asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the result of his negotiations with the brewing and other industries in regard to the increased use of home-grown barley?

I have recently been informed by the Brewers' Society that, after careful and prolonged consideration, the Society has come to the conclusion that the proposals which, as a basis for discussion, I placed before it in May of this year are not such as can be applied to the conditions of the brewing industry. I am re-examining the problem in all its bearings, but meanwhile, as I informed my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Louth (Lieut.-Colonel Heneage) on 13th November, information so far collected by the Brewers' Society shows that brewers have increased their purchases of home-grown barley by over 500,000 cwt. this year compared with last.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total number of pigs owned by all registered producers under the bacon scheme on the date of registration; and the number of pigs that registered producers contracted to supply to bacon factories during the first half or full year of the operation of the scheme?

I assume that in referring to the date of registration my hon. Friend means the date by which producers had to be registered in order to vote on the question whether the Pigs Marketing Scheme was to remain in force. I am informed that the total number of pigs returned by registered pig producers as being in their possession on the qualifying date (22nd July, 1933) was approximately 2,350,000, and that registered producers have contracted to supply 620,000 pigs to registered curers in the period 1st November, 1933, to 28th February, 1934.

asked the Minister of Transport if he can consider introducing early legislation to raise the motorists' driving licence from 5s. to 7s. 6d., in order to meet the fees of medical practitioners who attend motor accidents, and who, at the present time, do not receive any certain remuneration for their services?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on this subject on 29th June to the hon. Member for Dudley (Mr. Joel), of which I am sending him a copy. The Select Committee have just reported on the Road Traffic (Emergency Treatment) Bill, and I can only say that I will take their report into consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether it is proposed to make any changes in the near future in the school-attendance age and school-leaving age of children attending the elementary schools in England and Wales?

My Noble Friend has nothing to add to the answer given to the Noble Lady the Member for the Sutton division (Viscountess Astor) on 9th November of which I am sending the hon. and gallant Member a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what has been the result of his representations to the German Government in the case of Mrs. Tebbitt, who lost her property in the Rhineland owing to a change in the conditions of sale made after the sále had taken place?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give any information as to the export to Germany during recent months of aeroplanes or aeroplane parts; and whether any such parts fall into the category of armaments?

In reply to a request for an ex gratia payment to Mrs. Tebbitt, the German Government have stated that the circumstances of the case do not appear to justify such a payment out of German public funds. In view of the position in international law, there is, I regret to say, no further action which can usefully be taken on behalf of Mrs. Tebbitt, and the claimant has been informed accordingly.

asked the. Secretary of State for Scotland the number of civil servants employed in Edinburgh who are receiving, including bonus, less than £2 a week, less than £3 a week, less than £4 a week, less than £5 a week and £5 a week and over, respectively?

It is estimated that the numbers of non-industrial whole time employes in Edinburgh in receipt of less than £2 a week, less than £3 a week, less than £4 a week, less than £5 a week and £5 a week and over respectively, are as follow:

During the first 10 months of 1933, the total declared value of the exports to Germany of aeroplanes and parts thereof of United Kingdom manufacture was £11,260; re-exports during this period amounted to £3,745. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which was given to him on 8th November to the effect that no licence has been issued for the export of aeroplane armament to Germany.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent further preferences have been granted to British exports by British Colonies during the past three months?

New or increased preferences to British goods have been granted in the Colonies in the last three months as follow: A general system of preference has been introduced in St. Helena as from 1st September. A comprehensive revision of the Fiji tariff, involving increases in the margins of preference on many articles in certain new preferences, came into operation in October. In St. Lucia increased preferences have been granted on bicycles, motor cars, cement and wireless sets. There have also been changes in certain Protectorates and Protected States. The Kingdom of Tonga has introduced a general system of preference, and some increased preferences on textiles have been granted in the Unfederated Malay States.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether there has been any increase during the summer months in the cases of poaching by foreign vessels in British territorial waters; how many vessels have been caught; and how many prosecutions have been instituted?

Prosecutions were instituted in respect of nine foreign vessels for fishing within the territorial waters of the United Kingdom between 1st April and 30th September of this year, as compared with five prosecutions over the same period last year.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of people registered as wholly unemployed on the Nails-worth Employment Exchange on 1st November, 1931, and 1933?

