asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that last Thursday afternoon a British subject was unable to get assistance from the British Consul at Cologne owing to the office being closed; and whether he will make arrangements for this office to remain open until 5 p.m. on Thursday afternoons?

I have heard nothing about the incident referred to by my hon. Friend. The hours during which Consular offices are open to the public follow, as a rule, the local business hours. When the office at Cologne is closed, persons requiring assistance can apply to the Consul-General at his private residence, the address of which is posted up outside the door of the office. In these circumstances, I see no need for arranging for an extension of office hours as suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the number of persons employed in His Majesty's Consul's office at Cologne and the total annual cost to this country?

There are six persons employed at this post. The total net cost of the post is now at the rate of £4,490 a year.

Will my right hon. Friend arrange for at least one of these six people who are employed at this post to be on the telephone?

I need not say that I wish to see all proper arrangements made. As I have told my hon. Friend, I have no previous information about the facts here, and therefore I would ask him to be good enough to inform me to what the incident is to which he refers.

Would it not be possible to dismiss three of these people now that the country is so hard up?

I am sure that my hon. and gallant Friend who makes that suggestion realises that this is the biggest Consulate in Germany and one at the head of which is the Consul-General.

Is it not a fact that the Consul service at Cologne is very efficient and renders very efficient service to this country?

I am glad to hear my hon. Friend say so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for how long the present representative of the Chinese Consular Service has been attached to the Foreign Office: and for what period his immediate predecessors were so attached?

There are at present two members of His Majesty's Consular Service in China working in the Foreign Office. One has been specially attached since October, 1925, in connection with the various negotiations with the Chinese Government and has thus worked in the Foreign Office for 6½ years. The other, who is attached in accordance with the long standing practice referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend in his question of the 30th of May, has worked in the Foreign Office for one year and eight months. His immediate predecessors worked respectively for nine months, three years nine months and nine months.

Does the Foreign Secretary not think it advisable to send out this official, who has been at the Foreign Office for 6½ years, in order that he may gain some first-hand knowledge of the present conditions in China?

From my own knowledge I can say that the official referred to is extremely competent, and we think his retention is in the public interest.

Is it not a fact that this official is out of touch with the feeling of British residents in China?

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can undertake to reduce within six months the 1,366 members of the clerical staff to 829, as at August, 1914; and, if not, will he allow three Members of the House, nominated by the Public Accounts and Estimates Committees, to test the staffing while the merger of the Secretary's and the Accountant-General's Departments is in progress, and so bring about an early reduction to not more than 829?

No, Sir, it is impossible for the Admiralty to revert to the staffing of 18 years ago unless the functions of the Department can also be restricted to those of 1914, which would involve inter alia the scrapping of legislation, international treaties, scientific developments and inventions, and the higher standard of naval conditions obtaining to-day. As regards the latter part of the question, I am afraid I cannot agree to the proposal that the three Members of this House who have been nominated in the ordinary constitutional manner to administer the Admiralty-should hand over that duty to three Members of this House nominated by the Public Accounts and Estimates Committees.

In view of the fact that the staff of the Admiralty now appears to be one-third larger than in 1914, although the personnel of the Navy is 60,000 less, can the First Lord hold out any hope that there will be further substantial reductions in personnel this year?

I can assure my hon. Friend that no one is more anxious than I am to reduce the staff to the lowest limit. If the question standing in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. West Russell) had been asked, I was going to state that I would circulate a statement explaining, I think very well, why an additional staff is necessary to-day; and I hope my hon. Friend will read that answer.

Would not some amelioration result if the system of filing correspondence and the receipt and issue of letters were looked into at the Admiralty?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is in a position to make any statement with regard to the discussions of the National Whitley Council on the future basis of remuneration of the Civil Service?

The representations of the staff side are still under the consideration of the Government, and my right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to make any further statement on the matter.

Will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman ask his chief, in deciding this matter, to take into account the fact that the House of Commons has already passed a resolution in favour of equal pay, and that therefore it ought to be the subject of discussion without any question whatever?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can make any further statement in relation to the proposed Danubian Federation?

No, Sir. I have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member on the 11th of April, since the exchange of views between the Four Powers is not yet complete.

