Written Answers
Manchuria (British Trade)
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the British trade done with Manchuria
in each of the last three years; and how it compares with the volume of trade done with China as a whole, excluding Manchuria, in that period?
I regret that the desired information is not available for the reasons stated in an answer given on 6th February to a question by the hon. Member for Whitehaven (Mr. Nunn).
Income Tax
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the revenue derived from the Income Tax and the amount of revenue derived from each penny in the £ of Income Tax in the financial years 1913–14 and 1919–20 to 1932–33, inclusive?
My hon. Friend will find particulars of the receipt of Income Tax and estimates of the net produce per penny of the standard rate for the 10 years ended 1932–33 in Tables 36 and 40, respectively, of the recently published Seventy-sixth Annual Report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue (Command No. 4456). Corresponding figures for the year 1913–14 and the years 1919–20 to 1932–33 will be found in Table 56 of the Sixty-seventh Annual Report (Command No. 2227).
United States (Token Payments, Foreign Countries)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what nations, other than ourselves, are making token payments to the United States of America; and what sums they are paying?
The following statement contains the desired information.
| Token payments to United States of America in addition to the payments by the United Kingdom. | ||
| Country. | Amount paid on 15th June, 1933. | Amount paid on 15th December, 1933. |
| $ | $ | |
| Czechoslovakia | 179,914·17* | 150,000 |
| Italy | 1,000,020·76* | 1,000,000 |
| Latvia | 6,000 | 8,500 |
| Lithuania | 9,990·35* | 10,000 |
| Rumania | 29,061·46* | — |
| * These payments were made in silver. | ||
Royal Air Force (Equipment)
asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many aeroplanes now in use in the Air Force were delivered from the manufacturers later than 1st January, 1932?
My Noble Friend does not think it would be desirable to make public statistics of this character which are not available to us in respect of foreign air forces. If, however, my hon. and gallant Friend's purpose is to ascertain whether the equipment of the Royal Air Force is up-to-date, I may inform him that, of the 77 regular squadrons now in existence, 20 have been re-equipped with new types of aircraft since the date he specifies. Further, I may add that a total of 67 squadrons in all have been so re-equipped during the past five years and, by the end of 1934, there will only remain two squadrons which have not been re-equipped or re-engined during this period.
Royal Navy
Mediterranean Fleet (Levant Fair)
asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will consider the desirability of arranging for some units of the Mediterranean Fleet to be present in the vicinity of Tel Aviv during the currency of the forthcoming enlarged Levant Fair at that place in Palestine?
I regret that essential Fleet movements make it impracticable for any units of the Mediterranean Fleet to be present off Jaffa between 26th April and 26th May, the period of the Fair.
Ratings From Training Ships (Commissions)
asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of commissions awarded to ratings entered from the training ships, "Mercury," "Warspite," and "Exmouth," and the Royal Hospital School, Greenwich, during the last 10 years, stating the year and establishment?
The information, so far as Admiralty records show, is as follows:
| Royal Hospital School, Greenwich: | |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1927 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
| 1930 | 2 |
| 1932 | 1 |
| Training Ship "Mercury": | |
| 1926 | 1 |
| 1927 | 2 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| Training Ship "Warspite": | |
| 1925 | 1 |
| Training Ship "Exmouth": | |
| 1931 | 1 |
Sub-Lieutenant Rank (Candidates)
asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of candidates who took the higher educational test for sub-lieutenant and sub-lieutenant (E) in October last, and the number who passed?
Forty-three candidates for the rank of sub-lieutenant took the higher educational test in October, 1933; eight of these qualified educationally. In the separate examination for rank of sub-lieutenant (E), October, 1933, eight candidates qualified educationally out of 21 entrants.
Promotion
asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of special entry cadets who have been promoted to the rank of commander or commander (E); and the number promoted to these ranks from the lower deck and now serving?
The information asked for by the hon. Member is as follows:
| Ex-Special Entry Cadets promoted to rank of Commander and still serving: | ||||
| Executive | … | … | … | 25 |
| Engineering | … | … | … | 16 |
| Ex-Ratings promoted to rank of Commander and still serving: | ||||
| Executive | … | … | … | 11* |
| Engineering | … | … | … | 49 |
| * Including one captain. | ||||
Road Construction (Materials, Transport)
asked the Minister of Transport what is the objection to including, as a condition of grants from the Road Fund towards road improvement, that materials used shall wherever sea transport is involved be shipped to the scene of operation in British bottoms, in view of the fact that it is already a condition of such grants that materials used, so far as practicable, are of United Kingdom origin?
Apart from the objection to imposing conditions upon responsible local authorities where that can be avoided, the materials used for road construction are often composed of several constituents and it would often be difficult, if not impracticable, to trace the manner in which each has been transported.
India (Raw Jute, Export Duty)
asked the Secretary of State for India what has been the revenue from the Export Duty on raw jute from India in each of the last 10 years, and at what rates has the duty been levied?
