asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make representations to the Government of the United States of America that the amount of future payments, if any, agreed in settlement of War Debts shall take the form of a short term credit, without interest, to be placed in this country at the disposition of the United States of America so that, if they so desire, it can be liquidated by the purchase of British goods and services?

I have considered my hon. Friend's suggestion, but I do not think that it would he desirable to adopt it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he proposes to call on countries owing debts to Great Britain to make token payments in acknowledgment of such debts?

I assume that my right hon. Friend is referring to debts owing to this country by foreign countries. The position as regards such debts to this country remains at present as stated in the reply which I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Epping (Mr. Churchill) on 13th December, 1932, namely, that the suspension of Reparations and War Debts remains in force, but all the rights of His Majesty's Government under the existing agreements are integrally reserved. Consequently, the reply to the question is in the negative.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the hardship inflicted on English traders by being required by the Dominion of Canada Government to pay Canadian Income Tax on profits earned by them in respect of orders obtained by agents or employés in Canada, although such traders are already liable to British Income Tax on the same profits and although they do not reside in Canada; and whether he has taken steps under Section 17 of the Finance Act, 1930, or otherwise, to put an end to this hardship?

I understand that the trading concerns in the United Kingdom which had been requested by the Canadian Revenue authorities to furnish returns of profits from sales effected through agents or employés in Canada are being informed by those authorities that the completion of the returns may be dispensed with until they are further advised. As regards the second part of the question, the Canadian Government has been approached with a view to the conclusion of an agreement under Section 17 of the Finance Act, 1930.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the duty recently imposed by the Swiss Government upon imports of British carpets will have the effect of doubling their price and entirely stopping the sale of these carpets to Switzerland; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?

I presume my hon. Friend refers to the restriction on the quantity of carpets which may be imported into Switzerland at the normal rate of duty, imports ill excess of the quota being subject to a much larger duty. This restriction has been in force during the past 18 months, but was not applied to United Kingdom goods until September of this year. The quota is based on imports into Switzerland during 1931. The United Kingdom share for 1933, which is 204 quintals, had already been exceeded when the restriction was applied to this country. An additional quantity of 100 quintals of carpets previously ordered has been admitted, however, at the normal duty.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what the figures of the trade balance between this country and Japan were last year?

During the year 1932, imports into the United Kingdom consigned from Japan exceeded exports from the United Kingdom consigned to Japan by £855,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total value of Japanese goods imported into this country, and also into the Empire, during the first nine months of this year?

The aggregate value of merchandise imported into the United Kingdom and registered during the first nine months of 1933 as consigned from Japan amounted to £4,903,326. Particulars of the total value of imports from Japan into the Empire as a whole are not available in respect of broken periods of a year.

asked the President. of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that Japanese woollen jumpers are being landed in this country at a price which is less than half the cost of woollen jumpers of similar quality manufactured over here; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this?

My attention has been drawn to the importation from Japan of articles of the kind mentioned in tins question. The Government are keeping fully in view the problems raised by Japanese competition in the industries affected by it; and in this connection I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made in the Debate on the Motion for the Adjournment last Thursday.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will withhold further licences for the export of arms and munitions?

No, Sir.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the recent increase in the price of bacon; and whether it is proposed to refer the matter to the Food Council for consideration?

There was an increase in the wholesale price of certain classes of bacon last week, but the movement on the whole has been in the downward direction since the beginning of September. In these circumstances, I see no occasion for a special reference to the Food Council.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the continued importation of worked Italian marble is retarding re-employment of Landstone quarry workers and monumental masons; and whether he will take steps to stimulate the use of British-worked monumental masonry in the cemeteries and churchyards throughout the country?

The question of the duty upon worked marble is under consideration, but I am not in a position to state what action will be taken.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the amount of nickel, tungsten, and scrap iron imported into Germany and Holland from the British Empire during the first nine months of 1932 and the first nine months of 1933;(2) the amount of nickel, tungsten, and scrap-iron imported into Japan during the first nine months of 1932 and the first nine months of 1933?

asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of nickel, tungsten, and scrap iron imported into Germany from all countries during the first nine months of 1933, as compared with the first nine months of 1932?

The following statement shows the required information, so far as it is available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the average wholesale and retail price of fish of recognised qualities for the weeks ended 31st July and 31st October, and the British and foreign landings for the comparable weeks?