Would my right hon. Friend indicate to the House when he thinks some conclusion will be arrived at on this question, having regard to the unfortunate plight in which all the Danubian countries now find themselves?

The present situation is that some of the Four Powers have communicated to the others their views, but the remaining Powers have not. I think I must get all their views assembled together before we can very well make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the work undertaken by Russell Pasha, director of the Narcotics Intelligence Bureau in Cairo, for the suppression of opium and other drug traffic in Egypt and the Near East?

No, Sir. The Narcotics Intelligence Bureau in Cairo is a Department of the Egyptian Government, and I cannot therefore make a statement on the progress of the work undertaken by its director.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement of the existing relations between Egypt and this country and on the progress in Egyptian economic development; and if the expansion of British trade in Egypt is receiving the continued support of His Majesty's Government?

With regard to the first part of the question, I have nothing to add to the reply which I returned to the hon. Member for East Wolverhampton (Mr. Mander) on the 17th of February. With regard to the second part, the progress of Egyptian economic development is dealt with in the periodical reports of the Commercial Secretary to the Residency; the last published report was issued in July, 1931. The answer to the third part of the question is in the affirmative.

May I ask my right hon. Friend whether in point of fact under the present regime the relations between this country and Egypt have considerably improved?

I am very glad to say that the relations are satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consider the advisability of introducing legislation making it a penal offence for the Press to circulate unfounded rumours or statements calculated to embitter the otherwise friendly relations between different States, such as the report recently published in one of the English papers that Poland, in pursuance of a plan to occupy Dantzig, was concentrating troops in the neighbourhood of that city?

While I appreciate the object which my hon. Friend has in view, I do not consider, as at present advised, that there are sufficient grounds to justify me in recommending the Government to introduce legislation as suggested in the question.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the rumours to which I make reference in my question are utterly unfounded and might have led to incidents between two countries which might ultimately have resulted in war; and are we to understand that the British Government are powerless to deal with incidents of that kind?

My hon. Friend will appreciate, I am sure, that he is suggesting that legislation should be intro- duced and that would raise the difficult question as to whether we really could, in an English court, try the truth or otherwise of rumours all over the world, but I agree with my hon. Friend that the case to which he refers is a very serious one, and my attention has already been called to it.

Will my right hon. Friend see that the newspaper which has published these reports also gives equal prominence to the denial of those reports which are absolutely unfounded.

You have your hands full.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is satisfied that the equipment provided in our home ports for the salvage of submarines that meet with an accident in moderate depths of water is as efficient as possible.

The equipment provided is considered to be efficient for the purpose. The salvage operations now being carried out on "M.2" are providing valuable information and experience. The whole question of submarine salvage will be reviewed after "M.2" has been raised, in the light of the experience so gained.

Is not the surest way of preventing accidents to submarines for all countries to prohibit them altogether?

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty at what intervals in the past year a fishery cruiser has patrolled between Portland and the Isle of Scilly; and how many cases of illegal trawling have been reported in these waters during the past 12 months?

Fishery protection vessels have patrolled in this area 99 times during the past 12 months. Two cases of illegal trawling within territorial limits were reported and in each case a conviction was obtained. In addition, one foreign vessel was convicted of fishing in prohibited waters.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) what is the number and strength of the British flotilla on the Yangtze River;

The strength of the British flotilla on the Yangtze River is 12 gunboats, of which two are normally at, or near, Hankow. In addition to this flotilla, it is the present policy to maintain one cruiser at Hankow throughout the year.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will issue instructions for naval ratings attending Devonport as representatives at the Inter-Port Welfare Conference to be placed on lodging and provision allowances for the duration of the conference?

No, Sir. No reason is seen for any exception to the rule that ratings sent on duty to a naval port should be accommodated in the Royal Naval Barracks.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that the time has now come when the question of abolishing the Welfare Conference might be considered?

The question whether something more practical and better can be found as a substitute for the Welfare Committee is now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can give particulars of the amount of lava removed from Ascension Island by the St. Helena Colony Development Company, Limited, under the concession granted to them in 1927; the sums received in payment for the lava; and the purposes for which the lava has been purchased and removed from the island?

