asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how much each cadet at Dartmouth Naval College costs the country; and whether the education at the college is given by professional school-masters?

The average net cost to public funds of maintaining a cadet at Dartmouth College, based on current figures, is £163 a year, or £600 approximately for the whole period of training at the college, which is three and two-thirds years. The school education of naval cadets is entirely in the hands of professional schoolmasters. Such instruction as is given in seamanship and marine engineering is, of course, in the hands of naval officers.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) the number of engineering cadets to be entered at Dartmouth College and by means of special entry during the current year; and the number of commissioners as sub-lieutenant (E) to be awarded to the engine-room artificers during the same period;(2) the number of cadets for the executive branch to be entered at Dartmouth and by special entry during the current year; and the number of commissions to be awarded to the petty officer candidates for sub-lieutenant in the same period?

Approximately, 100 cadets will be entered in the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, during the current year. The number of these cadets who will eventually be employed on engineering duties cannot be stated, as they 'are not required to express a preference for engineering until they have completed thir cadet training, i.e., after a period of four years. Twenty-five special entry cadets will be entered for executive duties and 12 for engineering. Four engine-room ratings will be promoted to the rank of acting sublieutenant (E) during the current year. The number of ratings to be promoted to acting sub-lieutenant has not yet been decided.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty on what grounds the additional expenditure of £50,200 for running His Majesty's Ship "Centurion" as a fleet target is justified on grounds of economy, seeing that heavy-calibre guns cannot be fired at her, and also, that throw-off firings enable guns of all calibres to be fired during high-speed practices?

Battle practice targets which are slow afford practice in observing the fall of salvoes, but do not afford much realism in gun control. Throw-off firings at other ships afford considerable realism in gun control, but have the disadvantage that no fall of shot can be observed from the firing ship. Centurion "offers the advantages of both the above, and the disadvantages of neither. She is the only target available to the Fleet for 'practices from which it is possible to draw those conclusions which are essential for the proper progress in tactics and training, and the money spent is considered to be fully justified. It is only the heaviest calibre of guns, such as are mounted in capital ships, that cannot be fired at "Centurion," and special arrangements are made so that these ships also get valuable experience by using smaller calibre guns.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the reasons why three of the 34 lieutenant-commanders (ex-mate) were not qualified by sea-service for promotion, seeing that according to the regulations they are eligible for promotion on the same conditions as cadet-entry officers

The three officers in question are officers who were promoted to mate from the communications branch, under the conditions that they would be employed on communications duties only, and would not as a rule be, eligible for promotion to commander. One officer promoted under these conditions took steps to qualify himself for general service duties, but the three officers now in question did not do so.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the ages between which Dartmouth and special entry cadets are promoted to sub-lieutenant; the ages of the 12 petty-officer candidates for sublieutenant on let September; and the number of commissions to be awarded to this first class of lower-deck candidates under the new sub-lieutenant scheme?

Cadets (ex-Dartmouth) are promoted to acting sublieutenant between the ages of 20 years 1 month and 20 years 5 months; cadets (ex-special entry) between the ages of 21 years and 22 years. The average age of the 12 ratings to be promoted to commissioned rank on 1st September next who will be given the rank of acting sublieutenant, will be just under 22i years. I have answered the latter part of the hon. Member's question in my reply to his questions Nos. 2 and 5.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that Scotland could supply all the oat products required in the United Kingdom; and whether, in view of this, he will take steps to prohibit the importation of oat products?

The information at my disposal is insufficient to enable me to confirm the suggestion made in the first part of the question. As regards the policy of His Majesty's Government in the matter of oats and oat products, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the statements made by my right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture and the Secretary of State for Scotland on 11th July and 25th July, respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give Scottish timber growers the same protection against imports of Russian soft woods as is afforded to Canadian growers by Section 5 of the Ottawa Agreements Act?

My hon. and gallant Friend's representations have been noted.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that Scottish timber growers produce in the main soft woods, whereas English timber growers are mostly interested in hard woods; and whether he will take steps to afford to the growers of soft woods the assured market which is enjoyed by growers of hard woods?

I am aware that the Scottish timber growers are mainly interested in soft woods. Apart from a limited number of articles on the Free List, the duty on unmanufactured soft wood and hard wood is the same, namely, 1() per cent. ad valorem.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can give any information as to the number of British-owned cotton mills in China, Japan and India, respectively; their capacity in terms of spindles and looms; and the proportion which this bears to the total number of cotton spindles and looms in each country?

According to a statement issued by the Chinese Cotton Mill Owners' Association there were in China in 1932 four British-owned mills containing 204,610 spindles, which represent about 4i per cent, of the estimated total number of spindles in that country. Three of the mills contained 2,691 looms, or about 6 per cent. of the estimated total number. No information is available as to the loomage of the fourth mill. Similar information is not available regarding India and Japan, but it is believed that there are very few, if any, British-owned mills in either country at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is now in a position to report that any progress has been made in persuading Ceylon to adopt the provisional arrangements agreed to at the Ottawa Conference; and, if not, what steps he proposes to take to bring this colony into line with the rest of the Empire?

The Governor of Ceylon informs me that his Ministers are still considering the possibility of granting further preferences to Empire goods, but he is at present unable to state that they will take the necessary steps within any definite period, or that the State Council of Ceylon would agree to any proposals which they may make. He assures me that he fully realises the importance which I attach to the early introduction in the State Council of measures which would bring the preferences now granted by Ceylon to the rest of the Empire more into line with the provisional arrangements agreed to at the Ottawa Conference. He has taken a suitable opportunity of bringing to the notice of the Board of Ministers the great disappointment felt in this country at the incomplete measure of co-operation shown by Ceylon in the protection of Empire economic interests, and will continue to remind the board of the possible consequences to Ceylon of inaction on her part.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, having regard to the need for economy, it is still intended to issue statements of the numbers of staffs and ex-service men employed in Government Departments every six months?

