asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he will give a tabular statement giving the Import Duties and the import restrictions which are applied to British coal in France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and also details of any subventions or other aids which any of those countries may give to their own coal exporters?

The following is the desired information

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he will supply separately, the figures for the past 12 months ended April, 1932, of all imports of all kinds of iron and steel; the countries whence imported; and the towns to which the material was sent?

I would refer the hon. Member to the Monthly "Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom," which contain particulars of the imports of various descriptions of iron and steel and manufactures thereof, distinguishing in the case of some of the main categories the principal countries from which the imports were consigned. It is not possible to state the towns to which these goods were sent.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, for each month since February, 1932, by categories, the declared value of arms and munitions and naval and military stores, not including sporting arms and munitions, of British manufacture exported to Japan and China?

The desired information is not readily available, but I am having a statement prepared which I will forward to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any information concerning the departure during the past month or the preparations for departure from British ports of ships containing arms and ammunition for Japan; and whether he will give the names of the ships, the amount of the cargoes, and the ports for which they are destined?

I regret that I am unable to furnish the detailed information asked for, but the total value of the arms and ammunition exported to Japan during April amounted to £40,496.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, for each month since February, 1932, 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?

Countries.	Imports.			Exports (Domestic Produce).
	1929.	1930.	1931.	1929.	1930.	1931.
	£'000.	£'000.	£'000.	£'000.	£'000.	£'000.
Canada Total	266,818	207,173	129,013	241,402	180,833	123,560
United Kingdom	40,031	33,426	22,485	59,647	48,349	35,224
Other British Countries	12,810	13,405	8,742	21,040	16,095	9,803
United States	183,491	134,250	80,883	107,228	101,627	52,665
Other Foreign Countries	30,486	26,092	16,903	53,487	14,762	25,868
Commonwealth of Australia (g) Total	143,280	130,756 (a)	60,561 (a)	137,866	94,868	75,847	(b)
United Kingdom	57,012	54,242	23,763 (a)	52,516	42,818	33,817
Other British Countries	19,010	15,509	8,448	17,462	10,690	7,318
United States	35,334	30,344	11,403	5,537	4,056	2,379
Other Foreign Countries	31,924	29,126	15,639	62,351	37,304	32,333
New Zealand Total	48,733	42,663	24,813 (c)	53,424	43,454	34,319	(c)
United Kingdom	22,501	20,223	12,200	40,086	35,660	30,546
Other British Countries	10,532	9,007	5,232	5,526	3,946	1,429
United States	9,322	7,572	3,885	3,405	1,938	812
Other Foreign Countries	6,378	5,861	3,496	4,407	1,910	1,532
Union of South Africa Total	82,091	63,357	50,290	44,966	30,773	21,307
United Kingdom	35,937	29,735	21,741	22,258	14,741	48,233	d
Other British Countries	10,087	6,947	6,617	4,504	3,671	4,056
United States	15,036	9,288	7,021	1,636	1,198	768
Other Foreign Countries	21,031	17,387	14,911	16,568	11,163	7,273

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 during February, March and April.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he will supply a table showing the value of merchandise imported into and exported from the separate British Dominions and British India during the years 1929, 1930, and 1931, distinguishing trade with the United Kingdom, other British countries, United States of America, and other foreign countries.

The following statement shows the value of merchandise imported into and exported from each of the British Dominions and British India during the years 1929 to 1931, distinguishing trade with the United Kingdom, other British countries, the United States and other foreign countries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the Report of the Financial Committee of the League of Nations, which was endorsed by the Council of the League, and which maintains that world trade is being strangled, default on the part of the debtor States rendered more probable, and that creditor States should withdraw the impediments in the nature of tariffs, quotas, and other such measures; and whether he is taking steps to apply these recommendations to our relationships with other countries?

I am aware of the Report in question, which has not yet, I understand, been adopted by the Council of the League. The observations contained in it were called forth, I suggest, rather by the actions of other countries than by those of this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs (1) what tariffs were in force in the Irish Free State on 31st December, 1931; and what degree of preference was accorded therein to imports from the United Kingdom;(2) what tariffs have been imposed by the Irish Free State since 31st December, 1931; and whether he has received any communication as to other tariffs that the Dominion has under consideration at present?

I am sending my hon. Friend the particulars of the Irish Free State tariff for which he asks. No communication has been received from the Irish Free State Government as to any other tariffs which that Government may have under consideration at present.

—		Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge.			Chemical Defence Research Establishment, Porton.
		Dogs.	Horses.	Other animals.	Dogs.	Horses.	Other animals.
1930	…	—	—	85	—	8	711
1931	…	—	—	11	—	—	579
1932 (January—April)	…	—	—	—	—	—	127
No other laboratories are concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport what number of road schemes there are now in progress in Glamorgan; how many schemes were stopped within the last six months; and how many men are employed on new schemes to-day as compared with June of last year, 1931?

There are now 21 schemes of road and bridge improvement and new construction in progress in Glamorganshire in respect of which grants from the Road Fund have been made or promised. Within the last six months the Road Fund commitment has been terminated in respect of 24 schemes. 535 men are now employed as compared with 890 in June, 1931.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office what was the number of horses, dogs and other animals, respectively, used for poison-gas experiments at Porton, Cambridge, and elsewhere in Great Britain, respectively, during the years 1930, 1931 and the first four months of 1932, respectively?

