asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses have been built, and how many have been reconstructed, in rural areas in Scotland since the end of the War; and how many houses have been required to replace normal wastage in rural areas since the War?

The number of houses built with State assistance in county areas in Scotland since the end of the War to 28th February, 1933, is 35,073. The number built without State assistance, and the number reconstructed during that period in these areas are not known. Up to the end of 1932, however, a total of 10,875 houses had been improved or reconstructed in such areas under the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts, 1926 and 1931. The information desired in the latter part of the question is not available. It is known that of the 35,073 houses already mentioned, 3,578 have been provided specifically to replace unfit houses. According to the general statements submitted by county local authorities under Sub-section 2 of Section 22 of the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1930, there were 8,690 houses required in county areas to replace uninhabitable houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can now state what action he proposes to take to deal with the present crisis in Scottish agriculture, particularly with regard to livestock and oats?

With regard to livestock, I would remind my hon. Friend that the Government have taken steps, with a view to raising the level of wholesale prices, to arrange for the voluntary restriction of imports of meat into this country. The position was set out in some detail in the reply given on 23rd March by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture to a question by the Noble Lord the Member for Newark (Marquess of Titchfield), of which I am sending him a copy. A reorganisation commission is now engaged in drawing up a scheme for regulating the marketing of fat cattle and sheep in Scotland. With regard to oats, the application of the National Farmers' Union for increased duties upon oats and oat products is before the Import Duties Advisory Committee, and, in the circumstances, as I have already stated on more than one occasion, I cannot at present say any more on that subject.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any discrimination is made by Employment Exchanges between members and non-members of a trade union in recommending men for employment?

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that by a ruling of the High Court it has been decided that hospital porters shall be classed as domestics and are, therefore, not insurable under the Unemployment Insurance Acts; and whether, in view of the hardship to these men in the event of their becoming unemployed, he will, when amending the Acts, make provision for their being classed as insurable persons?

I am aware of the judgment referred to. The Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance recommended that this class of workers should be brought within the scope of the

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons unemployed in the various industries affected by the Import Duties Act, 1932, and the Ottawa Agreements Act, 1932, and the Orders made thereunder, at the end of August, 1931, at the end of February, 1932, and at the end of February, 1933, respectively?

The following table gives the numbers of insured persons aged 16–64 recorded as unemployed in Great Britain at the dates specified in the industry groups concerned in the production of the classes of goods which are subject to duty under the Import Duties Act, 1932. The undertakings given by the Dominions and India in the trade agreements concluded at Ottawa, cover a very wide field, and it is not practicable to enumerate all the industries in this country which are or may be affected by them.

asked the Minister of Labour when the Unemployment Insurance Bill will be introduced?

I would refer to the reply given on 14th March by the Lord President of the Council to the hon. Member for Durham (Mr. McKeag).

asked the Minister of Labour if he is able to estimate the number of men and women who were in employment in 1913 in trades and industries which are at present insurable

I regret that statistics are not available from which any close estimate can be made of the numbers of men and women in employment in 1913 in the industries which are now within the scheme of unemployment insurance.

asked the Minister of Labour if he can give any recent figures to show the gain or loss to individual industries in respect of payments and receipts under the Unemployment Insurance Acts?

Particulars are not kept of receipts and payments under the Unemployment Insurance Acts appropriate to individual industries, but I am having estimates made and will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of new industries which have been established in this country since the change in our fiscal system, and the approximate number of British workers who have thereby been given employment?

I would refer the hon. Member to the statements given in the replies to the hon. Member for Swansea, West (Mr. L. Jones) on 2nd June, 1932, and to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hacking) on 19th December, 1932, from which it will be seen that 218 new undertakings were established in this country by or with the assistance of foreign concerns during the period November, 1931, to October, 1932. A further statement on these lines is being prepared in co-operation with the Ministry of Labour to cover the period from November, 1932, to April, 1933, and will be available in May. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour indicated in a reply given on 16th February, 1933, that the number of persons employed by these undertakings was about 9,700. I am unable to make any statement at the present time regarding new undertakings established by British concerns.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the number of firms on the Special Register Service at some convenient date in March, 1930, 1931, 1932 and 1933, respectively?

The number of firms on the Special Register Service of the Department of Overseas Trade on 1st March in each of the years mentioned was as follows:

• 2,626 in 1930.
• 2,594 in 1931.
• 2,513 in 1932.
• 2,504 in 1933.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total amount of the National Debt at 30th September, 1931, and the corresponding figure at 28th February, 1933.

Full details of the National Debt position as at the end of each financial year are given in the annual National Debt Returns. I am reluctant to publish figures relating to intermediate dates, which cannot usefully be compared owing to the discrepancy between revenue-collection and expenditure at different periods of the year.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) whether, in view of the suspension of the gold coinage, he will consider the desirability of closing down the Royal Mint in the interests of public economy, and enable private enterprise to undertake such home coinage as may be required and also any foreign contracts for which the Royal Mint has hitherto competed;(2) the cost to the country of carrying on the Mint; whether it made a profit or loss in the last financial year; and how many days its work is normally occupied with home coinage requirements, especially in view of the suspension of the gold currency?

The net expenditure from the Mint Vote in 1931–32 was £18,708, but the Mint paid over to the Exchequer Surplus Receipts of £87,722, thus showing a profit of £69,014 on the operations of the year after paying for the redemption of over £227,000 of redundant silver coins at home and abroad. It is impossible to say precisely how much time is given to United Kingdom coinage only as requirements fluctuate from year to year. In 1931–32 out of 164,000,000 coins struck, about 100,000,000 were for the United Kingdom. The permanent staff of the Mint is normally fully occupied with the production of silver and bronze coins, official medals and dies to the orders of the home Government and other Governments of the Empire. Such other orders as the Mint executes are generally carried out with the assistance of temporary staff.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that the bottling of beer in this country gives employment to British labour, he will consider, when coming to a decision on the Beer Duty, allowing the importation of beer for bottling at a lower rate than beer imported in bottles?

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion, but I understand that the quantity of beer imported in bottle is very small in relation to total imports.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the possibility of rearranging the Beer Duty so as to enable the working classes to get cheaper and better beer?

My hon. Friend will not expect me to anticipate my Budget statement.