asked the President of the Board of Education what the percentage of educational expenditure in 1913–14 and 1931–32 was of the total national expenditure?

For the year 1913–14 the expenditure of the Board of Education was approximately £14,400,000, representing about 7.4 per cent. of the total national expenditure of that year. The corresponding figures for 1931–32 are £45,700,000 and 5.4 per cent.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of mentally defective children for whom special educational facilities have been provided in the last pre-War year and during the last three years; and the additional cost involved in the current year?

The average numbers on the registers of special schools for mentally defective children were as follow:

Year ended 31st March.
1914	…	…	…	…	13,563
1929	…	…	…	…	15,479
1930	…	…	…	…	15,308
1931	…	…	…	…	15,269
1932	…	…	…	…	figure not yet available.

In regard to the last part of the question, I regret that information is not available as to expenditure incurred on these schools as distinct from special schools for defective children of other types.

asked the Home Secretary what progress has been made under the safety-first scheme to reduce the weight of sacks in flour mills from 280 lbs. to 140 lbs.; and what proportion of flour is now being handled in the mills by means of the smaller sacks?

My information is that further progress has been made, and that the use of 280 lb. sacks has been practically abandoned throughout the country. There are exceptions at two or three mills, which, however, use 140 lb. sacks for 50 to 60 per cent. of their output, and only supply the larger sacks at the request of the buyers concerned. I am making inquiry into the special circumstances at those mills.

asked the Minister of Health the grounds on which the village housing schemes proposed by the Dorking Rural Council for the villages of Holm-wood, Newdigate, and Westcott have been rejected by the Ministry?

No definite proposals affecting these parishes have been submitted to me. At a recent interview, officers of the council were informed of the particulars which should be furnished in support of any such proposals, and it was suggested that certain sites in contemplation would be expensive to develop and should be reconsidered.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the number of cases in various parts of the country in which houses built by local authorities with Government subsidy have been let to tenants of substantial means; and whether, in view of the economic position of the country, he will introduce legislation to provide that in such eases a full economic rent shall be charged to such tenants, which shall include contributions earmarked for return to the national Exchequer towards the amortisation of the original Exchequer subsidy?

The reply to both parts of the question is in the negative. The management of houses erected by local authorities is vested in the local authorities themselves. Without new legislation, however, there are various ways of dealing with such cases as my hon. Friend has in mind where on inquiry they are found to exist. Reference is made to this question in the last Annual Report of my Department, and I propose to deal further with the subject in the Annual Report which is now in preparation.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the children's playground at the Poor Law institution at Purton is floored with asphalt and surrounded by a high wooden fence, shutting out fresh air and sunlight and the view of the fields around; and if he will make representations to the Swindon Guardians' Committee with a view to improving the conditions for these children?

I understand that this question refers to certain accommodation recently adapted for the reception of mentally and physically defective children by the county council of Wiltshire. These children clearly must be separated from the other inmates of the institution, but I am informed that the fence mentioned does not in fact shut out fresh air or sunlight, and that the children also have access to the garden of the institution at convenient times. As at present advised, therefore, I do not think it necessary to make representations to the county council in the matter.

asked the Minister of Health what would be the estimated saving to the funds of approved societies under the National Health Insurance Acts if all women on marriage were put into Class K, subject to the proviso that any woman who can prove 26 weeks of employment and of contribution subsequent to the date of her marriage and within two years of that date shall be entitled to be restored to the full benefits provided by the Act, either as at present provided or, alternatively, as proposed to be applicable to married women under the Bill now under consideration?

There are no data available for the formation of any reliable estimate of the financial effect of the change referred to by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many P-class salaried officers there are now in the Ministry of Pensions; how many of these were offered posts in connection with the Customs and Excise when the staff was recently strengthened to cope with the duties entailed by the Import Duties Act and other Measures; how many accepted such posts; and, if they were not asked, whether there was any special reason why they were not so approached?

There are 180 P-class salaried officers now in the Ministry of Pensions. There is no provision for the employment of this class in the Customs and Excise Department, and for that reason none have been offered transfer to that Department.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Treasury retains the final right of insisting on the transference of redundant civil servants from one Department to another, or whether the head of a Department can decline to accept such transfers even when he is compelled to seek additional staff?

My hon. Friend's question appears to be based on a misapprehension of the relations between the Departments and the Treasury. The transfer of redundant staff is arranged by the Treasury in consultation with the Departments concerned whose co-operation is readily forthcoming. There is no reason to suggest either that Departments refuse to accept redundant officers from other Departments in suitable cases or that transfer of such officers is insisted on by the Treasury where it would be detrimental to efficiency of the Service.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total estimated cost of the War to each of the Allied countries engaged in it?

It would be a matter of great difficulty to arrive at any estimate of the cost of the War to any of the Allied countries, and I fear quite impossible to arrive at estimates for them on a comparable basis.

askd the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what the percentage of War debt and expenditure in 1913–14 and 1931–32 was of the total national expenditure?

The expenditure on the National Debt and on Defence Ser- vices amounted to 51.9 per cent. of total national expenditure in 1913–14 and to 50.4 per cent. of total national expenditure in 1931–32. The latter percentage would be raised to 56.3 per cent. by including the expenditure on War pensions. It is not practicable to distinguish War debt from debt incurred on other accounts, and these figures therefore relate to the total Deadweight National Debt.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many of the new factories which have been established in Great Britain since October last are in Scotland and England, respectively?

The new undertakings mentioned in the reply given on 2nd June to my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea, West (Mr. L. Jones) are being carried on in England. I have not had particulars of any new undertakings by foreign firms that are actually in production in Scotland, but my attention has been drawn to one case where a factory has been taken in Scotland which the promoters expect will be in production in about two months' time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the percentage of the possible British output of newsprint produced by mills controlled by newspapers at 1st March, 1932, and also at 1st June, 1932?

I regret I am unable to furnish my hon. Friend with the comparative statistics for which he asks. According to a statement made by the Paper Makers' Association in February of this year, the potential output of newsprint of all home mills was 835,000 tons, of which 642,000 tons represented the potential output of mills associated with newspaper interests.