asked the Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India has ratified the Forced Labour Convention; and whether the provisions of the convention are being carried out by the Government of India or whether there are still any instances in which forced unpaid labour of agricultural peasants for the personal service of officials is exacted?

The convention has not been ratified, and cannot be ratified by India while the definition of forced labour in it extends to labour exacted in connection with reclamation work for the criminal tribes and similar beneficial activities in the various Provinces. The Government of India are taking action on the other provisions of the draft convention.

asked the Secretary of State for India (1) on what grounds notices were recently served on persons living in the district of Contai, in Midnapur, that they were to present themselves on the route of march to welcome soldiers of the Royal Garhwali Regiment and to salute the British flag; and whether force was applied to compel persons to leave their homes and to carry out this order;(2) the number of civilians apprehended for failing to carry out orders to attend military parades; and under what statutory authority civilians in India are required to leave their homes and employment to attend parades and military ceremonies?

With the object of ensuring that when a regiment is on the march its progress is made an occasion of some formality and ceremony, the Bengal Troops Manual, 1914, provides for the issue of invitations to local gentlemen to be present on the arrival of troops. In the instance referred to by the hon. Member, the notices sent out by the sub-divisional officer, Contai, seem to have been expressed more peremptorily than is contemplated by the Manual. No force, however, was used to compel attendance, nor was anyone apprehended for failure to attend.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of ex-Grade 3 ex-service temporary clerks who have been appointed to the established general and departmental clerical classes at £100 and £95, respectively, in the basic scale of pay for those classes; and whether it is proposed to increase these rates to a figure adequate for men who had already reached mature years of age before establishment, having regard to the fact that the Treasury have prescribed an age pay of £150 per annum in the basic scale for the normal entrants on reaching the age of 26?

As regards the first part of the question, I regret that the information is not available, and could not be obtained without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour. As regards the second part, the arrangements governing the starting pay of ex-service men appointed to the general and departmental clerical classes are determined in accordance with an award of the Industrial Court, and an agreement made with representatives of the men concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what has been the increase in the consumption of spirits in Palestine during the year covered by the Mandates Commission Report, 1933?

The annual report on the administration of Palestine for 1932 gives the figures of spirits released for consumption in that year as compared with previous years. The figures for 1931 and 1932 were as follow:

asked the Minister of Labour particulars of the present standard rate of wages in the drop forgings industry in South Staffordshire?

No recent investigation has been made, but, so far as I am aware, there has been no change in the wages rates since the last inquiry made by the hon. Member in 1931. As, however, piece-rates, on which a large proportion of the workpeople are paid, vary according to the class of work and other conditions, the hon. Member may wish to obtain detailed information from the local engineering employers' association.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the total estimated number of hop growers in 1932 and 1933, respectively?

I regret I am unable to give the figures for the total number of hop growers. The following information supplied by the Hops Marketing Board may, however, he helpful. The number of hop growers registered with the board on 2nd October, 1932, was 1,072. The number on 17th November, 1933, was 1,042.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the appreciation which has taken place in the annual value of Crown lands since the date when they were taken over from the Crown by the State?

The land revenues of the Crown in England and Wales were first surrendered to Parliament in the year 1760. Subsequently the land revenues in Ireland and Scotland were also surrendered, and the process was not completed until the year 1834. In that year the gross income was approximately £300,000. In the year ended 31st March, 1933, the gross income was £1,791,754.

asked the hon. Member for Ipswich, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, whether the staff employed by the Committee are insured against unemployment?

The staff of the Refreshment Department, House of Commons, are not insurable against unemployment.