be watched, so that, if necessary, advantage may be taken of the Ottawa Conference for consultation between representatives of the Governments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of able-bodied unemployed persons in receipt of public assistance in the parishes of Blantyre and Dalserf, and Hamilton burgh and parish, in the last week in October, 1931, and the first week in February, 1932?

At 15th October, 1931, there were in Hamilton burgh 327 able-bodied unemployed persons, with 474 dependants, in receipt of relief, the corresponding figures at 16th February, 1932, being 396 and 563 respectively. I regret that similar information is not available for the other areas referred to by the hon. Member as, on 15th May, 1930, consequent on the passing of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929, the parish ceased to be the area of public assistance administration.

asked the Secretary for Mines how many meetings have taken place under Sir Ernest Gowers since the Mines Reorganisation Commission was set up, and the total cost to date?

The Coal Mines Reorganisation Commission have held 46 meetings. The total cost of the Commission to date is £24,829.

asked the Secretary for Mines how many amalgamations have taken place since the setting up of the Commission under Sir Ernest Gowers?

Three amalgamations have been completed, and one more has been referred to the Railway and Canal Commission for confirmation, but has not yet been dealt with by that Commission.

asked the Secretary for Mines what coal mines at Aberdare, Glamorgan, have been inspected by mines horse inspectors during the last 12 months; whether in any and, if so, in which of such mines horses unfit to work have been found; what is the number of such unfit horses found in each mine, respectively; and whether work in any district of any such mine has been suspended temporarily on account of the unfit condition of the horses employed in it?

Twenty inspections were made by horse inspectors at the 12 coal mines in the neighbourhood of Aberdare between 19th December, 1930; and 31st December, 1931; and all these mines were inspected at least once during that period. The condition of the horses was good at all except one mine, with 11 horses, where there was cause for serious complaint regarding the food and the ostler's work. Action was taken by His Majesty's inspectors, and the condition

ACCIDENT RATES per 1,000 horses and ponies employed underground at Mines under the Coal Mines Act during the year ended 30th June, 1931.
Inspection Division.					Accident rate per 1,000 horses and ponies employed.
					Killed or destroyed in consequence of injury or accident.	Injured by accidents.
1. Scotland	…	…	…	…	30	30
2. Northern	…	…	…	…	81	81
3. Yorkshire	…	…	…	…	39	145
4. North Midland	…	…	…	…	33	200
5. North Western	…	…	…	…	14	38
6. Cardiff and Forest of Dean	…	…	…	…	32	142
7. Swansea	…	…	…	…	39	120
8. Midland and Southern	…	…	…	…	32	72
Total	…	…	…	…	33	119

Unremitting efforts to reduce these accidents are being made by His Majesty's Inspectors, in co-operation with those responsible in the mining industry, along the lines suggested by the divisional inspectors in their published reports; and special investigations have been made by the inspectors in those coalfields where the accident rates appear from the statistice to be exceptionally high. These investigations have shown that the statistics of injuries as now collected and published are not really comparable, in that slight mishaps to ponies which at some

asked the Secretary for Mines what are the rates per 1,000 at which horses and ponies were killed and injured underground in mines in each division, respectively, for the year ended 30th June, 1931; whether he is contemplating taking any and, if so, what steps with a view to securing a reduction in the rates in those coalfields showing a relatively high number of horses killed and/or injured; and whether he will consider the general adoption of the reforms suggested in the reports of the inspectors for the northern and other divisions for 1930 with a view to removing the cause of many of the accidents to the animals?

The statistics are as follow:mines and in some districts are not considered sufficiently serious to record are recorded as accidents in other mines and districts. I am considering what steps can be taken to get the statistics on a more uniform basis.

asked the Secretary for Mines how many boys under 16 years of age employed in coal mines were killed or injured per 1,000 boys employed for each of the last five years; and whether and, if so, what schemes of training have been adopted for training boys who are in charge of ponies?

The statistics are as follow:

Accidents to Boys under 16 years of age employed belowground.
Year.	Rates per 1,000 boys employed belowground.
	Killed.	Disabled for more than 3 days.
1927	1·19	221
1928	1·13	230
1929	1·37	249
1930	0·96	250
1931 (provisional.)	1·13	Not yet available.

Regarding the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to a question by the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. D. Grenfell) on 8th December, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.. The general scheme for safety instruction for boys which was started last autumn in Yorkshire is developing satisfactorily on the whore, and I am taking steps which, I hope, will lead to schemes being started in other districts.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether any attempt is made by his Department to estimate the annual amount which may be claimed in the form of refunds by Income Tax payers; and, if so, what were the estimated amounts allowed for during each of the past five years, together with the amounts actually claimed?

No estimate is made of the Income Tax that may ultimately prove to be repayable in respect of any year of Income Tax assessment. Repayment may be claimed within varying time limits after the end of a year of assessment, and the bulk of the repayment made in any financial year relates in fact to previous years of assessment. The amounts of Income Tax repaid in the last five years are as follow:

			£
In 1926–27	…	…	43,777,048
In 1927–28	…	…	48,813,467
In 1928–29	…	…	43,394,549
In 1929–30	…	…	45,523,622
In 1930–31	…	…	48,502,037

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the passing of the Import Duties Bill will need any increase in the numbers of the Customs and Excise staffs; and, if so, to what extent?

The imposition of the new Import Duties will necessitate an increase in the staff of the Customs and Excise Department. It is not at present practicable to furnish an estimate of the extent of the increase.