The average wholesale prices at Billingsgate Market of the undermentioned kinds of fish in the weeks ended 31st July and 31st October, 1933, were as follow:

Week ended.	Bloaters.		Haddock.		Cod.		Plaice.
	Per box.		Per stone
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
31st July	4	2	3	10	3	11	7	6
31st Oct.	3	5	5	5	5	2	11	4

Information is not available as to the average retail prices in the weeks specified. The nearest dates for which particulars of average retail prices are available are 1st August and 1st November and on these dates the average retail prices per lb. in the working class trade in London, based on returns collected by the Ministry of Labour, were as follow:

—	Bloaters	Haddock (Dried).	Cod.	Plaice.
	d.	d.	d.	d.
1st Aug.	7	10	9 ¼	10 ¾
1st Nov.	6 ¾	10 ¼	10	11 ¾

Information is not available as to weekly British and foreign landings. According to the returns of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and of the Northern Ireland Fishery Board, the total quantity of fish of British taking returned as landed in the United Kingdom during the month of July was 1,724,154 cwts. valued at £1,264,679; the corresponding preliminary figures for October are 1,813,654 cwts. and £1,511,101. The, quantity of foreign fresh and frozen fish imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland in July was 149,825 cwts. valued at £336,354, and in October, 111,924 cwts. valued at £178,822.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that foreign electric light bulbs for side and tail lamps of motors are sold wholesale in this country for 2s. 6d. per dozen, whereas the home-made article costs 11s. 3d.; that the retailer makes a, profit of 3½d. per bulb on the foreign article against 2d. per bulb on the British-made article; and whether any application has been made to the Imports Advisory Committee for a higher tariff to be placed on imported electric light bulbs?

Foreign electric light bulbs, which are component parts or accessories of motor vehicles, are subject to an ad valorem duty of 33⅓per cent. under Section 3 of the Finance Act, 1925. As these articles are not dutiable under the Import Duties Act, they do not fall within the purview of the Import Duties Advisory Committee.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of applications made to the Tariff Advisory Committee since 30th September, 1932, in which no decision has yet been given?

For the reasons explained in the reply given on 15th December last to a question by the hon. Member for West Nottingham (Mr. Caporn), of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy, it is not practicable to give a figure which would convey the information he desires.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, whether he is aware that the order prohibiting the import of Christmas trees from the 1st December is likely to cause both a shortage of trees and an increase in price; whether the risk of disease from the import of trees which will not be planted but destroyed within a few weeks is a serious one; and whether he will modify the order so as to pontpone its operation in respect of Christmas trees and to permit for a short period their entry at the present rate of duty?

The Order prohibiting the importation of certain conifers is not likely to cause a shortage of trees, as the demand for the species which are used as Christmas trees could be met from home sources and the price of home-grown trees should not exceed that of foreign trees. The risk of disease from the importation would continue, although some trees might be destroyed within a few weeks. The Forestry Commissioners are not prepared to recommend any modification of the Order.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if the Government propose to exclude from this country all boneless meat now imported; and, if not, what are the reasons for not adopting this policy?

I know of no reason for adopting any such measure.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give an estimate of the amounts of British capital invested in Japan and China respectively, with separate figures for Government secured loans?

The "Economic Journal" for June last contains an article by Sir Robert Kindersley in which he gives a geographical analysis of an amount of £3,186,000,000 British nominal capital invested overseas, representing about 85 per cent of the total British overseas investments at December, 1930. Of this amount, £63,000,000 was estimated to have been invested in Japan and £40,000,000 in China; and of the total estimate of £103,000,000 invested in these two countries, it was believed that £83,000,000 consisted of Government and municipal securities. The above figures exclude holdings by British nationals permanently resident abroad, this omission being very important in the case of China.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the question of reducing immediately the rate of interest chargeable by the Local Government Loans Board on loans contracted after this date, particularly in respect of loans not exceeding 40 years' currency?

No, Sir. The position is always carefully watched, but I am afraid that the facts do not warrant any such reduction at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in view of the necessity of assisting industry, he will consider the advisability, with regard to his next Budget, of budgeting for at least two years, so that industry might feel more confidence knowing what taxation to expect?

