asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education how many men and women teachers, respectively, left the training colleges and university training departments in 1932; and how many if these men and women, respectively, had failed to obtain employment as teachers by 28th February, 1933?

Of the 2,637 men and 5,613 women who left training colleges and university training departments in 1932, those reported by the authorities as having failed to obtain employment as teachers by 31st December last numbered, respectively, 358 and 742. No later figures are yet available.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what is the approved establish- merit of teachers for each Part III authority for the year 1933–34 under Article 11 of the Code; and what is the number of children in average attendance per teacher for each authority based upon the average attendance for the year ended 31st March, 1932?

The establishments of teachers proposed by local education authorities for the year 1933–34, under Article 11 of the Code, are still under consideration by the Board. My Noble Friend regrets that he is therefore not at present in a position to furnish the information asked for in the question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if, seeing that while Denmark carried out her agreement under the bacon import quota system during the month of January last by reducing her exports to this country by about 150,000 cwts., the combined quota was exceeded by 63,302 cwts., he will give the House a list of the countries which infringed the quota agreement during the month of January last, stating the individual amount by which each country exceeded its quota; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent a recurrence of such infringements in the future?

I would remind my hon. Friend that the arrangements under which the chief bacon exporting countries have reduced their exports of bacon and hams to this country since 23rd November last are purely voluntary. Moreover, it was agreed that the countries concerned should be free to make minor adjustments in shipments as between one month and another. The arrangements are continuing, but a statement is attached explaining the position and showing anticipated shipments and actual imports during the full initial period of three months from 23rd November. I am satisfied that the countries concerned have endeavoured to limit their shipments to the quantities arranged in the course of the negotiations, and I should like to take this opportunity of publicly expressing, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, our appreciation of their helpful co-operation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total value of dairy produce imported into this country from the Irish Free State from the passing of the Import Duties Act to 1st March, 1933, and for a similar period in the previous year?

I am having a statement prepared which I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what inquiries he has made with regard to complaints of the mixing of Russian butter with Empire butter by wholesale butter merchants and of this mixture being sold as Empire butter; and what steps he proposes to take?

I have been asked to reply. The sale of mixtures or blends of foreign and Empire butter as "Empire" is a contravention of the Butter Marking Order made under the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926, the power to enforce which rests with local authorities. I am sending a copy of the Order to my hon. Friend, and if he will let me have any definite information as to contraventions of the Order referred to, I will see that it is passed to the local authority concerned.

asked the Minister of Health in view of the request made to him by the local authority to vary the Chingford town planning scheme by allocating land to be used for private dwellings for a factory extension what steps he intends to take to protect the residents from the diversion of neighbouring land to uses other than those originally specified?

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Chingford Council has permitted land scheduled for residential purposes to be used for the extension of a laundry; that there is resentment on the part of local residents against the council's infringement of its scheme; and what action he proposes to take?

The question of the extension of the laundry referred to arose on an objection by the owner to the Chingford town planning scheme when deposited as proposed to be approved, and after careful review of the objection and the representations of neighbouring owners I came to the conclusion that the extension of the laundry (which was in existence before the commencement of the scheme) could not fairly be prevented.

asked the Minister of Health how many applications he has received from local authorities for sanction to the erection by direct labour of housing schemes since 1st January, 1932; and how many such applications have been approved?

I regret that figures in the form desired by my hon. Friend are not available. Since the date in question 46 local authorities in England and Wales have commenced house building operations by direct labour.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount collected for Entertainments Duty for the year ended 7th November, 1931, and for the year ended 5th November, 1932; and what proportion of the amount collected for the year ended 5th November, 1932, was from admission prices, including tax, of 7d. and under?

The net amount of Entertainments Duty collected during the years ended 31st October, 1931, and 31st October, 1932 (the nearest dates for which figures are available), was £6,808,000 and £9,335,000, respectively. I am afraid that the information desired in the second part of the question cannot be given, as detailed statistics of Entertainments Duty at the various prices of admission are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will have inquiry made into the falling off in attendances at the cinemas throughout the country as a result of the reimposition of Entertainments Duty as at November, 1931, on prices of admission of 6d. and under, and the resulting loss of revenue?

