asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the countries which have principally supplied the varying quantities of potatoes imported from other countries during the four months of 1930, 1931, and 1932, respectively, as shown in the Board of Trade Returns; and the quantity and value of the potatoes imported, respectively, during these periods from the countries in question?

I regret that the desired information is not readily available, but a statement is being prepared which I will send to the Noble Lady as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if the export credits, to the amount of £1,600,000, recently granted in respect of exports to the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics are wholly or partially secured?

I do not think it would be in the public interest for me to depart from the practice adopted by successive Governments of refraining from stating publicly how, or to what extent, credits guaranteed under the Export Credits Guarantee Scheme are secured. In such technical matters the Department has always been guided by the recommendations of the statutory Advisory committee.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he is yet able to report the result of the special committee that has been considering the question of frozen remittances from certain countries in Europe and South America?

I understand that my hon. Friend refers to the examination of the question by the responsible Departments. I am not at present able to add anything to the replies which I have already given on this subject.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if, in order to overcome the stoppage of our export trade due to frozen remittances, he will through his representatives in those countries concerned assist in some form of barter by which such remittances can be transferred to this country in the form of goods?

The assistance of the commercial diplomatic officers is at the service of United Kingdom traders wishing to convert balances of local currency into goods for export, so far as the national regulations permit in the countries concerned. The Department cannot, however, assist in the marketing of foreign goods in this country.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that buyers of boxboards in this country are now obtaining the tops and bottoms, sides and ends in separate shipments, thus avoiding the additional 10 per cent, duty, and that a large number of sawmill workers in this country are consequently out of employment; and if he will take steps to prevent this evasion of the duty?

Boxboards as such are not regarded as liable to the additional duty imposed on certain manufactures of wood and timber by the Additional Import Duties No. 1 Order, 1932. The question of extending the duty to the cases my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind is one on which any representations which it is desired to make should be addressed to the Import Duties Advisory Committee.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the Commissioner of Police no longer gives local authorities particulars of street collections authorised by him over the whole Metropolitan Police Area, with the result that local authorities are handicapped in dealing with local collections and uneven distribution of flag-days follows; and whether he will instruct the Commissioner of Police to revert to the former practice of local notification?

The granting of permission to hold street collections for the whole of the Metropolitan Police District or for any part of it rests with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who acts on the advice of an advisory committee. He always informs a charity applying for permission to hold a street collection whether the date selected by them clashes with some other collection either generally in the Metropolitan Police District or in the particular district. In no circumstances does the Commissioner give permission to two charities to hold collections covering the same district on the same day. Up to 1930, lists of street collections authorised by the Commissioner to be held throughout the Metropolitan Police District were supplied to certain local authorities who specially asked for them, but this practice has since been discontinued. Local authorities in the Metropolitan Police District have no power under the statute to deal with applications for street collections, but the Commissioner's advisory committee welcome any information which a local authority can give them regarding a charity which has applied for permission to hold a collection in that district.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is in a position to make any statement in regard to the situation in the provinces in Burma affected by the recent rebellion and in regard to the general political situation?

There has been no development or incident of importance during the past week.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he will give information as to the purpose of the present visit of Mr. Dunnett, the Reforms Commissioner in the Government of India, to this country?

The reason for this gentleman's visit is that the Viceroy and I considered it advisable that contact should be established between the officials who are working here and in India on reforms problems.

asked the Secretary of State for India the amount, in pounds sterling, of the net excise revenue of India for the years 1928–29, 1929–30, and 1930–31, respectively; the recorded consumption of country spirits in each of those years in Bengal, Madras, Bombay, Sind, Bihar and Orissa, the United Provinces, the Punjab, the Central Provinces and Berar, Assam, and Burma, respectively; and the percentage of excise revenue as compared with the total revenue accruing to the Provincial Governments in each case for the year 1930–31?

As regards the first and last parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the Finance and Revenue Accounts of the Government of India for the years in question, copies of which are in the Library of the House. The answer to the second part as regards the years 1928–29 and 1929–30 (except for Bombay, Sind, the Central Provinces and Berar and Burma in 1929–30) was given by my predecessor on 20th April, 1931. The figures required for 1929–30 and 1930–31, in proof gallons (excluding outstill areas for which statistics are not available), are as follow:

asked the Secretary of State for India the quantity and value, in pounds sterling, of potable spirits imported into India during the year 1930–31; the amount of revenue derived there from; and the countries from which the spirits were exported?

