asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish a return showing the numbers, places where employed, and pay of whole-time and part-time police matrons employed in the burgh and county police forces in Scotland; arid whether he will give orders that this information may in future appear in a column in the statistical tables of His Majesty's Inspectors' report?

The next report of His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland will include tables showing the numbers of whole-time and part-time matrons employed in each police force in Scotland. It is not practicable to include in the tables any useful particulars of the rates of pay or other emoluments received by each of these employes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons born in the Irish Free State are at present resident in Scotland and how many of these persons are in receipt of poor relief 9

At the time of the 1931 Census, 54,854 persons born in the Irish Free State were resident in Scotland. There were also 874 persons who were born in Ireland but in whose case there is not sufficient information to say whether the birth-place was in the Irish Free State or in Northern Ireland. Exact information regarding the latter part of the question is not available, but on 15th May, 1933, 13,678 Irish-born persons, including dependants but not including able-bodied poor, were chargeable to Scottish Poor Law funds.

Month.			Number of Houses.
			Under construction at the end of the months shown in Column 1.		Approved for subsidy but not begun during months shown in Column 1.
			1932.	1933.	1932.	1933.
(1)			(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)
February	…	…	14,234	22,315	6,531	10,050
March	…	…	14,786	23,503	7,938	9,173
April	…	…	15,383	24,269	8,777	7,662
May	…	…	15,977	23,505	7,877	7,176
June	…	…	15,992	23,146	8,448	7,084
July	…	…	16,899	22,764	7,673	7,347
August	…	…	17,287	22,574	7,438	6,656
September	…	…	18,180	21,687	7,007	5,910
October	…	…	18,514	20,238	7,869	5,008

As regards the last three parts of the question, no applications for the approval of guarantees under Section 3 of the Act of 1933 have yet been submitted.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses completed in county areas in Scotland with assistance under the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1930, in each month since February last?

The number of houses completed in county areas in Scotland, exclusive of burghs, with assistance under the Housing (Scotland) Act,

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses under construction with the assistance of a State subsidy in each month from February to October in 1932 and 1933; and the number approved for subsidy in each of the same months but not begun; how many houses have been under construction with the help of a State guarantee under the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1933; how many have been approved for guarantee, but not begun, in each month since the Act came into operation; and at what rents these houses are to be let?

The numbers of State-assisted houses under construction and the numbers approved for subsidy but not begun at the dates in question, are as follow:1930, in each month from 1st March to 31st October last is as follows:

Date. 1933.			No. of houses completed
March	…	…	224
April	…	…	168
May	…	…	233
June	…	…	120
July	…	…	222
August	…	…	215
September	…	…	185
October	…	…	160

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of slum-clearance houses now under con- struction; and the number approved, but not begun, in each month since February last?

The numbers of slum clearance houses in Scotland in course

As at			Housing, etc., Act, 1923.		Housing (Scotland) Act, 1930.		Totals
			Under Construction.	Approved but not begun.	Under Construction.	Approved but not begun.	Under Construction.	Approved but not begun.
1933
February	…	…	892	354	7,708	2,072	8,600	2,426
March	…	…	886	264	7,918	2,345	8,804	2,609
April	…	…	1,010	200	8,117	2,032	9,127	2,232
May …	…	…	952	120	7,923	2,292	8,875	2,412
June	…	…	952	78	7,947	2,774	8,899	2,852
July	…	…	958	24	7,859	3,182	8,817	3,206
August	…	…	886	24	8,165	3,152	9,051	3,176
September	…	…	850	42	8,157	2,813	9,007	2,855
October	…	…	834	36	7,960	2,557	8,794	2,593

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is in a position to announce the terms of the Government's land drainage scheme for the current year?

I regret that I am not yet in a position to say on what conditions grants may be offered for the assistance of land drainage in Scotland next year to which I presume the right hon. Member's question refers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the present net cost to the State of settling a qualified applicant on a family farm of 50 acres, a market garden of 10 acres, a pig and poultry farm of 10 acres, a market garden of five acres, and a poultry farm of five acres?

