asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average weekly cost of maintaining a prisoner in Duke Street, Barlinnie, and Peterhead prisons?

In 1931, the average weekly cost of maintaining a prisoner in Duke Street prison was £1 10s. 7d., in Barlinnie prison, 16s. 9d., and in Peterhead convict prison, £1 19s. 5d.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has yet received the Scottish Highlands Electricity Special Order from the Electricity Commissioners or if any further difficulties have arisen over this Order?

The Electricity Commissioners are waiting to hear whether one of the local authorities in the area is now prepared to consent to the granting of the Order in the form in which the Commissioners propose to make it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the value of the goods included in the Board of Trade returns for the year 1931 of imports retained for home consumption in Class 1 and 2, respectively, which will be subject to the Import Duties Act?

After deducting the value of articles subject to Budgetary duties and those excluded by the First Schedule to the Import Duties Act, the value of the retained imports info the United Kingdom during 1931 of the remaining articles in Classes 1 and 2 of the trade returns amounted to approximately £176,000,000 and £55,000,000, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can make any statement on the sugar industry crisis in Mauritius, including the amount of sugar grown per acre, the price f.o.b. London for the raw and semi-refined exports, respectively, the possibility of extending the industry in Mauritius on a paying basis, and the chief markets for the Mauritius product?

The general position of the Mauritius sugar industry was fully reviewed in 1929 by the late Sir Francis Watts, whose report was published as Command 3518. The report gives particulars of the yield of sugar and the prospects of the industry, and it is undertood that there has been no fundamental change in the position since that time, apart from the special circumstances arising from the hurricane of last year. The prices obtained in London for Mauritius sugar depend upon the world price of sugar, which fluctuates considerably, and on the polarisation of the sugar. Since the granting of preferences to Empire sugar by the United Kingdom and Canada, practically the whole of the Mauritius exports of sugar has been sold in those countries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement with regard to the proposal to erect a new capital in Northern Rhodesia?

The question of a suitable site for the capital of Northern Rhodesia has been investigated, on behalf of the Government of the Protectorate, by a representative of the firm of Sir Alexander Binnie, Son and Deacon; by Professor S. D. Adshead; and by a Commission consisting of Dr. P. H. Ward, the Principal Medical Officer, Dr. D. Alexander, C.M.G., formerly Director of Medical and Sanitary Services, Nigeria, and Mr. G. E. Hunt, formerly Municipal Engineer, Khartoum. As a result of their reports, it was decided to build a new capital in the neighbourhood of Lusaka. The preliminary work is in hand. A considerable amount of information is to be found in the report of the debate of 24th July last in the Legislative Council. A copy has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any contribution, and, if so, how much, has been promised by the British Government towards the erection of a new capital in Northern Rhodesia?

The British Government have not promised any contribution.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the average quantity of home-grown beet-root sugar produced per acre of beet during each of the years of the subsidy period?

The following are the average quantities of beet sugar (all polarisations) produced per acre of beet in Great Britain in each manufacturing season during the subsidy period:

asked the Minister of Agriculture the amount of raw sugar produced in Britain for each year since 1923?

The following are the approximate quantities of raw sugar produced in Great Britain in each beet-sugar manufacturing season during the subsidy period:

asked the Minister of Agriculture how much of the land at present under wheat is owned or rented, respectively, by the cultivators?

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that £175,000 and 1,500 cantos gold have been provided by the Brazilian Government for the benefit of British investors in Brazilian Government securities which are now in default for the third time, and that thus far British investors have received no portion of that money; and will he inquire by whom this money is being retained and for what purposes?

I have been unable to obtain confirmation that these sums have been allocated as stated, and, in the absence of specific information, no useful purpose would be served by an inquiry such as is suggested. If, however, my hon. Friend can furnish particulars in substantiation of the statement, I shall be glad to consider the matter further.

asked the Minister of Labour the total savings as the result of the working of the Anomalies Act to the latest date?

It is not possible to make a precise estimate, but the saving to the end of January last is likely to have been in the neighbourhood of £750,000.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that letters posted in London at 10.30 p.m. on Saturday are delivered at Saul, Gloucestershire, by the second post on Monday, that is, 4 p.m.; that it takes 40 hours for letters to travel 100 miles; and whether he will take steps to get the service improved?

A letter posted in London after 10.30 p.m. on Saturday should be delivered by first post in the Provinces, provided it is posted in one of the boxes at the 158 offices specified in the London Post Office Guide (pages 65–69), before the time of collection on Sunday evening. The cost of any extension of the present facilities would be heavy, and I am sorry that in the present circumstances it would not he justified.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will state by years since 1921 the total amounts spent year by year in the purchase of land aircraft and marine aircraft?

To furnish the information my hon. and gallant Friend desires would not be practicable without the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of time and labour, which my Noble Friend regrets that he would not be justified in authorising.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the Air Council will consider the advisability of introducing a scheme whereby long-distance air mails could be carried by special fast mail-carrying machines piloted by Air Force pilots in the course of their normal duties?

Much valuable pioneer work in opening up long-distance routes has, of course, been done by the Royal Air Force, but in view of the exacting duties already required of the force in its own defence role, my Noble Friend does not consider that any regular scheme, such as the hon. Member suggests, is practicable.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is satisfied that the Atlas is a suitable machine for training purposes; and whether he has received any reports from the Central Flying School about the suitability of this type of machine for training purposes?

The Atlas has been in satisfactory use for some time past as a training machine, and no adverse reports upon its suitability for that purpose have been received from the Central Flying School. In accordance, however, with normal training policy, the Atlas is being gradually replaced by aircraft of more recent type.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the number and the average cost of single-engined regular bombing squadrons and the number and average cost of auxiliary single-engined bombing squadrons?

The number of regular squadrons of this type (including two torpedo bomber squadrons) is 24, and of Auxiliary Air Force squadrons eight.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air, if he will consider the advisability of appointing an engineer- in-chief for the Royal Air Force, with a view to the development of a better system of control of the engineering side of the Force's work, and in the hope of thereby reducing the number of fatal flying accidents?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Blackpool (Captain Erskine-Bolst) on 25th November last.

asked the Minister of Health the lowest price at which houses with the State subsidy are now being constructed by any local authority on the one hand and by private enterprise on the other; and what is the accommodation offered in each case of such houses?

According to my information, the lowest contract recently let by a local authority is for the erection of two-bedroomed bungalows. The average price per dwelling works out at £193. I have no information as regards houses erected by private enterprise.