The information asked for is contained on page 256 et seq. of Volume I of the annual statement of the Sea-borne Trade of British India with the British Empire and foreign countries for the year ending 31st March, 1931, and on page 96 of the Finance and Revenue Accounts, of the Government of India for that year. Copies of both of these publications are in the Library of the House.

asked the President of the Board of Education what is the average number of children for whom a dental surgeon is provided by local authorities; and whether he is satisfied that the number of dental surgeons is sufficient?

The number of dentists employed by local education authorities under the school medical service is equivalent to one dentist for approximately 9,000 children in average attendance. While considerable progress has taken place in recent years, I am fully aware that in many areas there is not a complete dental service.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, the amount of money spent for the year ended 31st December, 1931, by paymaster commanders in charge of general messing in His Majesty's Ships "Excellent" and "Vernon," and the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, with private traders, and the amount spent with the Navy, Army and Air Force institutes?

The amounts expended with private traders and Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes during the year ended 31st December, 1931, were as follow:

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that there is a Manning Department at the Admiralty with a rear-admiral as director, arrangements can be made to do away with the Department of the Director of Naval Recruiting and for the recruiting duties to be undertaken by the Manning Department with staff officers at Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and a closer liaison with Army and Air Force recruiting officers?

There is no overlapping between the duties of the Manning Department and the Naval Recruiting Department, and it is not considered that the absorption of the latter in the former Department would enable any reduction to be made in the total staff employed on those duties, or result in any increase of efficiency.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether there is any likelihood of contracts for Admiralty building being placed in the Tyne area in the near future?

Invitations have recently been issued for tenders for certain new construction work, but it is not possible at this stage to say whether any of the contracts will be allotted to the Tyne area. The hon. Member may rest assured that the claims of this district will receive full consideration together with those of the other shipbuilding areas.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the amount of money paid into the sullage fund of His Majesty's ships "Vernon" and "Excellent," Royal Naval Submarine Depot, Fort Blockhouse and Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, for the year 1931; the amount of expenditure under the various items; and how the disbursements were decided upon and by what authority?

Inquiries are being made, and I will let the hon. Member have the required information as soon as it is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the COLONIES if he will form a Departmental Committee to table proposals for a new Constitution for Northern Rhodesia to coincide with the opening of a new capital at Lusaka?

The question whether the Constitution of Northern Rhodesia is in need of revision was considered last year, when it was decided that, in the present conditions of the territory, no constitutional changes were necessary or desirable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total number and nationality of foreign fishing trawlers which are regularly operating from Welsh ports and the total number of British fishing trawlers now lying idle in these ports; and whether British fishing trawlers have freedom of operation in Continental ports?

It cannot be said that any foreign fishing trawlers are regularly operating from Welsh ports, but during the past two months a total of 98 landings have been made by foreign fishing vessels, most of them Spanish, none of which has made more than three landings during the period; seven British trawlers are now laid up at Welsh ports; British fishing vessels 'are free to land their catches at all Continental ports except in France, at times when the British quota for fish is exhausted, and in Russia and Iceland.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of men who have been brought into the Civil Service from the outside since November, 1931; whether the decision as to their appointment has in each case rested with the head of the Department needing their services; and whether the Treasury is satisfied that none of the posts which have been given to outsiders could have been filled by transference inside the service?

As regards the first part of the question, I would refer to the answer which I gave on 2nd June to my hon. Friend the Member for Dorset East (Mr. Hall-Caine). I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the return (Command Paper No. 4094) therein mentioned. As regards the second and third parts, Departments are in continual consultation with the Treasury in order to secure all possible economies in staffing arrangements, including, wherever possible, the filling of new vacancies by transfers within the service.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total value of reparation receipts from Germany up to date in cash and under all heads, respectively?

The total payments made by or for account of Germany to the allied and associated Powers for reparation and cost of occupation from the Armistice to]5th June, 1931, inclusive, as recorded in the Accounts of the Reparation Commission and the Bank for International Settlements, amount to 20,598 million gold marks (£1,010,000,000 at par). Of this total cash payments in foreign currencies have amounted to 5,245 million gold marks (£257,000,000), payments through the Reparation Recovery Act and similar procedures to 2,446 million gold marks (£120,000,000), payments in German currency to 1,012 million gold marks (£50,000,000) and goods and services including deliveries in kind and cessations of state properties to 11,895 million gold marks (£583,000,000).

asked the Minister of Labour whether the new scale for transitional payments recently adopted by the local authority in Newcastle-on-Tyne has been put into operation, or whether any conclusions have been arrived at for bringing the scale previously in force more into line with that of surrounding areas, as discussed at the recent conferences of public assistance authorities?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part of the question, I understand from my right hon. Friend that considerable progress has been made in the discussion among the public assistance authorities in the area which aims at securing some greater uniformity in the public assistance scales for the area.