I doubt if the suggestion of my hon. Friend would be found satisfactory to industry in practice, since conditions change too rapidly to allow of accurate prognostications extending over so long a period.If it proved necessary to introduce a supplementary or amending Budget in the second year, the object which my hon. Friend has in view would be lost.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Treasury has in- formation of the hoarding of gold by private persons and firms in Great Britain; and whether it is proposed to take steps that such gold shall be delivered to the Bank of England?

I have no information which would lead me to believe that the people of this country are hoarding gold in any substantial amounts. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of new positions that have been established during the last five years carrying salaries of £2,000 a year and over, paid out of the Consolidated Fund and paid from the proceeds of revenues of any board or combine established as the result of legislation by Parliament?

The number of new positions established during the last five years carrying salaries of £2,000 a year and over paid from the Consolidated Fund is three. In two of the cases, the salary has since been reduced below £2,000, namely, to £1,800. As regards posts paid from the proceeds of revenues of any board or combine established as the result of legislation, I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of Trans- port to the hon. Member for Wigan (Mr. Parkinson) on 22nd May last on the subject of the salaries of the members of the London Passenger Transport Board. As regards the other boards or combines which the right hon. Member may have in mind, I have not the desired information.

	Home-made.	Imported.	Total.
For use under Section 8 of the Finance Act, 1902:—	Proof Gallon.	Proof Gallon.	Proof Gallon.
In arts and manufactures	11,217,843	36,609	11,254,452
For scientific purposes	20,290	68	20,358
For methylation:—
Power	139,264	—	139,264
Industrial	8,471,368	—	8,471,368
Mineralised	2,355,598	255,703	2,611,301
Total	22,204,363	292,380	22,496,743

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the fact that the recent Act for the reduction of unemployment passed by the German Government contained a Section providing for the deduction from profits for tax purposes of all expenditure incurred for the purchase of machinery or utensils used in the business and of German manufacture; and whether he will consider the effect of this concession in drawing up his plans for the forthcoming Budget?

I am aware of the legislation to which my hon. Friend refers, but I can see a great many objections to adopting it in our taxation code. In any ease, of course, I am unable to anticipate the Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the quantity of spirits, distinguishing home-made and imported, delivered respectively for non-dutiable use under Section 8 of the Finance Act, 1902, distinguishing arts and manufactures, and scientific, and for methylations, distinguishing power, industrial, and mineralised?

The quantities of home-made and imported spirits delivered for non-dutiable use under Section 8 of the Finance Act, 1902, and for methylation during the last financial year (ended 31st March, 1933), were as follow:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the organising committee of the World Economic Conference has met to consider the position created by the devaluation of currency which has taken place since the date of the tariff truce resolution; and, if so, what decision did it come to?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can give any information as to the date when the World Monetary and Economic Conference will reassemble?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Members for Wolver hampton East (Mr. Mander) and Chiselhurst (Mr. Smithers) on Tuesday last.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can now state what has been the cost of the World Economic Conference to this country up to date?

The cost of the Conference to His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, so far as it has been possible to ascertain it up to the present, amounts approximately to £25,000. This sum does not include the cost of the restoration of the new geological museum building to its original purpose.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will prepare a statement of the losses being incurred by the local authorities with a rateable value of less than £250,000 on schemes being operated under the various Housing Acts since 1918, giving the losses for each local authority separately?

My right hon. Friend does not think the preparation of such a return as my hon. Friend suggests would justify the expense and labour which it would involve. There are no fewer than 1,565 housing authorities in England and Wales having a rateable value of less than £250,000, and their total expenditure in 1931–32 on housing account not met out of specific income was £886,003.

asked the Minister of Health in how many instances the councils of county boroughs and county districts, respectively, have informed him of the absence of slums within their areas?

The respective figures are four and 393.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that all meat imported from our Colonies from Argentina and from Denmark is prepared from animals which are subjected to an ante-and post-mortem examination by official veterinary inspectors employed by the Ministry of Agriculture of the country of origin; and does he contemplate organising and establishing a similar service to undertake the work of inspection in all bacon factories in this country, in order that the public can be assured that the bacon of home origin is as wholesome as that imported from overseas?

My right hon. Friend understands that the facts are as stated in the first part of the question. In this country the responsibility for the inspection of meat rests with the local authorities, and as at present advised my right hon. Friend sees no reason for instituting a national system of inspection.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to remove the anomaly whereby in certain cases members of assessment committees are also members of rating authorities which have not delegated their duties, and who are thus placed in the position of having to adjudicate on appeals against assessments previously approved by the rating authorities on which they serve?

