asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state, for England and Scotland, respectively, the number of spirit dealers, beer dealers, wine dealers, publicans, retailers of spirits off, retailers of beer on, retailers of beer off, retailers of wine on, retailers of wine off, and the net receipts of duty in respect of such licences, for the financial year ended 31st March, 1933?

The information desired is contained in the following table:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for the calendar year ending 31st December, 1932, the net revenue derived from spirits, beer, imported wine, sweets, including British wine, hops, and hop extracts?

The following statement gives the information desired:

STATEMENT showing the approximate net Revenue derived from Spirits, Beer, Imported Wine, Sweets (including British Wine), Hops and Hop Extracts during the year ended 31st December, 1932.
Article.	Approximate Net Revenue.
	£
Spirits:
Home-made	29,456,000
Imported	4,320,000
Total	33,776,000
Beer:
Home-made	69,570,000
Imported	6,680,000
Total	76,250,000
Wine, Imported	3,670,000
Sweets, including British Wines	232,000
Hops and Hop Extracts	77,000

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the disability imposed on the business community by the continuance of the embargo on new capital issues for home development; and whether he will indicate when this embargo will be raised?

The hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension. The only classes of public borrowing to which the embargo now applies are foreign issues and optional conversions of securities having trustee status. Since 13th January last there has been no restriction of any kind on new issues of capital for home development.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that applicants have been requested by the North Lambeth Public Assistance Committee to go into the country to chop wood as test work to qualify for public assistance, and as an alternative the workhouse has been offered; and whether he will take steps to prevent the continuance of this practice?

I understand from a case which my hon. Friend has submitted to me that he has in mind an offer of relief in one of the residential training centres provided by the London County Council. The reference in my hon. Friend's question to the work provided is a very inadequate description of the varied and useful activities of these institutions, and I should be unwilling, even if I had the power, to interfere with the discretion of a public assistance authority to offer indoor or outdoor relief in accordance with their judgment of the requirements of any individual case.

asked the Minister of Health the total expenditure incurred in public assistance to able-bodied poor in Leeds, Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley, for each of the last five years, respectively?

The returns furnished to my Department do not show separately

Year ending 31st March—			Expenditure on out-relief in money and kind given by the Councils of the under mentioned County Boroughs to persons ordinarily engaged in some regular occupation and their dependants.
			Leeds.	Sheffield.	Rotherham.	Barnsley.
			£	£	£	£
1931	…	…	71,930	189,355	13,109	25,816
1932	…	…	81,479	295,102	16,118	13,336
1933 (approximate)	…	…	128,300	436,000	23,900	22,800

The unions which, before the operation of the Local Government Act, 1929, included the areas of the county boroughs mentioned were not co-extensive with the expenditure on out-relief to the able-bodied poor, but the following statement shows the expenditure on out-relief to persons ordinarily engaged in some regular occupation and their dependants during each of the last three financial years:those boroughs and exactly corresponding figures cannot therefore be furnished for the years ending 31st March, 1929 and 1930.