asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education if he can inform the House as to the probable date of the re-establishment of the special grant of 50 per cent. given for reorganisation purposes by the Board of Education?

It is not proposed to re-introduce the special rate of grant in question.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether, in view of the surplus of unemployed trained teachers, the Board of Education will consider a reduction in the maximum number of pupils for which each teacher shall be responsible, as a method of alleviating the lack of employment for trained teachers?

The Board have not prescribed any maximum number of pupils per teacher, except in so far as they have fixed 50 as the maximum size of a class for junior children and 40 for senior children. My Noble Friend regrets that he does not see his way in present circumstances to reduce these figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether agreement has been reached between the Department of Agriculture and the various interests concerned on the steps necessary to prevent further damage to pastoral and arable farms by the depredations of red deer; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take in the matter?

The committee, representative of the associations concerned, with whom the Department of Agriculture for Scotland have kept in close touch, have, I am informed, reached agreement on this question. Proposals for legislation which have been submitted to my right hon. Friend are at present under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the estimated value of increased exports per annum that will take place as a result of the Danish Trade Agreement and the estimated amount of extra employment that will be given thereby?

It is not possible to give any estimate of the increase in exports or in employment which may result from the agreement in general. So far, however, as concerns the provisions relating to increased purchases by Denmark embodied in' the Protocol, these alone will result in an increase compared with 1931 in the exports from the United Kingdom to Denmark of about £1,200,000 per annum and an increase in employment of between 5,500 and 6,000 persons. But I would remind the House that these are by no means the only provisions of advantage to this country contained in the agreement.

asked the President, of the Board of Trade the value and tonnage of exports of machinery from England and Germany, respectively, for the years 1913, 1925, 1929, 1930, 1931, and 1932?

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the fact that the work of public analysts is hindered in respect of food impurities by the fact that in the case of many commodities there is no official definition to work on; and whether he proposes to introduce legislation, or otherwise take steps, to remedy this deficiency?

This matter was within the terms of reference of a Committee on the law relating to the composition and description of food, whose

The following table shows, in respect of the United Kingdom and Germany, the total tonnage and value of the domestic exports of (1) Machinery (except electrical, but including rail and road locomotives) and (2) Electrical machinery and apparatus, during the years 1913, 1925 and 1929 to 1932.work it was found necessary to suspend in September, 1931, as a measure of economy. I do not propose to introduce legislation on the subject at the present time.

asked the Minister of Health the number of insured persons, men and women, in England, Scotland, and Wales, referred to the regional medical officers by approved societies, insurance committees, and doctors, for the years 1923 and 1932, respectively, together with the results of such references?

asked the Postmaster-General if he can make any statement as to the proposed transfer of Lancashire telephone girls to London, the wages paid in London, and how these compare with Lancashire rates?

There is a large redundancy of telephonists at Manchester, owing to the introduction of automatic working; and steps are being taken to transfer the surplus staff to other offices. Sufficient vacancies are not available in provincial districts; and applications have therefore been invited for volunteers for transfer to the London telephone service. I hope that it may be possible to avoid the necessity for compulsory transfer to London. The London scale of pay is generally 3s. a week more than that at Manchester. A London telephonist of 21 years of age receives 43s. 6d. a week,

The figures, so far as they are available, are as follow:and a telephonist of the same age at Manchester receives 40s. 6d. a week.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he will ascertain from the Government of India, with regard to the proposal by the Government of the United Provinces to transfer the secretariat from Allahabad to Lucknow, what are the reasons that have led the provincial Government to take such a step; and what is the estimated cost of the removal?

I understand that the Government of the United Provinces have not yet reached any conclusion on this matter and are still examining the question of the cost involved.