asked the Minister of Labour if he can state how the present number of women and girls employed in Great Britain at the present time compares with that of 10, 20, and 30 years ago, respectively; and what was the proportion of women and girls' employment to the total numbers employed at these dates?

The only statistics compiled by my Department, bearing on this subject, are those which are obtained once a year by deducting the number of insured persons recorded as unemployed, at the end of June, from the total number of insured workers, at the same date, as estimated on the basis of the annual exchange of unemployment books. For the dates June, 1923, and June, 1933, a detailed analysis is given on pages 437 and 438 of the issue of the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" for December, 1933, of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy. I regret that corresponding figures are not available for the earlier years specified.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in computing the needs of the unemployed for the purposes of Part II of the Unemployment Bill, it is contemplated that Army Reserve pay should be brought into account?

I would refer the hon. Member to the Debate which took place on the Amendment moved by the hon. Member for Gainsborough (Captain Crookshank) on Clause 37, page 33, line 11, in which this matter was discussed.

asked the Minister of Labour how many education authorities possess juvenile advisory committees one of whose special activities is placing the boys and girls in work?

One hundred and six local education authorities in England and Wales have undertaken responsibility for advising boys and girls on choice of employment and placing them in work.

asked the Minister of Labour if he can state the number of persons in the country at the present time exclusively engaged in administrative work on public assistance committees; and whether any estimate has been made of the number of persons who will be required for similar administrative work under the Unemployment Assistance Board?

I am not clear what my hon. Friend means by persons exclusively engaged in administrative work on public assistance committees. If he will be good enough to communicate with me, I will see whether I can give him the information he desires.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons registered as unemployed in Great Britain at steel-melting and iron-puddling furnaces, iron and steel rolling mills and forges, on the latest date for which the information is available and on corresponding dates in the years 1932 and 1933?

At 19th February, 1934, there were 47,783 insured persons in the steel melting and iron puddling, iron and steel rolling and forging industry classification recorded as unemployed in Great Britain. The corresponding figures for 22nd February, 1932, and 20th February, 1933, were 79,931 and 73,778 respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of alien artists admitted into this country during the last 12 months and granted licences to perform here?

The number of permissions to perform in this country granted during 1933 to foreign artists, including concert, stage and film, variety and circus artists, was 2,760. Permission is required on the occasion of each visit, and a separate record is not kept of the number of individual artists admitted.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has yet received from the Council of the League of Nations the draft convention with regard to assistance to indigent foreigners, together with the 14 recommendations of the committee; and, if so, what action is being taken in connection therewith?

asked to reply to this question. The Secretary-General of the League of Nations wrote to the Foreign Office on the 14th February, enclosing a copy of the draft convention and of the 14 recommendations of the committee, and asked for observations by the 1st July. The Secretary-General's letter is now receiving the consideration of His Majesty's Government.

asked the Minister of Health whether toxoid anti-toxin is still used for diphtheria immunisation in this country; and whether there has been any alteration in the strength of the mixtures used during the last 12 months?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second in the negative.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in Leicester, during the past 25 years, not more than 5 per cent. of the children born have been vaccinated; that during the 25 years 1905–29 no death was registered from small-pox; that during 17 of those years no cases occurred; that during the years 1929–31 two outbreaks of mild small-pox which occurred in the city were attended by only two deaths; and whether he will institute an inquiry into the experience of Leicester that epidemic smallpox can be controlled without resort to vaccination?

The figures given in the question are substantially correct, but they may with advantage be supplemented by the Registrar-General's official record that during the 1929–31 outbreak 2,871 cases of small-pox occurred in Leicester (967 of these cases being notified to the local authority in the first quarter of 1931). The facts are well known to my Department, and their significance duly appreciated. I see no reason for instituting a special inquiry.

asked the Minister of Health the names of rural district councils in Oxfordshire which have reported a shortage and no shortage of water, respectively?

The Rural District Councils of Banbury, Bullingdon, Chipping Norton and Witney report shortage in parts of their districts. The Henley and Ploughley Rural District Councils report no shortage of water for domestic consumption at present.

asked the Minister of Health if he will consider introducing legislation to restore medical benefit to those who are deprived of this by the Act of 1932?

No, Sir. For reasons which I stated in the course of the Debate on this subject on the 10th November last, I do not propose to introduce legislation to the effect suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what is the nature and extent of the arrangements being made for the continuance of part of the research work hitherto financed from the Empire Marketing Fund; what institution or institutions will be carrying out such research work; and from what fund will the estimated cost of £200,000 for 1934–35 be found, apart from the £85,000 to be borne by other Governments of the Empire or by the institutions or industries concerned?