The Customs Revenue from the Export Duty on raw jute from India in each of the 10 years ending 31st March, 1931, was as follows:
| Rs. | |||
| 1921–22 | … | … | 1,07,70,261 |
| 1922–23 | … | … | 1,45,33,123 |
| 1923–24 | … | … | 1,58,69,167 |
| 1924–25 | … | … | 1,66,29,457 |
| 1925–26 | … | … | 1,58,50,307 |
| 1926–27 | … | … | 1,72,26,154 |
| 1927–28 | … | … | 2,18,69,126 |
| 1928–29 | … | … | 2,11,51,162 |
| 1929–30 | … | … | 1,98,84,813 |
| 1930–31 | … | … | 1,48,51,536 |
| Rs. | |
| Cuttings | 1–4–0* |
| All other descriptions | 4–8–0* |
| * Per bale of 400 lbs. | |
Toll Roads And Bridges
asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the fact that highway authorities now possess, under the Road Traffic Act, 1930, compulsory powers to purchase at fair prices any toll roads or bridges remaining in their areas, he will consider the desirability of arranging for a loan to be raised in order to provide sufficient funds for the purchase of all remaining toll roads and bridges, the said loan to be liquidated out of the revenue therefrom, plus an annual grant from the Road Fund, and the roads and bridges freed so soon as the liquidation is completed?
As I informed my hon. Friend last week, I am prepared to give consideration to applications from highway authorities for grants from the Road Fund for the acquisition of toll roads and bridges. It is open to authorities to seek sanction to borrow the balance of the cost and Sub-section 2 (b) of Section 53 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, empowers me to allow a council to continue to take tolls for a limited period.
War Office (Ex-Soldier Clerks, Pensions)
asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that ex-soldier clerks are only given credit for half of their service up to 1920 in computing their pensions; and whether he will arrange to credit them with every year served for this purpose?
The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative.
| MINERS WELFARE FUND. | ||||||
| Statement showing for each Welfare District the amount of the 1931 and 1932 Output Levy paid and the Saleable Output for the years 1931, 1932 and 1933 respectively. | ||||||
| — | 1931. | 1932. | 1933.* | |||
| Levy paid (Due 31st March, 1932). | Output—tons. | Levy paid (Due 31st March, 1933). | Output—tons. | Output—tons (approx.). | ||
| £ | £ | |||||
| 1. Fife and Clackmannan | … | 29,545 | 7,091,312 | 9,948 | 7,333,449 | 7,502,400 |
| 2. The Lothians | … | 17,796 | 4,271,061 | 3,926 | 4,338,090 | 4,344,000 |
| 3. Lanarkshire | … | 56,949 | 13,944,011 | 32,762 | 13,372,193 | 13,502,400 |
| 4. Ayrshire | … | 15,050 | 3,747,714 | 12,028 | 3,736,269 | 3,648,000 |
| 5. Northumberland | … | 52,078 | 12,545,951 | 26,373 | 12,199,183 | 12,672,000 |
| 6. Durham | … | 124,329 | 30,248,224 | 73,086 | 27,731,673 | 27,648,000 |
| 7. Cumberland | … | 5,166 | 1,460,154 | 2,696 | 1,475,397 | 1,430,400 |
| 8. Lancashire and Cheshire | … | 57,175 | 14,101,113 | 29,137 | 13,232,210 | 13,104,000 |
| 9. North Wales | … | 12,641 | 3,114,625 | 2,736 | 2,900,716 | 2,832,000 |
| 10. South Yorkshire | … | 127,160 | 30,662,843 | 82,312 | 28,806,542 | 28,272,000 |
| 11. West Yorkshire | … | 48,281 | 11,610,627 | 33,123 | 10,786,054 | 10,176,000 |
| 12. Nottinghamshire | … | 55,040 | 13,288,513 | 35,140 | 12,541,958 | 12,556,890 |
| 13. Derbyshire | … | 49,707 | 12,134,224 | 24,850 | 11,392,358 | 10,629,600 |
| 14. South Derbyshire | … | 6,152 | 1,476,462 | 3,957 | 1,344,979 | 1,288,800 |
| 15. North Staffordshire | … | 22,199 | 5,361,190 | 16,713 | 5,574,803 | 5,712,000 |
| 16. Cannock Chase | … | 19,637 | 4,724,832 | 13,889 | 4,533,635 | 4,488,000 |
| 17. South Staffordshire and Worcestershire. | … | 6,008 | 1,445,685 | 3,597 | 1,434,101 | 1,440,000 |
| 18. Leicestershire | … | 8,115 | 1,947,670 | 5,768 | 1,778,165 | 1,644,000 |
| 19. Warwickshire | … | 19,791 | 4,774,180 | 18,285 | 4,794,538 | 4,704,000 |
| 20. Shropshire | … | 2,668 | 642,243 | 2,405 | 656,523 | 624,000 |
| 21. Forest of Dean | … | 4,727 | 1,135,487 | 2,442 | 1,050,682 | 1,094,400 |
| 22. Somerset | … | 3,344 | 802,751 | 1,823 | 720,300 | 686,400 |
| 23. Bristol | … | 665 | 159,651 | 602 | 167,605 | 158,400 |
| 24. South Wales and Monmouthshire. | … | 152,490 | 37,086,969 | 65,988 | 34,876,692 | 34,320,000 |
| 25. Kent | … | 6,607 | 1,585,751 | 6,767 | 1,823,883 | 1,922,400 |
| Total | … | 903,320 | 219,363,243 | 510,353 | 208,601,998 | 206,400,000 |
| * The Levy on the 1933 Output is not collectable till 31st March, 1934. | ||||||
With regard to the second part, the existing practice is in accordance with the normal rule applicable to such classes, and I am unaware of any circumstances which would justify a departure from it.
Coal Industry (Welfare Levy)
asked the Secretary for Mines the amount of welfare levy paid by each mining district, separately, for the years 1931, 1932, and 1933; and the output for the same districts and the same years?
The following statement gives the information asked for.