asked the President of the Board of Trade if, since the passing of the Russian Goody (Import Prohibition) Act, affecting the import, of Russian wood into this country, he has received any repre:3entations from members of the timber trade; and, if so, what was the outcome thereof?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, I am not in a position to make any statement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total imports of film cameras and the total imports of camera equipment for the years 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930; and the total value of such articles manufactured in Great Britain during the above years?

Particulars of the imports into the United Kingdom of film cameras and of camera equipment, as such, are not available, as they are not separately recorded in the trade returns, nor is any information available regarding the production of these articles in this country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the fact that prevailing duties were imposed by the Government when the £ sterling was standing at or near a basis of 3.40 dollars to the £, he proposes taking any steps to increase all duties by the percentage appreciation in the value of the £, seeing that this appreciation is equivalent to lowering all duties by nearly 15 per cent.?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for the Hallam Division (Mr. L. Smith) on 14th March, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will arrange to have the number of men engaged in the industries covered by the treaty between the British Government and the German Reich, referred to in Command Paper 4297, and the number of people unemployed each month recorded in each case separately, so that the effect of the alterations in the tariff in these industries can be gauged?

Figures of the numbers insured and unemployed are compiled and published for coal mining and musical instrument manufacture. I regret that it is not practicable to compile such figures in respect of the other items mentioned in the Command Paper.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, under the supervision of the Australian Victoria Government a large industry for the manufacture of frozen eggs and egg pulp was established in Melbourne in 1931; that it successfully established its commodities upon the English market against its Chinese competitors; that it has been compelled to cease production owing to the dumping of the Chinese product at prices below British production costs; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made with a view to restoring the British home market to the British producer throughout the Empire?

I have been asked to reply. I have no information regarding the Melbourne factory to which the hon. Member refers. The question of the importation of eggs, including liquid eggs, into this country is at present receiving earnest consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make representations requesting the Greek Government to insist upon Greek debtors making application for the half-yearly allocation of exchange to the value of 10 per cent. of the amount of their debts owing to British creditors where they are financially able to pay?

The Bank of Greece have recently announced that debtors must make application for the instalment in respect of the first six months by 4th May; that permits granted by the Bank of Greece must be utilised before 19th May; and that those who fail to make application or to utilise their permits before the dates laid down will cease to receive the protection now afforded to them by the Greek Law of 26th April, 1932. Other possible means of safeguarding the position of creditors are under consideration.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the decision in the interests of national economy to compel all ranks below commander, lieutenant-colonel, and wing-commander, and all civil servants in receipt of salaries of less than £1,000 to travel third class only at the public expense, the Government intend to propose, in the further interest of economy, that the free travelling facilities of Members of Parliament shall similarly be on a third-class basis?

I would refer to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member on 17th November, 1931. In the absence of a general desire on the part of hon. Members for reconsideration, it is not proposed to modify existing arrangements, which provide for the issue of third, as well as of first-class tickets, as the individual Member may on each occasion choose.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any action has been taken to protect the revenue against loss owing to the practice of mingling wines or the British wine known as "Red Lizzie" with new spirit?

As regards the first practice to which the hon. Member refers, I may remind him that Section 11 of the Finance Act of last year was passed in order to deal with this matter. As regards the second Practice, such admixture can only take place if the full duty on the spirits is paid.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what it would cost to relieve the public companies of this country of Income Tax to the extent of one shilling in the pound on the sums placed by them to reserve; and how much have the public companies of Great Britain paid to the Exchequer in respect of Income Tax on sums placed by them to reserve during the last 14 years?

The statistics collected annually in relation to the Income Tax do not distinguish the tax on sums placed by companies to reserve and even to give estimates of the amount would require a special investigation. Such an investigation was made for the information of the Colwyn Committee on National Debt and Expenditure by reference to the years 1922 and 1923, and details of the investigation will be found on pages 18 and 19 of the Committee's Report. The total undistributed income of companies was then estimated to be £219,000,000 for the year 1922 and £217,500,000 for the year 1923. The only investigation made since related to the year 1927, when it was estimated that the total undistributed income amounted to £240,000,000. I am not in a position to form an estimate of the current measure of undistributed income, but on the basis of the 1927 investigation the cost in a normal year of the relief which my right hon. Friend suggests would be about £12,000,000.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) the total number of persons from the distressed areas who have been placed in employment in the county of Middlesex and within the area of the Willesden Employment Exchange, respectively;(2) the total number of trainees who have been placed in employment in the county of Middlesex and the area of the Willesden Employment Exchange, respectively?