It has been decided, in the interests of economy, that the frequency of these statements should now be reduced. It is proposed in future to present them at yearly intervals, instead of at six-monthly intervals as heretofore. Accordingly the statements recently issued showing the position as on 1st April, 1933, will be the last on a six-monthly basis, subsequent statements being presented to the House annually.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) what is the maximum weekly wage, exclusive of overtime, payable to a Grade III "S" Class clerk employed in the provinces on a 42-and 44-hour week, respectively; and what proportion of the total number of "S" Class clerks are in Grade III;(2) what is the maximum weekly wage, exclusive of overtime, payable to a Grade III "S" Class clerk employed on a 42-hour week in London; and what proportion of "S" Class clerks serving in the London area are in Grade III?

The maximum weekly rates of Grade HI "S" Class clerks are:

—	London.		Intermediate Centres.		Provinces.
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
42-hour week	65	1	62	2	59	3
44-hour week	*68	9	*65	10	*62	11
	†67	10	†64	10	†61	9
* Ordinary scale.
† Adjusted scale.

The total proportion of graded (temporary and "S" Class) clerks who are in Grade III is estimated at nearly 85 per cent. Separate figures are not available for the London area or for the "S" Class, but it is estimated that in the latter case the percentage is somewhat lower.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will endeavour to arrange when the House meets in November, for a chart showing the unemployment position to be exhibited in the Tea Room?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he proposes to take -in connection with the scheme before the Fife County Council to ration labour in the local coal industry, with a view to re-absorbing 4,000 unemployed men; what has been the effect of the rationing scheme adopted for the shale mining and oil industry in West Lothian; and will he, in view of this demand for such schemes, consider the advisability of calling a national conference of employers, with a view to the general adoption of a five-day week of 40 hours without any reduction in wages?

As regards the first part of the question, I understand that certain proposals have been made by the Fife County Council of which, however, I have no details. I understand, however, that the plan is shortly to be discussed between representatives of the council and the Fife Coal Masters' Association. With regard to the second part of the question, a number of workers formerly unemployed have been reabsorbed into part-time employment consequent upon the scheme for sharing the available amount of work in the shale-mining industry. As the hon. Member is aware, there are in various industries many cases in which work is shared by voluntary short time and rotation schemes, with proportinate reduction of earnings. The reduction of the working week to 40 hours without reduction in earnings raises wider considerations than those in work-sharing schemes of the kind referred to in the question, and this subject is under examination by the Government in consultation with the central organisations of employers and employed. A questionnaire for circulation to Governments is being drawn up by the International Labour Office on the basis of proposals adopted by the recent International Labour Conference. In these circumstances, I do not propose to call a conference of employers as suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will institute an inquiry into the effects of the early attendance at school resultant upon the Daylight Saving Act upon young children; whether his inspectors have made any report of recent years upon the lack of attention on the part of young scholars; and whether for infants he will next year alter the hours of attendance at school from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., thereby avoiding the deleterious effects of the early hours upon such young scholars?

My Noble Friend does not see any sufficient reason for instituting such an inquiry as is suggested in the first part of the question.

—		Average Rates of Salary on 31st March.
		1914.	1922.*	1923.†	1924.‡	1930.§	1932.║
		£	£	£	£	£	£
Certificated Head Teachers	Men	177	391	410	407	420	381
Certificated Assistant Teachers	Men	129	305	310	299	293	262
Average for all Certificated Teachers	Men	147	337	346	337	334	298
Certificated Head Teachers	Women	126	314	327	324	327	295
Certificated Assistant Teachers	Women	96	246	254	250	236	213
Average for all Certificated Teachers	Women	103	261	270	266	254	228
Average for all Certificated Teachers	Men and Women	118	284	294	289	279	251
Uncertificated Teachers	Men	68	174	182	177	162	143
Uncertificated Teachers	Women	57	144	148	145	141	129
Average for all Uncertificated Teachers	Men and Women	58	146	151	147	143	130
Supplementary	Women	40	96	97	96	98	90
Average for all Teachers, Certificated and Uncertificated.	Men	139	326	336	328	324	289
Average for all Teachers, Certificated, Uncertificated and Supplementary.	Women	82	215	224	221	217	198
Average for all Teachers, Certificated, Uncertificated and Supplementary.	Men and Women	97	241	251	248	245	222
* Burnham Scales in first year.
† Burnham Scales in second year.
‡ Burnham Scales in full operation, but subject to 5 per cent. abatement. (The full effect of the Burnham Scales, had they come into operation without deduction can be ascertained by adding 1/19th to the averages on 31st March, 1924).
§ Burnham Award, 1925.
║ Burnham Award, 1925, subject to 10 per cent, reduction as from 1st October, 1931.
NOTE.—The salaries of certificated teachers in 1914 were subject to pension contributions of £3 12s. per annum (men) and £2 8s. per annum (women). There were no pension contributions in 1920 or 1921. As from 1st June, 1922, the salaries of pensionable teachers (this includes all the classes in this table except the supplementary teachers) were subject to a pension contribution of 5 per cent. The figures in this table show the salaries before deduction of any pension contributions.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education the average rates of salary paid to teachers in public elementary schools in 1914, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1930 and 1932?

The information asked for by my hon. Friend is shown in the following table: