asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what are the numbers and the nationality of the refugees in Europe and Asia, as at present recorded by the Hansen International Office for Refugees; what is the number and the nationality of such refugees within the United Kingdom; and what share of the expenses of administration and relief has been borne by His Majesty's Government during the last year for which returns are available?

According to the most recent information collected by the Nansen International Office, there are in Europe, the Near East and China 934,700 refugees, of whom 755,000 are Russian refugees, 165,632 Armenian refugees and 14,068 Assyrian, Assyro-Chaldean and Turkish refugees. As regards the second part of the question, the great majority of the persons who come within the definition of refugee adopted by the Nansen International Office have been continuously resident in the United Kingdom for a period commencing before the War. They are variously registered either as of no nationality or according to their nationality of origin, e.g. Russian, and no separate record of their number is available. The answer to the third part of the question is that Governments do not make individual grants towards the expenses of the Nansen Office in respect of administration and relief; but the office receives an annual grant out of the League of Nations Budget. The grant for 1934 has been fixed at 300,000 gold francs.

asked the Postmaster-General how many accidents have occurred within the last 12 months between motor transport operating directly or indirectly on behalf of the Post Office; how many such accidents have been fatal; how many claims have been made against the Post Office in respect of such accidents; and how much money has been paid on an average in respect of each claim?

The information asked for by my hon. Friend is not, I regret, available, and could not be obtained without elaborate inquiries and expense.

asked the Minister of Health if he will inquire into the circumstances attending the request of his Department to the Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society to forward the health insurance contribution cards of J. Furber, 41, Forest Lane, Stratford, E., No. V/657,662; and, as the retention of the cards is acting to the detriment of the insured person, whether he will expedite the inquiry and return of the cards?

I have inquired into the circumstances attending the retention of the National Health Insurance card referred to, and find that the card was required in connection with legal proceedings against the employer of the insured person. The card has been returned to the approved society, and all the benefit due has now been paid.

asked the Home Secretary the number of cases of infanticide reported to the police in each of the last 20 years; the number of prosecutions; and the results of the trials?

A verdict of infanticide was not returnable until after the passing of the Infanticide Act, 1922. The available figures relating to such cases have been published in the appropriate tables in the annual volumes of the Criminal Statistics to which I would refer my hon. Friend. The latest volume issued is that covering the year 1931, but I hope that the statistics for 1932 may be available before very long.

asked the Home Secretary whether proper provision is made in the staffing arrangements in all prisons for officers of the subordinate ranks who have to attend and care for epileptic prisoners and others having physical infirmities, to be certified as being capable, either by prison-hospital experience or by holding nursing certificates from the State Nursing Council; and, if there are any officers not so qualified, what action, if any, does he intend taking?

The female nursing staff are all State registered nurses, and, in addition, hold the certificate of the Central Midwives Board. The male subordinate hospital staff hold the prison nursing certificate whether State registered or not. In certain prison hospitals night duty is performed by selected quasi-permanent temporary officers, a member of the permanent hospital staff being within call. In smaller prisons where there are seldom cases requiring hospital treatment, there are one or more qualified hospital officers on duty by day, while special arrangements are made for cases requiring attention at night.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has at present under consideration local proposals for the reduction of the capital expenditure on the Government House and central offices at the capital site, Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia?

Proposals for reducing the capital expenditure referred to have been received from the Governor, and are now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give the following information with regard to Ceylon: what is the percentage of imports of cotton piece-goods in 1933 from Great Britain, other British possessions and foreign countries, respectively, and what are the same percentages of total imports from these sources, respectively; what was the total of cases of crime of all sorts in 1933; and what is the balance remaining in the surplus fund in the colony?

The following table gives the percentage of imports of cotton piece-goods into Ceylon from the United Kingdom, the rest of the Empire and foreign countries, according to quantity and according to value.

		According to Quantity.	According to Value.
		Per cent.	Per cent.
United Kingdom	…	15.8	29.9
Rest of Empire	…	14.9	19.4
Foreign Countries	…	69.3	50.7
		100.0	100.0

As regards imports generally, the monthly Customs Returns which have been received up to December, 1933, do not show the actual figures of total imports from these various sources, but the detailed returns are available for inspection in the Colonial Office Library. The figures of cases of crime of all sorts in 1933 are not available. The accumulated surplus on 31st October, 1933, was estimated at 16,000,000 Rupees.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether in view of the complaints now being made by stock-raising interests in this country as to the adverse effect of the recent large importations of Canadian store cattle, he is satisfied that all reasonable steps have been taken to deal with the matter?

Imports of Canadian store cattle since 1st January have been larger than in the corresponding period of last year, but in this connection it should be remembered that the arrangement with the Canadian Government for the stabilisation, for the time being, of total exports of cattle to this market covers a longer period.