The number of horses, dogs and other animals used for chemical defence experiments at the Chemical Defence Research Establishment, Porton, and the Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge, during the periods referred to was as follows:in accidents where the motorist as held guilty of negligence and is killed or subsequently dies of injuries, his insurance company can deny all liabilities for the damage caused to a third party; and whether he will take steps to remedy this in a similar manner to the Amendment to the law made by the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act, 1930?

In the circumstances referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend, no claim on the part of the insured person would ordinarily lie against the insurance company. The legal maxim that a right of personal action ceases on the death of the person against whom it may be brought is of wide application and, although the point was considered when the Road Traffic Bill was before the House, Parliament decided that it would not be right to introduce an exception to this general principle in a particular case such as that of insurance against third party risks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the interest had to be found upon loans to France amounting to £755,875,000 and to Italy of £252,938,000 for the financial year ended 31st March, 1932; how the interest is found; and whether any is recoverable?

The annuities payable by France and Italy under their War Debt Funding Agreements during the year ended 31st March, 1932, were:

France	…	…	£12,500,000
Italy	…	…	£4,250,000 (gross)

The amounts actually received during the course of the year were:

France	…	…	£3,125,000
Italy	…	…	£1,062,500 (gross)

The balance of the annuities was suspended under President Hoover's proposal, and is repayable over 10 years from 1st July, 1933. As regards the cost to the British taxpayer of the loans to France and Italy, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for the Plaistow Division of West Ham (Mr. Thorne) on 3rd December last. It may be added that the figures quoted by the hon. Member represent the aggregate annuities still payable at 31st March, 1932, under the Funding Agreements, not the capital amounts of the respective War debts of those countries to Great Britain.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Greek Government propose to use the amounts due for sinking fund on the specifically secured foreign loans of Greece for public works in Greece; and whether he will make representations on behalf of British bondholders against this procedure?

I understand that statements have been made by members of the Greek Government in the sense suggested in the first part of the question. As regards the second part, a formal protest has been made by the International Financial Commission at Athens against the failure of the Greek Government to carry out its legal obliga- tions, and this protest has been supported by the British, French and Italian Representatives in Greece. Instructions have recently been sent to His Majesty's Minister at Athens to address a further representation on the matter to the Greek Government. As has already been stated, His Majesty's Government take the gravest view of the Greek Government's action, and they will not fail to take any steps which may be open to them to protect the legal rights of their bondholders.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air whether, in view of the fact that business men are now using the aeroplane for carrying out their work, he will do his best to stimulate all towns of any importance to provide the necessary aerodromes?

The Air Ministry, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, has been urging municipalities for some time past to reserve sites for aerodromes in their town-planning schemes, and I trust that, as a result, local authorities as a whole are fully alive to the importance of providing aerodromes. The Air Ministry is, further, always ready to afford expert advice and assistance in this matter.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether any applications for pensions of widows of ex-service men have been granted on the ground that the deceased men died from a War service disability in cases where such deceased men were not in receipt of a pension at their death?

Such cases are not eligible for award under the Ministry Warrants but, in a few quite exceptional cases where it has been definitely shown that death was the result of War service, special sanction has been sought and obtained for an award of pension to the widow.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he is now in a position to inform the House of the nature of the communication received from the Japanese Government regarding the application of Article 15 of the Covenant of the League of Nations to the question of Manchuria?

No, Sir. The position has not changed since the same question was asked and answered on 13th and 18th April.

asked the Secretary of State for India upon what grounds action has been taken on the order of the District Magistrate of Allahabad to close an institution described as a Congress hospital?

I have no information regarding this matter, but if such an order was passed, the District Magistrate no doubt had evidence that the so-called hospital was being used for other purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for India, whether he will direct an inquiry to be held into the disturbances of 8th April last in Allahabad, when police opened fire on a procession and several rounds of buckshot were fired into a crowd which was retreating as a result of a lathi charge; and if he will inquire particularly into to complaint of the widow of Pundit Motilal Nehru as to being beaten with lathis on her head and body?

Under the standing orders of the United Provinces Government the Commissioner of the Division is conducting an inquiry into the firing that took place during the disturbances of 8th and 9th April.

asked the. Minister of Health how many approved societies have been obliged to reduce their benefits below the normal rates; and what is the number of insured persons they represent?

Only one approved society in Great Britain, with a membership of about 34,000 insured persons, has been obliged to reduce its cash benefits below the normal statutory rates, the reduction being 1s. 6d. in the rate of disablement benefit for a period of five years.

asked the Minister of Health, whether his attention has been drawn to the cases in the county of Surrey in which the compulsory absorption is contemplated of rural parishes into other districts; the names of the parishes where the inhabitants have by means of a poll of electors declared their hostility to such absorption, and the numbers voting for and against the absorption; and whether he has received any complaint in regard to the past local government of the parishes concerned?

I am aware of these cases, and my letter of decision was sent to the several authorities last week. The information which I have on the matters to which the hon. Member refers could be extracted from the voluminous documents which I have on the cases, but that would take time and labour and, in view of the very ample consideration which has been given to the cases, I hope that the hon. Member will not think this necessary after he has considered the letter of decision of which I have sent him a copy.