asked the Minister of Labour how many cases were referred to the umpire during 1933; how many cases are at present awaiting decision by the umpire; and how many of these cases have been awaiting a decision for more than a month?

The number of cases referred to the umpire during 1933 was 17,952. The cases referred to the umpire in the last four weeks number 1,257, and at present there are 1,060 cases awaiting his decision, of which very few are as much as a month old.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that superintendants and attendants at baths and welfare grounds erected under the Miners' Welfare Fund do not come within the scope of the present Unemployment Insurance Acts; and whether, in view of the close alliance between these institutions and the mining industry he will take steps to ensure that these workers will be included in the scope of the present Unemployment Bill?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Spennymoor (Mr. Batey) to-day on this subject, and of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many citizens of Irish Free State nationality entered Great Britain in the years 1932 and 1933, respectively?

I regret that the desired information is not available.

asked the Home Secretary how many people in this country are serving sentences of imprisonment either for non-payment of Income Tax or for making incorrect statements in connection with their income to avoid payment of tax?

The information is not available, and could only be obtained by calling for a special return from each prison. Figures of the number of persons committed each year to prison in default of payment of Income Tax are published in the annual reports of the Prison Commissioners. The latest available figure is for 1932, in which year the number was 126.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the action of a taximeter cab driver in assisting in the capture of alleged shop bandits in London whereby his taximeter cab was badly damaged; and whether in cases of this nature such damage is made good by the police authorities?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which I gave on the 19th instant to my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington, South (Sir W. Davison).

asked the Home Secretary if he can make any statement as to the attitude of the Government in respect of the legislation of the totalisator on greyhound racing tracks; and whether he still hopes to be able to introduce the necessary Measure this Session?

As I have stated in former replies, I hope to introduce legislation in the near future, but I am unable to anticipate the provisions of the Bill.

asked the Minister of Health whether arrangements have now been made for the transfer to local authorities of the poster frames which were formerly used in connection with the work of the Empire Marketing Board?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on this subject to the hon. Member for Reading (Dr. Howitt) on 30th November last. I am glad to say that more than 750 of these frames, out of a total of 980 which had been erected on sites owned by local authorities, have now been taken over by the authorities for use primarily for purposes of health propaganda.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, whether he is aware that a piped supply of water to the village of Burley, in the New Forest, is held up owing to disagreement between the Forestry Commissioners and the West Hampshire Water Company as to the payment of easements in respect of water mains and service pipes laid in Crown lands; and whether he will take steps to secure an agreement on the question of these easements so that the needs of this parish of 1,500 inhabitants may be supplied at the earliest possible moment?

The Forestry Commissioners are prepared to grant the required easements immediately on exactly the same terms as those already in force with the other water company operating in the New Forest.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the report of the National Parks Committee, dated April, 1931; and whether, in view of the diminishing number of private open spaces and the increasing menace to those that remain owing to building and other causes, he will take early steps to put into operation one or other of the recommendations of that committee?

The report of the National Parks Committee has received my careful consideration, but while I am in sympathy with the objects which the committee have in view, I cannot at the present time hold out any prospect of putting either of their recommendations into operation. In the meantime local authorities, by means particularly of planning schemes under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1932, are making steady progress in the reservation of land for both public and private open spaces, and in the control of premature building operations, and will continue to receive all the help and encouragement in these matters which I am able to give them.

asked the Minister of Health the total amounts of the housing subsidies wrongfully obtained from the borough council of Huddersfield; the total amount recovered by the borough council; and whether the amount recovered has been accepted, with his approval, in full settlement?

The total amount of subsidies, in respect of which there were breaches of one of the conditions subject to which they were granted, was £16,775. In some cases the breaches were of a minor character, in others there were mitigating circumstances, and on these grounds the corporation have waived the refund of £4,650. In addition, some £2,640 proved to be irrecoverable by reason of the poverty of the grantees. The balance of £9,485 has been or is being recovered. These settlements have been approved by my Department.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the decision announced by the then First Lord of the Admiralty on 29th February, 1928, to the effect that admirals of the Fleet should, except when employed, be on the same footing in regard to political activities as retired officers, he will take immediate steps to amend paragraph 17a of King's Regulations for the Navy, which prohibits officers on the active list from offering themselves as Parliamentary candidates, so that admirals of the Fleet may be excluded, save when employed, from this prohibition?

Yes, Sir; it is intended to make the necessary amendment.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will ensure that in future information is obtained as to whether or not remounts purchased for the Army in Northern Ireland came originally from the Irish Free State; and whether he will give instructions that the purchase of horses from elsewhere than in Great Britain and Northern Ireland is to be discouraged, in order that the latter may be self-supporting so far as the supply of Army horses is concerned at the earliest opportunity?

I do not think that it would be practicable for the War Office to take any effective steps to ascertain the origin of remounts purchased in Northern Ireland. It is the policy of the Department to buy as many horses as possible in the United Kingdom and also to keep in touch with the Irish Free State market, which provides an especially suitable remount of the light draught type.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now ask His Majesty's Ambassador to press the consultative council and the interventor of the state of Rio de Janeiro to arrive at a decision about the tramway and ferry fares of the Leopoldina Terminal and Cantareira Companies, as the delay is a hardship to British nationals; and will be inform the Brazilian Government that an agreed settlement of this matter must form part of the scheme for meeting its defaulted foreign obligations?

As my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Dorset, West (Major Colfox) was informed on 7th February, the Commission of Inquiry has reported on its investigation into the books of the Cantareira Company, and the matter is now in the hands of the Consultative Council of the State of Rio de Janeiro. I do not consider that the action suggested in the first part of my hon. Friend's question would serve any useful purpose at present, though the position will be kept under review. As regards the second part of the question, the decree issued by the Brazilian Government on 5th February, which was referred to in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham (Sir P. Goff) on 14th February, fixes new conditions for the services of the Brazilian Federal, State and municipal foreign loans, and it would therefore be impracticable for matters such as that now under discussion to be included within its scope.