The numbers of persons registered as wholly unemployed at the Nailsworth Employment Exchange were 226 at 26th October, 1931, and 121 at 23rd October, 1933. These are the dates nearest to those mentioned in the question for which figures are available.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of people registered as wholly unemployed on the Dursley Employment Exchange on 1st November, 1931, and 1933?

The numbers of persons registered as wholly unemployed at the Dursley Employment Exchange were 248 at 26th October, 1931, and 134 at 23rd October, 1933. These are the dates nearest to those mentioned in the question for which figures are available.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of people registered as wholly unemployed on the Stroud Employment Exchange on 1st November, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1933?

The numbers of persons registered as wholly unemployed at the Stroud Employment Exchange, at the dates nearest to those mentioned in the question for which figures are available, were:

asked the Minister of Labour the number and percentage of unemployed juveniles who were summoned to a court of referees during the quarter ended September, 1933, and the number disallowed benefit, together with the corresponding numbers and percentage for the September quarter, 1932?

During the three months July to September, 1933, 7,415 claims to benefit by juveniles 16 and 17 years of age were considered by courts of referees in Great Britain, of which 6,112 were disallowed. The corresponding figures for the period of three months, July to September, 1932, were 8,080 and 6,625, respectively. Figures showing the total number of juveniles who experienced unemployment during the periods in ques- tion are not available, but if the numbers of cases considered by courts of referees are related to the average number of insured juveniles recorded as unemployed at monthly intervals during the periods, the percentages obtained would be 14–7 for July to September, 1933, and 10–1 for the corresponding period of 1932, when the numbers recorded as unemployed were much higher than in 1933.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of persons between the ages of 16 and 18 years and between 19 and 21 years, respectively, who registered as unemployed during the first week of November, 1933, and the corresponding numbers during the first week of November, 1932?

The following table shows the numbers of unemployed insured persons under 21 years of age on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain at 23rd October, 1933, and 24th October, 1932, the dates nearest to the weeks mentioned in the question for which statistics are available. Statistics showing the numbers of uninsured persons of these ages on the registers are not available:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government propose to arrange for the publication of the proceedings or recommendations of the International Convention for the Protection of African Fauna and Flora?

The Convention, Protocol and Final Act, signed at the recent International Conference, are now being printed, and will be published as a Command Paper as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the reason for the policy of poisoning the game, to reduce their numbers, adopted by the administration of Swaziland?

The grounds for this proposal, which was intended to be an experiment, and confined in the first instance to a small area and a period of one month, were the extensive loss and damage caused to farmers by the presence of large herds of wildebeeste, the spread of disease amongst cattle by these animals and the failure of attempts to reduce their numbers by other ways. It is not as yet known whether the experiment was in fact put into operation, but in any case instructions were issued on 12th October last that it should be suspended, and it is understood that the local authorities are considering an alternative method of dealing with the problem.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the grievance which exists amongst established men in His Majesty's Dockyards on account of the fact that their pensions are adversely affected by the recent reduction in their bonus; and whether he will consider taking steps to provide that these men are treated in no worse way than local government employés?

I am unaware that there has been any expression of grievance on the part of established workmen in His Majesty's Dockyards regarding the effect on their pensions of the withdrawal of preferential rates of bonus. The rules in regard to the calculation of the pensions of civil servants in receipt of industrial bonus are of general application, and I see no ground for the grant of exceptional treatment in these cases.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether arrangements are being made to restore the recent bonus cut of Admiralty industrial civil servants and to consolidate this bonus with their basic pay in respect of the forthcoming financial year; and, if not, whether he will consider making this change in order that the pay of industrial civil servants shall be consolidated at the same time as that of the remainder?

The replies to both parts of the question are in the negative. The wages of Admiralty industrial employes are regulated on fair wages principles. I am aware of no reason for increasing the emoluments of Admiralty employes above those current in the corresponding outside industries.

asked the Home Secretary how many experiments have been performed at the general hospital at Southend-on-Sea, Essex, and the names of the licensees who performed them?

I am informed that no experiments on living animals have been performed at this hospital.

asked the Home Secretary how many visits of inspection were paid by the inspectors appointed under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, in the year 1932; and if he will arrange for this information to be given to the House in future in the annual report of the inspector?

771 visits of inspection were made by the inspectors during the year 1932. I will arrange for this information to be given in the annual report of the inspector in future.