I do not consider that any amendment of the law in the direction suggested by the hon. Member is necessary.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether any, and, if so, how many, deaths from meningitis following vaccination have occurred in England and Wales during the present year; where and at what age such cases occurred; whether inquests were held in such cases; and, if so, what were the verdicts at the inquests;(2) whether deaths from meningitis following vaccination of infants which occurred at Alverstoke, Carshalton and Barham have been brought to his notice; and whether he has taken any steps to investigate these cases?

Three such deaths have been reported, one each at Carshalton, Alverstoke and Barham. The ages were 2 months, 11 weeks and 4½ months. The verdicts were respectively "Meningitis due to an organism which may have entered the system at the site of vaccination performed on 1st September, 1933," "Meningitis," and "Natural causes, namely, meningitis." Inquiries were made in each case, and I am advised that there is no ground for disagreement with the verdicts.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that the Danish Ministry of Agriculture issued in 1885 an order making it compulsory that the temperature of all creamery by-products be raised to 176 degrees Fahrenheit before being returned from the butter factory to the farm; and whether, as this order has been the means of reducing the incidence of disease among the pig population of Denmark, he will issue a similar order so that immediate measures can be enforced to prevent the spread of disease from the bovine to the porcine species?

I am aware of the Danish regulations requiring dairy byproducts to be treated by heat before being sent to farms to be fed to animals. In this country the number of factories from which by-products are returned to farms is insignificant, and I think that little or no advantage would therefore be gained by the promulgation of similar regulations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been drawn to the agreement arrived at between members of the South Yorkshire (Rotherham) branch of the National Farmers' Union and the co-operative wholesale societies operating in that area to retail milk under the Milk Marketing Scheme at 7d. per quart; and, as such contracts operate in favour of the co-operative societies by reason of the dividend offer made to consumers, if he will assure the House that the interests of private traders in milk will be guarded against co-operative competition?

I have no knowledge of the agreement to which my hon. Friend refers, but I would point out that the terms of the contracts prescribed by the Milk Marketing Board governing the return of dividends to customers by cooperative societies are similar to those applicable to other retailers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what results of value to the community were made in the course of experiments upon living animals performed in 1932 on the instructions of his Department?

Live animals were employed in the diagnosis of obscure cases of foot-and-mouth disease and swine fever and in the diagnosis of anthrax, swine erysipelas, contagious abortion, tuberculosis, rabies (suspected), haemorrhagic septicaemia of cattle, fowl cholera, fowl plague, fowl typhoid, bacillary diarrhoea, fowl pox, salmonella (infection) of ducklings, entero-hepatitis of turkeys, and in various obscure diseases of cattle, pigs and poultry. Animals were necessarily used in the preparation of the vaccines against fowl pox and tropical piroplasmosis and anaplasmosis (for the purpose of the export trade in pedigree cattle), for testing these vaccines and those employed to protect animals against tuberculosis (B.C.G.), contagious abortion, fowl typhoid and fowl pox, and for testing the potency of foot-and-mouth disease sera. Experimental inoculations were employed for differentiating foot-and-mouth disease viruses, partly to aid in tracing the connection between field outbreaks and partly to advance the development of practical measures of immunisation. Experimental work with bovine contagious abortion enabled progress to be made in tracing the distribution and persistence of infection in the bovine body, and in working towards a production of suitable dead or attenuated vaccines. Advances were made in our knowledge of the differentiation of rabies-like diseases and in our knowledge of fowl pox, the B.C.G. vaccine for tuberculosis, Newcastle disease of fowls and salmonella infection of ducks and fowls. Further light was thrown on the relation of worm infestation to the invasion of the body by harmful bacteria, and also on the development in lambs of an immunity to parasitic gastro-enteritis. Progress was made in tracing the life history of syngamus, the gape worm of chicks, and useful results were obtained in the experimental drug treatment of parasitic gastro-enteritis of lambs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the fact that the Government's policy with regard to oats and meat has not resulted in any material improvement in the prices obtained by the producers, it is the intention of the Government to take steps further to restrict the importation of foreign oats and meat or in some other way to deal with the crisis affecting Scottish farmers?