I am afraid that I have no means of obtaining the information desired by the hon. Member.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the number of P-class and S-class men promoted to the clerical classes in each Department from 1st April, 1932, to 28th February, 1933?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given on 13th March to the hon. Member for Westhoughton (Mr. Rhys Davies) in which it was explained that, in the interests of economy, statistics of this character are now compiled in respect of 12 months ending on 31st March of each year. As soon as figures are available, I will forward my hon. Friend information as to the number of promotions authorised during the 12 months ending 31st March. 1933.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps the Government are taking to protect our nationals in Germany, especially Indians and Jews; and whether he has any further news 'as to Mr. Nambiar and Mrs. Naidu's son?

As regards the safety of British subjects in Germany, I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answers given by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in reply to the question put by the hon. Member for East Aberdeen (Mr. Boothby) and to supplementary questions on 1st March. As regards Mr. Naidu, the hon. Member for Limehouse (Mr. Attlee) was informed on 9th March that he had been released. As regards Mr. Nambiar, who is still under arrest, His Majesty's Ambassador at Berlin continues to communicate with the competent German authorities; but he has been informed by them that a large quantity of Communist subversive propagandist literature has been found among Mr. Nambiar's papers.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he is aware of the fact that 54 Sikh organisations have submitted resolutions to the Punjab Government urging the immediate release of Baba Chuhar Singh, a prisoner of the 1914–15 conspiracy case, who was on hunger strike lately in the old Multan central gaol; and what steps have the Government taken in the matter?

I am aware that there has recently been a certain amount of agitation for the release of Sikh prisoners sentenced to transportation for life by special tribunals in 1914 and 1915. So far as I am aware, no action has been taken by Government in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he is aware that Dr. Mohamad Alam, vice-chairman of the Lahore Bar Association, ex-president of the Punjab National Congress, and a civil disobedience prisoner lately released from gaol, now the president-elect of the Indian Congress in East Africa, is refused a passport for Kenya by the Punjab Government on the grounds of his conviction; and, as civil disobedience is a political offence and involves no moral turpitude, is he prepared to direct the granting of a passport?

I have received no information regarding any refusal of a passport to Dr. Mohamad Alam. The matter is one for the discretion of the authorities in India and I am content to leave it in their hands. I may add that the grant or refusal of passports in India does not depend on considerations of moral turpitude.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office the strength of the Officers Training Corps at the present time, and in particular at the universities, as compared with 1932, 1931, and 1930?

The strength of the Officers Training Corps (excluding permanent staff) on 1st October, 1932, which is the latest date for which figures are available, was:—Senior Division, 163 officers, 4,481 cadets; Junior Division, 618 officers, 27,163 cadets. The corresponding figures for the preceding three years were:

asked the Home Secretary the number of applications received by the Department from prison officers in the London prisons for transfers to provincial prisons during the year ending 31st December, 1932, and the alleged reasons for these applications?

There were 19 such applications during this period. Five were on grounds of health, five to be nearer to relatives, three to take up work in Borstal institutions, two to take up work in convict prisons, two on account of failure to secure suitable accommodation in London, and two from officers who had failed to qualify for promotion and desired a change of prison.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the Northern Commissioner had access to the books of the companies operating in Durham; and whether he used such opportunity before he allowed the recent increases of fares?

In regard to the information which is required to be furnished in support of an application made to the commissioners in any par-

asked the Minister of Transport if he has given consideration to the committee's report on the Severn barrage scheme; and what steps he now contemplates in connection therewith?

asked the Minister of Labour the number wholly unemployed, the number temporarily stopped, and in casual work for the Neath Employment Exchange area and the Pontardawe Employment Exchange area for 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, and up to the last available date?

The following table gives the information desired:

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on Tuesday last to a similar question by my hon. Friend the Member for the Hallam Division of Sheffield (Mr. L. Smith).