asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has any information to give the House in regard to the state of foot-and-mouth disease in Southern Rhodesia; and whether he has received any representation from the Government of that Colony in regard to this matter?

The most recent information that I have received as to foot-and-mouth disease in Southern Rhodesia is that there has been very little spread of the disease lately and that the prospects of its dying out are good. The matter has not formed the subject of representations to me by the Government of Southern Rhodesia, but the Governments of Southern and Northern Rhodesia have been in correspondence with regard to the problem arising out of the existence of the disease in Southern Rhodesia, and a Veterinary Conference consisting of representatives of these Governments and of the Governments of the Bechuanaland Protectorate and the Belgian Congo was held last December in Southern Rhodesia to consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has had any communication from the Government of Southern Rhodesia in regard to the Tati concession; and whether he intends to take any steps with a view to the amalgamation of the territory with the governing colony of Southern Rhodesia?

This question is not at present under discussion with the Government of Southern Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if it is intended to sanction the erection of temporary non-residential buildings for Government administration in Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia; and what sum is estimated to be spent on this in the next year?

I am not aware whether it is proposed to erect any temporary non-residential buildings for Government administration at Lusaka. It is intended to remove the headquarters of certain Government Departments to the site of the new capital during the present financial year, and the expenditure of £100,000 has been sanctioned for the purpose. I have already written to the Governor asking him to furnish me with fuller particulars of the programme to be followed and the manner in which it is to be carried out.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information about the proposed South Balkan political bloc composed of Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey?

I am aware that the idea of such a bloc has been canvassed in certain quarters, but I have no information as to the present attitude of the three Governments concerned towards the proposal.

asked the Minister of Pensions in how many cases of pensioners who received 100 per cent. pensions within the last two years the Ministry does not accept full responsibility for the disability; and what is the policy of the Ministry in considering the applications of the widows of such men for pensions in the event of the men dying from the disability for which they received the 100 per cent. pension?

I regret that I have no record as to the numbers of the class of case which my Noble Friend has in view, but I understand that they would be very few. A widow's claim to pension depends on the extent, if any, to which her husband's death has been caused or materially hastened by the effects of his war service. There must be a few cases of ailment or disease which have been aggravated only, but not caused by war service, in which the one-time aggravation, such as it was, cannot medically be certified to have played any material part in hastening death, and in such cases the widow would not be eligible for an award of pension.

asked the Secretary of State for War under what regulations the list of persons qualified to attest formal documents relating to Army pensions is laid down; and whether, in view of the difficulties that are frequently experienced in obtaining the attestation by persons on such list, he will consider adding district, borough, and county councillors thereto?

The persons by whom declarations relating to Army pensions may be attested are those named in a Warrant issued by the Treasury under the Authority of the Appropriation Act on the 25th September, 1923, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. The list is already very long and comprehensive, and I can see no justification for the considerable expense on the amendment of pension forms which would be involved by a further expansion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will state to what extent sugar refining is carried out by State-subsidised beet-sugar manufacturing companies; and whether sugar refineries exist capable of carrying out this work without financial support from the State?

During the 1930–31 "off" season 11 of the 18 British beet-sugar factories refined about 195,000 tons of imported raw sugar. "Off"-season refining operations are not subsidised by the State, the payment of subsidy being confined to sugar manufactured from home-grown beets.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will consider making a grant in aid of the scheme put forward by the Premium Bull Societies' Association, which aims at improving the marketing of store cattle, particularly in view of the extent of the importation into Wales of Irish store cattle?

I regret that I have no funds available from which to make a grant to this association, the good work of which I am glad to acknowledge. I would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that the Bull Societies comprising the association are already assisted under the Ministry's scheme for the Improvement of Livestock.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he can give figures showing the quantity and value of the opium manufactured in 1930-31 at the Government of India's opium factory; what part of this output was intended for consumption in India; and the total revenue of the Government of India from the sale of opium for consumption in India?

During the year ending the 30th September, 1930—the Latest year for which figures are available— 1,276,616 lbs. of opium were manufactured, valued at Rs.115.45 lakhs. Of this, 705,067 lbs. valued at Rs.64.81 lakhs were intended for consumption in India. The actual consumption was however much less. The Government of India sell opium for consumption in India to Local Governments at cost price. The excise revenue of Local Governments and Administrations for the year ending 31st March, 1931, from opium was Es.318.72 lakhs, from which must be deducted charges including the cost of the opium.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will give figures showing the total salary in 1921 and 1932, respectively, of a major in His Majesty's Army on a salary of £818 in 1921?

The figure of £818 represents an average of the emoluments in 1921 of the married major with five years service as major and the married major with less than five years. The corresponding figure for 1932 is £751.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will state the number of horses and dogs, respectively, which have been the subject of poison gas experiments in Great Britain during 1930 and during 1931 at Porton, Cambridge, or elsewhere?

Eight horses were used for experimental purposes at the Chemical Defence Experimental Station, Porton, in 1930. Apart from this, no horses or dogs have been used for experiments in connection with chemical defence, either at Porton or Cambridge, during the two years in question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the 6.2 per cent. of increased active shipping in April is mainly spread over all sea routes, or whether it represents any special trade activity between this country and any other or whether it is mainly composed of vessels on cruises?

It is assumed that the 6.2 per cent. which my hon. Friend quotes is the relative decrease in the amount of tonnage reported as laid up at ports of Great Britain and Ireland on 1st April, 1932, as compared with, the return for 1st April, 1931, such decrease amounting to 120,000 tons net. The official navigation statistics do not indicate that the aggregate tonnage of British shipping engaged in the foreign trade of this country is greater than a year ago.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will give figures showing the total salary in 1921 and 1932, respectively, of a petty officer in the Royal Navy on a salary of £259 in 1921?

The total remuneration of a petty officer depends in a measure on his seniority as such, his qualifications, the number of his good conduct badges and the size of his family, if any. The following are the details of the remuneration, including value of service messing, in 1921 and 1932 of a typical petty officer of the Seaman Class whose total remuneration in the former year amounted to about £259:

asked the First Commissioner of Works if he will state what economy has been effected by supplying cheaper stationery for use in this House?

No material change has been made in recent years in the quality of the stationery supplied to the House of Commons, and I am doubtful whether it would be possible to effect any real economy in this direction.

asked the Postmaster-General, seeing that examinations are held yearly in the sorting standard of sorters and other postal employés dealing with letters, if he will state for what reasons secret work tests are held in addition?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension in supposing that there are annual tests of sorting. Secret tests are only imposed in cases where a sorter has been duly warned regarding slow methods of working and fails to effect the necessary improvement.

asked the Home Secretary whether in view of the fact that officers of the Metropolitan police sell tickets on behalf of the concerts held in support of the funds of the Metropolitan Police Orphanage, he proposes to change this practice; will he state the income from direct subscriptions from members of the force; and whether he will see that the representation on the Board of Management is in proper proportion to the amounts forthcoming from the various ranks?

The Commissioner of Police has decided that the practice of making house to house visits for the purpose of selling tickets for police concerts, etc., must be discontinued. The matters raised in the last two parts of the question are for the General Court of the Institution and the Commissioner.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will introduce legislation to provide that coroners' juries shall in future be drawn from persons possessing such practical or theoretical knowledge as will enable them to weigh evidence properly before arriving at verdicts, and to provide for the preparation of lists of such qualified persons?

No, Sir. Legislation in the sense suggested would be incompatible with the jury system.