I have no exact information as to the amount of lava removed by the company from the island. Under their agreement the company are required to pay a royalty of 20s. per ton of lava shipped, subject to a minimum of £1,000 a year. I understand that the payments actually made up to date amount in all to £4,500. With regard to the last part of the question, the purposes for which the lava is to be used are not specified in the agreement, but I understand that it is in fact being treated with a view to the extraction of gold.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that a company called the New Process Company, Limited, with works at Southall, Middlesex, claims to have extracted large amounts of gold from this lava?

No, Sir, I was not aware of that; but I should like to make it plain that, so far as the relations of the Government of St. Helena are concerned, their relations with the company are to give them a concession to take lava. There is no guarantee by the Government of St. Helena as to what the lava contains.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that a periodical publication called "The Negro Worker," and all other publications issued by the International Trade Union Committee of Negro Workers, have been prohibited by proclamation in Trinidad and Tobago; and, seeing that these publications circulate freely in Britain and in other parts of the Empire, including other West Indian islands, will he say what is the reason for their being prohibited in Trinidad?

The importation into Trinidad and Tobago of "The Negro Worker" and all other publications issued by the International Trade Union Committee of Negro Workers, of Hamburg, Germany, was prohibited by a proclamation of the Governor dated the 14th April, 1932. The matter is one properly within the discretion of the Governor of the Colony, and I see no reason to question the propriety of his action.

Why does the right hon Gentleman allow the Governor of thi3 particular Colony to act differently from the Governors of other Colonies; and why should the negroes in these particular islands be denied the right to organise in trade unions, as they do in other places?

They are not denied the right to organise in trade unions, but the Governor is the right person to decide whether documents issued from alien sources outside the islands should enter the Colony.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if every international organisation which does not happen to have its headquarters in Great Britain is to be regarded as an alien organisation?

In point of law, any organisation which was outside Great Britain would be an alien organisation.

The League of Nations?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give any information regarding the invitation by the Nairobi Chamber of Commerce to the Kenya Government to constitute a board which should frame a policy for the improvement of commercial methods in native areas?

I assume that the question refers to resolutions passed at a meeting of the Nairobi Chamber of Commerce on the 17th March last. No communication regarding these resolutions has yet been received from the Governor, who is, no doubt, considering them in connection with the general question of the marketing of native produce.

Will the right hon. Gentleman take care, if any such policy is framed, that the interests of the natives and of the Indian traders are taken into consideration?

I understand that the whole point of the ques- tion is directed to the better marketing of native produce, and that, neutrally, would involve such interests.

Then it is not a question of confining trade with these areas to white traders?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give any information regarding the proposal of the Government of Kenya to grant to a mining company an exclusive prospecting licence over an area of 5,900 square miles; whether any objections have been lodged against this grant; and whether any arrangements were made in the draft agreement for the safeguarding of native interests?

The Government of Kenya announced on the 19th March that it had under consideration the issue of an exclusive prospecting licence (which had been applied for by Tanganyika Concessions, Limited) over an area of approximately 5,900 square miles in Nyanza Province. A period of three months expiring on the 19th June has been allowed for lodging objections. A number have already been received, and these, with any other objections that may be lodged, will, in accordance with the usual procedure, receive due consideration before any decision is taken. I have no knowledge of any draft agreement, but in regard to native interests I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. and gallant Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Colonel Wedgwood) on the 24th of February, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport the position as to the projected electric railways from Liverpool Street via Bethnal Green to Ilford and beyond?

I am not in a position to add anything to the reply which I gave to the question on this subject asked by the hon. and gallant Member on the 18th November last, of which I am sending him a copy.

In view of the fact that the hon. Gentleman has just stated that it is contingent upon the passing of the London Passenger Transport Bill, may I ask him if he can give any indication as to whether that Bill is likely to be passed?

I understand that a statement is to be made on that subject to-morrow.

Is the Minister aware of the excessive overcrowding on this line; and would not that overcrowding be obviated if the line were electrified?

asked the Minister of Transport if he is in a position to state when the new East Lancashire road, Liverpool to Manchester, will be completed and in use for traffic; and will he say what portion is in use now?