Between 25th March, 1929, the earliest date for which figures are available and 27th March, 1933, 10,801 vacancies in the county of Middlesex were filled through the Employment Exchanges by persons from depressed areas. This total includes 3,674 vacancies filled by persons who had had a course of training at Government training and instructional centres. Of these vacancies, 2,664 and 1,605 respectively, were filled by the Willesden. Employment Exchange.

asked (1) the Minister of Labour if he can see his way clear to set up a committee to investigate the best method of making educational provision for the young unemployed, in view of the inadequacy of the present provision;(2) the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education if he can now see his way clear to make the age of unemployed insurance one with the school-leaving age, in order to bring the young unemployed into any educational scheme?

I have been asked to reply also to the second of these questions. The age of entry into Unemployment Insurance and the provision of instruction for larger numbers of unemployed boys and girls were dealt with in the report of the Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance. At the present time provision is made through the scheme of junior instruction centres and classes administered centrally by the Ministry of Labour, and locally by local education authorities, to provide instruction for about 20,000 unemployed boys and girls. This, though a substantial number, is a comparatively small proportion of the total number of unemployed

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons who have lost benefit under the operation of the Anomalies Act since its commencement?

Up to 31st March, 1933, 250,567 claims for benefit and applications for transitional payments had been disallowed by Courts of Referees in Great Britain under the Anomalies Regulations. The figure relates to claims; the

asked the Minister of Labour what has been the nett weekly decrease in wages of all workers since 1929?

asked the Minister of Labour how many men, women, boys, and girls were unemployed on 1st August, 1931, and the figures for 1st April, 1933?

The following table gives figures for corresponding dates in August, 1931, and April, 1933, for which figures are available:number of separate individuals concerned is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour how many applicants for transitional payments have been refused any payment; and the number who have received reduced payment since the operation of the Order in Council?

The following table gives the information desired.

The available statistics on this subject are published on pages 121 and 148 of the April issue of the "Ministry of Labour Gazette."

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when Sir Alan Pim's financial inquiry in Zanzibar is likely to be completed and the report made available?

Sir Alan Pim's inquiry was completed last year, and his report was made available to the public hi this country and in Zanzibar on 21st September, 1932.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any decision has been come to with regard to the future of the Aden Protectorate and its relationship with the Government of India; and, if so, its nature and, approximately, at what date it will be carried out?

Responsibility for the Aden Protectorate has rested since 1927 with the Secretary of State for the Colonies and no change in this relationship is in contemplation.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education for particulars of the special arrangements which are being made to enable school children to attend the forthcoming military tattoo at Aldershot free of charge; what invitations are being broadcast in the British Broadcasting Corporation's lessons to schools; and what is the precise educational object of the scheme?

The Board of Education have not themselves made any special arrangements for the attendance of school children at the Aldershot military tattoo. My Noble Friend understands that, at the request of the organising committee of the tattoo, an announcement has been included in the school broadcasts of the British Broadcasting Corporation to the effect that parties of school children, if accompanied by their teachers, may be admitted to the daylight performance of the tattoo free of charge. In recent years arrangements have been made by some local education authorities for the attendance of groups of school children at the daylight performance as a matter of historical interest.

asked the Home Secretary what date he proposes to fix for the coming into operation of the Children and Young Persons Act?

As I explained last February in reply to a question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Blackley (Mr. Lees-Jones), it was decided to postpone the bringing into force of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1932, with a view to the passing of a Consolidation Bill, arid though this would mean a short delay, I intended to bring the new legislation into force before the Summer Recess. The Consolidation Bill, as my hon. Friend is aware, has now been passed. I had hoped that it might be possible to fix 1st July for bringing it into operation, but I have received representations from the local authorities primarily concerned with the administration of the new Act that it would be very inconvenient to them if these provisions, which involve many changes in detail, were to take effect at the beginning of the holiday period. In consideration of these representations, I propose in due course to fix 1st November next.