The research schemes financed from the Empire Marketing Fund comprise agricultural and scientific research in the United Kingdom and also in the Dominions, India and the Colonies. It has been arranged for 39 of these schemes, representing an annual cost of approximately £200,000 in all, to be continued, in each case at the same research institution and with the existing personnel. Of these schemes 23 are in the United Kingdom, eight in the Dominions and India and eight in the Colonies. The

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the fact that litigation over the ownership of a few eucalyptus trees in Kenya began in 1931 and, after passing through every possible court in the Colony, finished over two years later; and if, in view of the comment of the Chief Justice of the sum of approximately £115,000 which is required in the next financial year from United Kingdom funds in respect of these schemes will be charged against Votes administered by various Government Departments in this country. The remaining £85,000 is being met by the Government of the Empire or by the institutions or industries concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give the total tonnage and value of exports of palm oil and palm kernels, respectively, from British West Africa in each of the years 1923, 1923 and 1933?

The figures are as follow:Supreme Court deprecating such unwarranted and expensive litigation in native cases, especially where the objects at issue are of trifling value, he will look into the matter?

I have no knowledge of this case. The Governor of Kenya is being asked for a report on this matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that a decision has been reached to the effect that power alcohol produced from imported molasses and used as a motor fuel in this country is free from Excise Duty, he will be prepared to exempt from Excise Duty also motor spirit produced in this country from imported crude oil?

No, Sir. It is true that power alcohol made from imported molasses has for some years been exempted by Statute from Excise Duty and no new decision on this matter has been taken. But the fact that an almost negligible amount of this power alcohol is used as a motor fuel is not a reason for destroying the petrol tax, and if any action should become necessary I am afraid that I could not hold out any hope that it would be on the lines suggested.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the numerous defects which have been found by county court judges to exist in the working of certain aspects of the hire-purchase system, he will investigate these complaints with the object of deciding whether legislation on the subject is necessary?

If my hon. and gallant Friend will be good enough to send me particulars of the cases to which he refers, I will consider them.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total amounts provided or estimated to be provided by the Army, Navy, and Air Force Votes for the defence of the new naval base at Singapore?

The capital cost of the defences of Singapore are at present provisionally estimated at about £4½ millions.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of transactions in land recorded by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue under Section 28 of the Finance Act, 1531 (Land Values Tax); and the number of persons concerned who have elected to comply with the requirements of sub-paragraphs (a), (b), and (c), respectively, of paragraph 1 of the Second Schedule to the Act?

The total number of transactions recorded under the Section referred to up to 28th February last is 1,066,867. The cases falling under paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), respectively, are 924,755, 112,828 and 29,284.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent the powers conferred by both Agricultural Marketing Acts to adopt schemes to encourage, promote or conduct research in connection with production and marketing of agricultural products have been exercised by the potato, bacon, milk, pigs, and hops marketing boards; and whether his Department has given any and what encouragement to these boards to avail themselves of their powers in this respect?

The Hops Marketing Board does not possess any powers of the kind referred to. The other Agricultural Marketing Boards mentioned have certain powers which they may exercise in connection with research services, but I understand they have not yet exercised them. My hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate that many urgent problems have engaged the attention of the boards since the schemes came into operation; but I have no doubt that they will give the earliest possible consideration to the question, and that if they feel that my Department could assist them in the matter they will not hesitate to apply to me.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office how many commissions have been granted during the past year; and if he will give the number of rankers who were given commissions?

Out of 611 commissions granted during the past 12 months, 25 were granted to non-commissioned officers through Cadet Colleges and 46 were granted to warrant officers as quartermasters. The figure of 611 does not include commissions as medical, veterinary and dental officers, or chaplains; the figure of 46 includes quartermasters in the Royal Army Medical Corps.

asked the First Commissioner of Works if he is now in a position to make any statement as regards the appointment of the architect for the extension of the National Library of Scotland?

I hope to be in a position to announce the appointment in question at an early date, after the settlement of certain outstanding points in connection with the schedule of requirements for the new building.

asked the Postmaster-General if an account is kept of the loss sustained by the public upon the destruction of savings certificates through fire or accident or other causes; and if he will state the gain to the Exchequer which arose in this way during 1932 and 1933?

The only record the Post Office possesses is that of applications made by holders who report their loss. In these cases, which amount to over 3,000 a year, duplicates are issued on payment of 1s. per application, to cover the work involved, and there is therefore no gain to the Exchequer.

asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been drawn to the presence of wireless receiving sets in motor-cars; and, in view of the danger of distracting the drivers from attending to the road, does he intend to introduce any regulations controlling this matter, as has been done in the United States of America?

I have informed the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders that if wireless sets on motor vehicles prove to be a source of danger or of annoyance to the public, I may have to consider the prohibition or restriction of their use and I shall watch the matter carefully.