The Lancashire County Council anticipate that the road will be completed by March, 1933; approximately 12 months in advance of the stipulated time. A length of two miles within the city of Liverpool is now in use, and it is expected that 12 miles in the county area will be available for traffic within six months.

asked the Minister of Transport the reason for the continued delay in the completion of the new Edinburgh-Glasgow road?

This scheme, which is of exceptional magnitude, suffered delay in its earlier stages owing to complicated negotiations regarding the bridges, etc. The little work still remaining to be done is progressing rapidly, and should be completed during the present summer.

Is it not the case that a good deal of the hold-up in connection with this road is due to the fact that the engineer-in-charge is carrying out other work while he is a Government servant?

No, Sir; I have no confirmation of that statement.

Could not the hon. Gentleman give, in reply to the main question, the reason for the excessive delay in this matter? It is true that it is a big scheme, but, as compared with the Manchester-Liverpool road, the delay has been excessive.

In my answer I stated that the delay in the earlier stages was due to complicated negotiations regarding bridges. I do not think that that has anything to do with the engineer-in-charge.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, having regard to the large number of road accidents resulting from the presence on the roads of defective motor vehicles, he will consider the advisability of making regulations to ensure that all motor vehicles are periodically inspected by qualified motor mechanics and certificates of fitness obtained after such inspection?

The proportion of accidents on roads due to mechanical defects is not large, and I have not hitherto exercised my powers under the Road Traffic Act, 1930, to make regulations for the inspection of brake and steering gear. I have no power to require that certificates of fitness should be obtained for vehicles other than public service vehicles. A systematic inspection such as that suggested by my hon. Friend could only be carried out at great expense.

Is it not possible that something might be done with a view to having a certificate of fitness produced at the same time as the certificate of insurance is produced to the licensing authority?

That would involve a very costly system of inspection which I should not care to impose.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the approval of his Department was obtained by the London and Home Counties Joint Electricity Authority for its purchase for the sum of £312,640 of assets belonging to the Leatherhead and District undertaking standing in the books of the latter at £230,148?

The consent of the Electricity Commissioners was given to the acquisition by the joint authority of the Leatherhead undertaking as a going concern, after they had satisfied themselves that the price in the circumstances was reasonable.

Will the Minister discourage this authority from going beyond its proper judicial functions and acting as a trading body?

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether, in view of modern developments in the technique of electrical distribution and the increased importance of communication by road, he will undertake a review of the existing law as regards the distribution of electrical current and the relations between electricity undertakers and road authorities with a view to bringing the law up to date;

Authorised undertakers are entitled, under the existing law, to place street boxes in or under public highways without payment, and no limit is imposed as to the size, but the road authority has a veto on the erection of street boxes above ground. When the Electricity (Supply) Bill of 1926 was before Parliament an amendment of these provisions was discussed but was rejected, and I do not contemplate the introduction of legislation on the matter.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he will consider the affixing to the base of the Cenotaph in Whitehall, or to the stone below and around it, or to some prominent place in its neighbourhood, of one of the coloured armorial plates containing a summary of the casualties sustained by the British Empire, such as have already been affixed in French cathedrals and other places?

Unless public opinion is very generally expressed, I am afraid that I cannot support my hon. Friend's suggestion for adding any further ornament or inscription to the Cenotaph as I should be reluctant to do anything that would detract from the simplicity of this memorial.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether, among the units of the Army in India which have been selected for Indianisation, there are, or are about to be, any units stationed east of the River Indus; and, if so, what are the designations of those units?

Yes, Sir; at the moment seven. Their designations are the 3rd, 7th and 16th Cavalry, the 2nd Madras Pioneers, the 2nd/1st Punjab Regiment, the 5th/6th Rajputana Rifles and the lst/14th Punjab Regiment.

asked the Secretary of State for India how many of the 60 casualties at Aden were Jews and how many Arabs?

Twenty-five were Jews. It is not stated in the telegraphic reports received whether the others were all Arabs. A report on the disturbances is expected shortly by mail. Meanwhile, the Chief Commissioner telegraphed on 30th May that the situation was normal.

