asked the Postmaster-General the number of postal workers employed in all grades on the latest date for which figures are available; and on a similar date in 1929, 1930, and 1931?

The total number of Post Office workers employed on 1st January, 1932, the latest date for which figures are available, was 231,169. The corresponding figures for the years 19291931 are as follow:

asked the Minister of Agriculture what would have been the rates of tithe payable in each of the years 1926 to 1931, inclusive, if the Tithe Act had not been passed?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given on 24th February to a question by the hon. Member for Merioneth (Mr. Haydn Jones) on the subject, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the national assistance per acre which has accrued to the wheat-growing farmer under the De-rating Act and the abatements on Income Tax in the Budget of 1931–32; and what is the estimated benefit he will receive under the Wheat Bill?

The occupiers of agricultural hereditaments (that is, agricultural land and agricultural buildings) were totally exempted from payment of rates in respect of these hereditaments as from 1st April, 1929, and during the year 1929–30 the total loss of rates on this ahccount amounted to about £4,300,000. No figures are available as to the loss of rates on particular classes of agricultural hereditaments. As regards abatements on Income Tax, I must refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In regard to the last part of the question, assuming an "anticipated supply" of 27,000,000 cwts. of millable wheat and an acreage, which this represents, of about 1,800,000 acres, the estimated benefit would average £1 per acre for every 1s. 4d. per cwt. of "price deficit."

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if any work is being carried on at Cardington aerodrome other than maintenance?

Yes, Sir; a nucleus staff is engaged on experiments and on the collation of information in connection with airship development, and some work also remains in connection with the disposal of certain stores and equipment. In addition, experimental and development work on high altitude balloons is being carried out by the Kite Balloon Experimental Flight.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the number now employed at the Royal Airship Works, Cardington?

Sixteen non-industrial and 55 industrial staff are at present employed at the Royal Airship Works, Cardington.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware of the distress in Newcastle-upon-Tyne owing to the dearth of work in the ship building yards; and whether he will have regard to this when orders for building or repairing warships are being placed by the Admiralty?

I am aware that the Tyne district, in common with other shipbuilding areas, is suffering severely from unemployment owing to lack of work, but the hon. Member can rest assured that the state of employment, as well as other considerations, will be taken into account in the placing of orders.

asked the Minister of Health if he is prepared to include in the Second Schedule to the National Health Insurance Consolidated Regulations hypodermic syringes and needles, so that insured patients may use them for asthma self-treatment, when prescribed?

As the result of a recent discussion of this matter by my Department with representatives of doctors in insurance practice, I am not satisfied that there are any sufficient reasons for making these appliances available as part of medical benefit.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in the United States of America vaccination is not usually performed upon children until school age, and that it has been found that unvaccinated children under that age have shown no greater susceptibility to small-pox than the children in other countries where infant vaccination prevails; and whether he will consider introducing legislation to exclude children under school age from compulsory vaccination?

My right hon. Friend understands that the facts are generally as stated in the first part of the question, but he is not aware of any evidence to support the statement made in the second part. The course suggested in the last part of the question would be contrary to the recommendation made by the recent Committee on Vaccination in their first report, and my right hon. Friend could not undertake to adopt it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the average yield per acre of sugar grown in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Natal and Queensland, respectively, for any years or period during the last decade?

The Statistical Abstract for the Empire (Cmd. 3919) contains figures showing the acreage under sugar and the total production during the years 1913–14 and 1924–25 to 1929–30. For the year 1929–30 (1928–29 in the case of the Union of South Africa and Jamaica) the figures in the table on page 38 of the abstract represent the following yields per acre in the places mentioned:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of loan and interest owing to this country by Austria at the time when the League of Nations reconstruction scheme was carried through in 1922?

At 31st March, 1922, the amount due by Austria to this country was £9,700,000 in respect of Relief Loans and £2,400,000 in respect of cash advances repayable in connection with the Guaranteed Loan issued in 1923. Accrued interest is included in both cases.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that during recent years a number of injured colliery workers in receipt of compensation have been deprived thereof as the result of certain mining concerns going into liquidation; and whether he will amend the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act by making full insurance against claims for compensation compulsory?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to the questions asked on this subject by the hon. Member for the Ince Division (Mr. G. Macdonald) on 3rd December last, and by the hon. Member for Neath (Sir W. Jenkins) on 11th February. I regret I am not at present in a position to add anything to these replies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for each month since August, 1931, by categories, the estimated value of arms and munitions and naval and military stores, not including sporting arms and munitions, in respect of which he has issued licences giving permission for export to Japan and China?

It is not the practice to make public information as to the value of material covered by export licences. I am, however, sending to the hon. Member a statement giving particulars of the material of the kind in question in respect of which licences for export to China and Japan have been issued since August, 1931.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what countries have now ratified the Convention creating an International Agricultural Mortgage Credit Company; and what the attitude of the British Government is in this connection?

Greece, Latvia, Switzerland and Rumania have ratified this Convention. As regards the latter part of the question, I have nothing to add to the reply which was returned to my hon. Friend on 3rd December last.

asked the Secretary of State for India the number of persons arrested and convicted of offences in connection with the rebellion in Burma since the outbreak of the present rebellion, and the number of those found guilty who have been sentenced to death or transportation for life?

The following is a full statement: