asked the Minister of Labour what was the average weekly number of children on whose behalf children's allowances were paid to unemployed persons under unemployment insurance, including transitional benefit, during the past financial year, and the total cost of the children's allowances during the same period?

During the financial year ended 31st March, 133, the average number (based on quarterly returns) of children in respect of whom dependants' allowances under the Unemployment Insurance Acts were authorised was about 1,680,000. There are not separate returns of the amounts paid.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that a number of widows cannot receive pensions owing to the sickness and unemployment of their husbands during the last few years of their lives, he will consider, when drafting the Government Bill dealing with unemployment insurance, the inclusion of these women, who are now outside the Acts and have to fall back upon the Poor Law?

My right hon. Friend will take this point into consideration so far as it is a question of provision for unemployment. Widows' pensions, however, are a matter for my right hon. Friends the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he will consider the desirability of instituting legislation enabling a local authority to pay reasonable compensation to an owner of a dwelling which has been reconditioned by him with the consent of such local authority, but is subsequently acquired by the authority under a slum clearance scheme as being insanitary on account only of its environment;(2) whether, with a view to inducing local authorities to formulate and put into effect slum clearance schemes, he will consider the desirability of instituting legislation entitling such local authorities to pay higher compensation to owners of houses which are acquired by them under schemes on account of such buildings, although they are in good and sanitary repair and condition, being deemed to be insanitary on account only of environment, than to those owners whose houses are acquired on account of such houses being in a bad, insanitary, and/or neglected state?

I understand that suggestions on somewhat similar lines have been submitted to the Departmental Committee on Housing which is presided over by the right honourable the Lord Moyne. Further consideration of the matter must await the committee's report.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to ensure that the address of each house or building included in a slum-clearance scheme formulated by a local authority shall be set out in the report of such scheme sent to him by the authority; that the fact that such report has been sent to him shall be advertised in the district to which the scheme relates; and that particulars of each house or building referred to in the scheme shall be obtainable by any person affected upon application to the local authority?

Provision to meet my hon. Friend's point is already made by the Housing Act, 1930, and the Housing Acts (Form of Orders and Notices) Regulations, 1932. A Schedule containing the description and situation of the properties included in the Order and the owners, lessees and occupiers (other than tenants for a month or less) is attached to every Order made by a local authority in respect of a clearance area, and notice of the making of such an Order is published in local newspapers and served on the owners, lessees and occupiers. The place where a copy of the Order and map can be inspected is stated in the notices.

asked the Minister of Health the number of local authorities which have adopted Clause 9b by-law in respect to the slaughter of animals; and the number of animals killed by the mechanically-operated instrument in the year 1932 and the number killed otherwise?

Up to the end of last month the model by-law to which my hon. Friend refers had been confirmed for 462 local authorities. I regret that no statistics are available showing the number of animals killed by each method.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education the cost of any additional school buildings in England and Wales, respectively, which would be required to house the additional children who would be retained at school if the school-leaving age was raised to 15?

My Noble Friend regrets that, in view of the number of uncertain factors involved, it is not possible to frame any reliable estimate.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education if, assuming that the school-leaving age is raised to 15, he will state the number of additional children who would be compelled to attend State- and rate-aided schools in England and Wales, respectively?

The number of additional children to be retained in school would depend on the date from which the school-leaving age was raised. If it were raised from 1st April, 1934, the additional number in England and Wales is estimated at slightly over 600,000 in a full year, falling to about 500,000 in 1937. The distribution of the total additional numbers would be approximately 93 per cent. in England and 7 per cent. in Wales.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education the cost of the restoration of the 10 per cent. cut in teachers' salaries so far as Scales I and II only are concerned?

On the latest information available as to the number of full-time teachers employed in Scale I and II areas in England and Wales, the additional annual expenditure involved in restoring the 10 per cent. cut in teachers' salaries, so far as these areas only are concerned, would be approximately £850,000, divided equally between rates and taxes.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has now investigated the fatal accident which occurred in March last in connection with workmen descending into a sewer; and whether, in view of the further two casualties which have occurred this month in similar circumstances at Southend, he will consider the desirability of taking some action in the matter?

I understand that neither of these accidents occurred on premises subject to the Factory Acts, and my right hon. Friend has no power in such cases to prescribe the precautions which should be taken against sewer gas poisoning. He will, however, consult with my right hon. and gallant Friend the Minister of Health as to what further action might be taken to prevent such accidents.