In view of the suggestion of the Noble Lord the Member for Horsham (Earl Winterton) the other day that it was the Arabs who attacked the Jews, will the right hon. Gentleman in his answer next week deal with that side of the question?

Yes, certainly, but I am not sure that I shall have the answer by next week.

May we have the casualties on each side?

As far as possible, but I cannot say whether I shall have them by next week.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether the question of increasing the labour content required to qualify for Imperial preference goods imported from the Dominions will be discussed at Ottawa; and whether the British Government accepts the view that 75 per cent. is an equitable figure of such content?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 24th May by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Sir A. Baillie).

Will not the question be raised at Ottawa as to the increase of British manufacture in the production of articles entitled to preference in this country?

It is of such importance that the last Imperial Conference unanimously agreed to have a full investigation into the matter, and it is now being investigated.

What would be an equitable percentage of preference to give in this case?

It would be impossible to say that, because you have to consider the reactions on the other side. For instance, if you were dealing with cotton goods, what would be the proportion when it was known in advance that the greater part of the raw material must be bought outside the Empire? That is only an indication of the difficulty.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of rural telephone exchanges, how many of them are rural automatic exchanges, and how many have fewer than 50 subscribers, with separate figures for Scotland?

There are in all 3,582 rural telephone exchanges. Of this number 740 are of the automatic type, and 2,734 have less than 50 subscribers. The figures for Scotland are 606, 121 and 556, respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the maximum wage of country postmen, including bonus at existing rate?

The present maximum wage of country postmen, including bonus, ranges from 61s. 9d. a week at towns on the outskirts of London to 55s. a week at small country towns or villages.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the maximum wage of London sorters, including bonus at existing rate?

The present maximum wage of London sorters, including bonus, is 92s. 6d. a week.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the approximate number of motor omnibuses which are now fitted with posting boxes?

Up-to-date figures are not available, but the number of boxes is approximately 600. If the hon. Member has any particular locality in mind, my right hon. Friend will have inquiry made.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he can state the number of widows who have lost their pensions because the deaths of their husbands took place more than seven years after their Army discharge; and whether he proposes to abolish the seven-years limit?

The hon. Member is, I think, under a misapprehension. The widow of a pensioner would not be refused on the ground stated as her case is expressly provided for under the Royal Warrant of 14th January, 1924. No amendment of the Royal Warrant is in contemplation.

If I send the right hon. and gallant Gentleman a case where the widow has lost her pension on this ground, will he consider it?

The hon. Member sent me a case and it was not rejected under the seven-years limit. If he has any other case, I shall be happy to go into it.

In the case I sent the right hon. and gallant Gentleman, the date of the dead man's final discharge is still under dispute.

Seeing that the Prime Minister gave a pledge in 1929 that he would abolish the seven-years limit, could not the Government undertake to carry out the pledge?

The seven-years limit was abolished by the Conservative Government in 1924 for all pensioners' widows. In these circumstances, a promise given in 1929 to abolish it would not be operative, as it had already been done.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if the engineer's report on the flooding in the Doncaster drainage area is now available; and will he state what remedial measures are contemplated to avoid any repetition of the present disaster?

I have received reports from the officers of my Department as to the flooding which has taken place in the neighbourhood of Doncaster, as well as in other parts of the country. The Drainage Authorities concerned are actively considering the question of remedial measures, and any assistance in these deliberations which the officers of my Department can give will be at the disposal of the Boards concerned.

Is the Ouse Catchment Board meeting frequently?

My officers are in close touch with these bodies at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that many farmers in the Fishlake, Sykehouse and Thorne areas have lost their crops through flooding during the last three years; and will he state whether any financial assistance has been or will be paid by the Government to those farmers who are ruined in this way?

I am aware of the position described by the hon. Member, but I regret that I am unable to hold out any hope of financial assistance from the State.

Are we to understand that, although these fanners for three successive years have lost almost the whole of their crops, it is impossible for the Government to assist them to continue their farming?

I do not say that, but it is clear that the Government have no money that can be allocated for this purpose.

If any application were made for credit facilities, would the Government assist them in that direction?

It is very unlikely that such a scheme could be made workable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the recent flooding in different parts of the country, he will take steps to enlarge the existing statutory powers so as to prevent future flooding, not only to protect life and property, but to provide work for large numbers of the unemployed?

