asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many State-aided houses were under construction in May, 1933, and the number of unemployed building workers in that period; the number of State-aided houses under construction in January, 1934, and the number of unemployed building workers in that period; and if he will explain why there has been such a large reduction in the output of houses and an increase in the number of unemployed building workers?

At 31st May, 1933, the number of State-aided houses under construction in Scotland was 23,505, and at 31st January, 1934, 18,694. In comparing the months of May and January regard has to be paid to the difference in the climatic conditions. As regards the last part of the question, it is not the case that there has been a reduction in the output of houses. The number of State-aided houses completed in Scotland during 1933 was 20,915, which is the highest number erected in any year since 1919, and for January, 1934, the number completed was 1,195 compared with 860 in January, 1933. So far as unemployment in the building industry is concerned, the hon. Member should address a question to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour.

asked the Minister of Labour how many shipbuilding and engineering workers are now unemployed in Scotland?

The following statement gives the information for which the hon. Member asks:

INSURED PERSONS in the shipbuilding and ship-repairing, and engineering industry classifications recorded as unemployed in Scotland at 22nd January, 1934.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many Admiralty contracts are in progress on the Clyde and other establishments; is overtime being worked on any of these contracts; and will he consider the advisability of conferring with the Minister of Labour to prevent overtime on State contracts so that the available work can be spread over the largest number of men?

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to contracts for hulls and machinery of His Majesty's ships. Details of such contracts at present in hand or allocated to the Clyde and certain other districts were given in my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Jarrow (Mr. Pearson) on 14th February. As regards the remainder of the question, it is the practice when placing contracts for ships and their machinery to impress upon the contractors the desirability of avoiding the working of overtime, in the present state of unemployment.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has any information as to the intention on the part of important nations outside the League of Nations, such as the United States of America and Germany, to take steps to give official recognition to the State of Manchukuo; and whether he proposes to take any steps to suggest the desirability of general adherence to the League of Nations' policy in this matter?

I have received no information which would indicate that any State is contemplating recognition of the existing regime in Manchuria; and in these circumstances action of the kind suggested in the second part of the question would not appear to be called for.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give particulars of the communication recently addressed by the British Government to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations with reference to a communication from the department of communications of Manchukuo; and what action has been taken thereon?

The Secretary-General of the League of Nations was requested to lay before the appropriate Committee of the League the question of the liquidation of postal accounts in respect of mails sent through Manchuria with a view to defining the extent to which de facto relations may be permitted with the Manchurian postal authorities without involving the question of recognition. With regard to the second part of the question, I would refer to the answer given on the 21st February to my hon. Friend the Member for Willesden, East (Mr. D. G. Somerville).

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will endeavour to enlist the support of the medical profession in his campaign for securing a pure milk supply and an expansion of the liquid milk consumption of the country?

Yes, Sir, certainly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, when making arrangements for the disposal of surplus milk, he will consider letting milk be sold below the statutory price to labourers' families in the villages where the milk is produced, in view of the fact that hitherto these families have been able to purchase their milk more cheaply than they now can?

Sales of milk by a farmer to any of his employés are exempted from the operation of the Milk Marketing Scheme, and the Milk Marketing Board have also intimated that milk may be sold at the farmhouse door at a price below the prevailing retail price of the district. Suggestions such as that put forward by my Noble Friend will, I have no doubt, be fully considered by the board.

asked the Minister of Labour in how many cases the members of the staff employed by the Milk Marketing Board were placed in their positions through the Employment Exchanges; and whether the conditions of employment and wages to be paid were known to the officers of such exchanges?

The number of persons placed in employment with the Milk Marketing Board through the Employment Exchanges is 139. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that in the 10 years ending 1932, 120 deaths were certified by medical men as due partly or entirely to vaccination; and whether, in view of modern conditions, he will take steps to make vaccination no longer compulsory to the extent it is?

The number of deaths during the 10 years 1923 to 1932 registered as being due to vaccinia or associated with vaccination was 118. As regards the second part of the question, I could not undertake to introduce legislation on this subject during the present Session.

asked the Minister of Health whether registrars of births have instructions to hand to parents registering births any forms other than Form A of the forms issued in connection with the Vaccination Acts; and whether registrars receive their instructions in these matters from the Ministry of Health or from the local medical officer of health?

Registrars of births and deaths receive their instructions from the Registrar-General. Those instructions do not authorise or require registrars to distribute any form other than Form A in connection with the Vaccination Acts.

asked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take with regard to the representations to the effect that the suggested distribution of councillors between the several wards in the new Chislehurst and Sidcup urban district is inequitable, and that the Lamorbey ward would in particular be greatly under-represented?

I have received representations and also communications from the county council, who say that they do not object to a revision of the representation, and from the Sidcup and Chislehurst Urban District Councils and the North Cray Parish Council, who suggest an increased representation for the Lamorbey ward from three to five. I am also informed that this was agreed by the joint advisory committee of the local authorities concerned. The Order must be made immediately, and I am therefore increasing the representation of Lamorbey from three to five and am suggesting to the county council that the new urban district council and the county council should again consider the representation of the district within the next 12 months.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the quantity and value of linen and hemp manufactures, piece goods, imported into the United Kingdom from Soviet Russia in each of the months November, 1933, to January, 1934, inclusive?

The total quantity of linen and hemp piece goods imported into the United Kingdom and registered as consigned from the Soviet Union during the month of November amounted to 116,600 square yards valued at £1,976. The corresponding figures for December were 18,000 square yards valued at £769, and for January 219,600 square yards valued at £3,933.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of capital ships, if any, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines now under construction by Great Britain, America, Japan, France and Italy?

I would refer the hon. Member to the Return of Fleets, which has just been presented as Command Paper No. 4514.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the regulations of the Board of Customs and Excise in regard to the approval of bonded warehouses and extensions thereof are the same for all ports under their control; and, if not, whether he can state the differences which exist?

The reply to the first part of this question is in the affirmative, and the second part does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether any statistics are available to show the amount of alcohol used in this country for the purpose of motor fuel; and, if so, what was the amount used during the latest quarterly period for which figures are available?

Statistics of the quantities of alcohol used for the purpose of generating mechanical power are shown in Table 29 in the Annual Report of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise, in which both the quantities of spirits received for the manufacture of power methylated spirits and the quantities of power methylated spirits issued are shown. The quantity of power methylated spirits issued during the three months ended 31st December, 1933, was 73,677 bulk gallons.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the annual cost, assuming a gross figure of 2,200,000 unemployed, of restoring the rates of unemployment benefit in operation at October, 1931, for insurance benefit proper and for transitional benefit (without abolishing a means test)?

I have been asked to reply. On the basis of finance assumed for the Unemployment Bill, but with a live register of 2,200,000, it is estimated that the annual cost of restoring the rates of unemployment benefit in operation at October, 1931, for insurance benefit proper would be about £4,800,000. As regards the existing scheme of transitional payments, I am not in a position to estimate the effect of increasing the basic rates of benefit, as the cost would depend upon the assessments of need made by public assistance authorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of Estate and Succession Duties paid in respect of agricultural land for the years 1932 and 1933, respectively; and whether the figures given include duties on timber?

These payments are not separately recorded, but it is estimated that for the year 1932–33 the Estate Duty paid on agricultural property amounted to £1,991,000 and the Succession Duty to about £235,000. It is too soon to formulate any estimate for the current year. The figures given do not include duties on timber.