With regard to meat, I would refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture on 9th November, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. The situation in the oats market continues to receive my close attention. During my recent visit to the North-East of Scotland I was deeply impressed with the position of oatgrowers in that area, and I can assure my hon. Friend that I am doing everything in my power to find a solution of this serious problem.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that no scheme has been approved for draining Don Valley, and that thousands of people are still in danger of floods during the present winter; and will he state the cause of this delay and what action the Government intend to take to expedite remedial works?

I have been in close touch with the Yorkshire Ouse Catchment Board who, ever since the passing of the Doncaster Act, 1933, earlier in the year, have been engaged in considering certain alternative schemes for remedying the state of affairs to which my hon. Friend refers. The board have encountered considerable difficulties, many of them quite unforeseen, but I am satisfied that they are doing everything in their power to surmount them. In the meantime, there is no further action that I can usefully take in the matter at this stage, but my hon. Friend will realise that the existence of the coal measures under this area renders it imperative that the Catchment Board should carefully consider the various alternatives before them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps he is taking to end the German defaults on State or municipal bonds, either alone or in conjunction with the United States of America?

I would refer the right hon. and gallant Gentleman to the reply I returned yesterday to the question asked by the hon. Baronet the Member for Farnham (Sir A. M. Samuel).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will consider the advisability of publishing the final report of the Military Control Commission which acted in Germany after the War, as well as the earlier reports of the Effectives sub-commission on the subject of German disarmament?

As regards the first part of the question, I would refer my how Friend to the reply given yesterday to the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Cocks). As regards the second part of the question, I presume that my hon. Friend has in mind the reports addressed by the Effectives sub-Commission to the Military Control Commission. It may be assumed that any portions of those re- ports which were relevant, at the time of the withdrawal from Germany at the end of January, 1927, of the Inter-Allied Military Control Commission, were duly embodied in the Final Report of that Commission which, as I have stated, has been communicated to the League.

asked the Secretary of Stare for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to report what arrangements have been made by the Brazilian authorities to terminate the loss caused to British holders of the defaulted obligations of the State of Rio do Janeiro floated in England; and, if no decision has yet been arrived at, will he make representations to the Brazilian authorities on the subject?

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne North (Sir N. Grattan-Doyle) on Thursday last. I have at present nothing to add to that reply.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government have taken into consideration the question of providing Wales with governmental administrative machinery similar to that which prevails in Scotland, including the appointment of a Secretary of State for the principality; and, if so, what decision was reached?

No, Sir, and I am not aware of any widespread demand for this change.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office what is the percentage of English to foreign and Dominion meat supplied to British Forces; and what would be the additional cost of the British Forces if supplied wholly with English meat?

Approximately 99 per cent. of the meat purchased for supply to Army and Air Force stations at home is of Dominion origin. It is estimated that at present market prices the annual extra cost of supplying home-killed meat to these stations would be over £400,000.

asked the Prime Minister if he is prepared to introduce legislation setting up an appeal court for men in the Army, Navy, and Air Force who may have been convicted by court-martial, in order that the men in the fighting forces may have equal opportunities of justice with the civilian population?

I am satisfied that the present procedure in regard to the confirmation arid review of the proceedings of courts-martial, and the right to present a petition ensures that a member of the Forces is in no less favourable a position than a civilian in regard to a conviction or sentence. The matter, so far as it relates to military courts-martial, was fully considered by a Committee presided over by Lord Darling in 1919. The majority, including the chairman, reported against any such legislation as is referred to in the question.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the breakage of coal and avoidable loss in value resulting from the failure to provide suitable tipping facilities at the Prince of Wales Dock, Swansea; and whether he will take steps to have new tips and chutes installed similar to those installed at the King's Dock to prevent unnecessary degradation of large and sized coals shipped at the Prince of Wales Dock?

My hon. Friend the Secretary for Mines has received representations on this subject which are at present under consideration by his Department and mine.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he is aware that young per- sons arriving at 16 years of age are generally ignorant of their rights and duties in connection with their entry into the unemployment health insurance and pensions schemes; and if he will make arrangements so that suitable information on these issues is imparted in all the schools of the country during the last year of attendance?

My Noble Friend has no information in regard to the first part of the question. As regards the second part, he will be glad to confer with his right hon. Friends who are concerned, and to facilitate, so far as he can, the dissemination of any information on these matters which may appear desirable.