The catchment boards constituted under the Land Drainage Act, 1930, have ample powers to deal with the position referred to by the hon. Member.

Will the right hon. Gentleman issue instructions to these catchment boards to put their statutory powers into operation to prevent further flooding?

It is not my province to issue instructions, but I am in close touch with the bodies who have power under the Act.

Since the right hon. Gentleman is in close touch with them, will he give a little push with the touch?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in view of the change over of this country from Free Trade to Protection, whether he proposes to introduce legislation to consolidate and amend, with a view to bringing it up to date, the law relating to duties of Customs?

I am afraid that I cannot at the present time make any statement as to the possibility of amending and consolidating legislation, which would in any case be premature till further experience has been gained.

asked the Prime Minister if he can now provide facilities for the discussion of the Motion on the action of the Governor of New South Wales—

"That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty praying for the recall of the Governor of New South Wales, on the ground that Ms action in dismissing the Prime Minister of New South Wales is contrary to the public interest and an affront to the democracies of Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Australia."

I regret that I am unable to provide the facilities desired by the hon. Member.

Could the right hon. Gentleman inform the House as to whether the Governor of New South Wales was acting constitutionally when he took the drastic step of dismissing a demoeratically-elected Government?

I think the action was perfectly constitutional, but that is not a matter to be dealt with by question and answer. The question can be raised, as an old experienced Member of the House like the hon. Member knows, in the course of Parliamentary Debate in certain circumstances without special time being found for it.

I have done my very best to get questions on the Paper and find it impossible under the Rules of the House to get them over the Floor. I have put a Motion on the Paper, which is the recognised method. Now you tell me of some other procedure. I am quite unaware of it in spite, as you kindly say, of my long Parliamentary experience.

It is hardly for me to advise Members on a subject which is so simple. The hon. Member can find out, I am sure, by applying to Mr. Speaker, within what limits a question can be asked and how much further it can be raised on the Secretary of State's Vote.

In point of fact, has not the action of the Governor in this case the approval of the whole of the people of Australia?

Have the whole of the people of Australia the right to suspend the British Constitution?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the committee inquiring into the taxation of co-operative societies will confine its sittings to London or visit various parts of the country; and whether it will hear evidence from individual societies or from organisations of co-operative societies?

This is a matter for the committee itself to decide.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1), what is the total estimated number of persons who will actually be chargeable to Income Tax in the present financial year;

I am not yet in a position to furnish final estimates of the changes made in the numbers of taxpayers by reason of the recent alterations in the graduation of the tax, but it is provisionally estimated that the number actually paying tax is between 4,000,000 and 4,250,000 of whom about 2,000,000 are persons who did not previously pay tax. I cannot at present subdivide the 2,000,000 new payers to show how many were previously exempt by reason of allowances and how many were previously exempt by reason of their incomes being below the effective exemption limit.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state for each of the five financial years from 1924–25 to 1930–31 the amount received from Income Tax levied upon interest received by individuals from shares in cooperative societies?

I am unable to furnish any figures for the tax on the interest in question since it is not recorded separately from other sources of income in the Income Tax statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state what is the present position in regard to the International Economic Conference which, according to the Press, is favoured by the Government of the United States of America?

Within the last few days conversations have taken place between His Majesty's Government and the Government of the United States on the suggestion that an International Economic Conference should be called to consider methods to stabilise world commodity prices. The matter has not advanced beyond an informal and entirely preliminary stage—so much so that the opportunity of consulting the other Governments chiefly concerned has not yet arisen. It has to be remembered that the terms of reference for the Conference at Lausanne include among the objects to be sought not only a settlement of reparations but agreement on the measures necessary to solve the other economic and financial difficulties which are responsible for, and may prolong, the present world crisis. Unless, therefore, the United States send representatives to the second part of the Lausanne Conference there is a danger of overlapping, and questions of time and place would remain to be considered, even if a yet further conference were decided on. At the same time, the importance of United States co-operation in such a discussion is so great that His Majesty's Government are losing no time in consulting the other Governments who will be assembled at Lausanne as to the suggestion which has been made.