Figures taken from recent completed schemes show that the valued net cost to the State of settling applicants on holdings of the types described in the question are as follow:

	£
Family farm (average 46 acres)	985
Market garden (average 9⅓ acres)	678
Pig and poultry (average 9⅓ acres)	592
Market garden (average 4 acres)	399
Poultry (average 5 acres)	393

The figures relate to the latest completed schemes. I shall be happy to of construction, and approved but not begun, under the Housing Acts of 1923 and 1930 respectively at the end of each month from February to October, 1933, inclusive were as follow:supply particulars of current schemes as soon as these are completed and the figures are finally adjusted.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the increasing number of shops which are opened on Sunday for the sale of clothing, boots, and other non-perishable goods and of the handicap this inflicts on shopkeepers who do not desire to open on Sundays, and in the interests of shop assistants, he will consider increasing the penalty of 5s. for infringement prescribed under the Act of 1676 to such an amount as will render the Act effective, or introduce legislation to deal with this practice?

I appreciate the considerations mentioned by my hon. Friend, and, as I stated to a deputation from representatives of employers and employed in the distributive trades which I received in the early part of this year, I should personally welcome a discussion in this House on the question of amendment of the law relating to Sunday trading. I am afraid, however, that, so far as the Government are concerned, I cannot hold out any present prospect of legislation on this subject.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state, in tabular form, the varying rates of unemployment insurance benefits which have been paid to single and married men and women and dependants since 1920, together with a table showing the purchasing power of

Statement showing the rates of Unemployment Benefit since 1920 and those rates reduced to correspond to the Cost of Living Index for 1933 (to November).
Year	Cost of living Index.*	Single man.				Man with wife and two children				Single woman.
		Actual rate in year.†		Rate in year reduced to correspond to "Cost of living Index" for 1933 (Jan.-Nov.), namely 139.		Actual rate in year.†		Rate in year reduced to correspond to "Cost of living Index" for 1933 (Jan.-Nov.), namely 139.		Actual rate in year.†		Rate in year reduced to correspond to "Cost of living Index" for 1933 (Jan.-Nov.), namely 139.
1.	2.	3.		4.		5.		6.		7.		8.
		s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
1933 (to Nov.)	139	15	3	15	3	27	3	27	3	13	6	13	6
1932	143	15	3	14	10	27	3	26	6	13	6	13	1
1931	147	17	0	16	1	30	0	28	4	15	0	14	2
1930	158	17	0	14	11	30	0	26	5	15	0	13	2
1929	164	17	0	14	5	28	0	23	9	15	0	12	9
1928	166	17	0	14	3	28	0	23	5	15	0	12	7
1927	168	18	0	14	11	27	0	22	4	15	0	12	5
1926	172	18	0	14	7	27	0	21	10	15	0	12	1
1925	176	18	0	14	3	27	0	21	4	15	0	11	10
1924	175	15	0	11	11	22	0	17	6	12	0	9	6
1923	174	15	0	12	0	22	0	17	7	12	0	9	7
1922	183	15	0	11	5	22	0	16	9	12	0	9	1
1921—
Nov. 10 to Dec. 31.	226	15	0	9	3	22	0	13	6	12	0	7	5
June 30 to Nov. 9.		15	0	9	3	15	0‡	9	3	12	0	7	5
March 3 to June 29.		20	0	12	4	20	0‡	12	4	16	0	9	10
Jan. 1 to March 2.		15	0	9	3	15	0‡	9	3	12	0	7	5
1920	249	15	0	8	4	15	0‡	8	4	12	0	6	8
* Average for year, except for 1933 where the figure of 139 is the average for the eleven months to November, 1933.
† In 1924, 1928, 1930 and 1931 there were changes in the rates. Those shown are those which were in force for the greater part of the year.
‡ At these dates, married and single men received the same rates of benefit; and these rates do not, therefore, include any allowances for dependants.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that recently about 30 plumbers were required in a Plymouth foundry for work which would last about three weeks; that only two were obtained, it being impossible on the score of expense to bring men from the such rates when compared with the Ministry of Labour cost-of-living index?

The following statement shows the varying rates of unemployment benefit since 1920 and those rates reduced to correspond to the average cost-of-living index for 1933 (January to November).North of England to work for such a short period; and whether he will consider the possibility of payment of travelling fares in such cases?

My right hon. Friend is having inquiries made into the facts of this case, and will write to the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether arrangements can be made that the reports of the trustees and the auditors of the China Indemnity Fund can be published or made available to Members of this House?

Two copies of the reports, which are issued semi-annually by the Board of Trustees for the administration of the China Indemnity Fund, are regularly placed in the Library of the House of Commons.