asked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the increase of 31 per cent. in the import of clocks from countries, other than Germany, in the last six months of 1933, as compared with the corresponding period of 1932; and whether, in view of the failure of the trade agreement with Germany to produce the results anticipated, he will re- fuse to support the extension of most-favoured-nation treatment to other countries?

The imports of clocks from Germany are nearly four times as great as those from all other foreign countries put together, and I do not appreciate what my hon. Friend has in mind.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the effect on British trade of the new American Marketing (Marking) Regulations; and whether he has taken any action in the matter?

My attention has been drawn to these regulations, and the matter is receiving active consideration.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether the exports of coal to Sweden agreed under the trade agreement have been fulfilled in recent months?

The trade agreement with Sweden does not provide for the import of any specific monthly quantity of United Kingdom coal into Sweden, but requires that not less than 47 per cent. of the annual import of coal into Sweden shall be of United Kingdom origin. The question of the fulfilment of this part of the agreement cannot, therefore, yet arise.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many firms in this country manufacture normally other than for British Government use war material of any sort under licence?

The manufacture of war material in this country is not subject to licence.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the figures of the imports of carpets in January and in February last from Belgium and British-India, respectively; and how these figures correspond with the imports for the same months of the previous year?

The following table shows the total quantity and declared value of the undermentioned descriptions of carpets, etc., imported into the United Kingdom and consigned from Belgium

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that the public is now being compelled to insure in so many forms, he proposes to reinvestigate the whole conditions of insurance so as to guarantee that companies offering to insure are in every case able to carry out the undertakings into which they enter?

The only form of compulsory insurance is insurance against claims arising from injuries to third parties caused by motor vehicles, and I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which was given to the hon. Member for St. Rollox (Mr. Leonard) on 1st March.

asked the Minister of Agriculture in view of the proposal to guarantee a minimum price of 5d. per gallon in the summer for milk manufactured in factories and manufactured into cheese on farms, whether he will take steps for provision to be made by the Milk Marketing Board for distributors purchasing less than 500 gallons per day to be entitled to the appropriate rebate on milk manufactured; and whether, in

With regard to the first part of the question, the financial position of the manufacturer is not affected by the guaranteed minimum price for manufacturing milk. With regard to the second part of the question, I will bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the fact that in various districts in Palestine fruit is rotting on the trees owing to the delay in picking, while urgent public works are having to be postponed owing to the shortage of labour; and whether he will consider relaxing to some extent the existing restrictions on immigration into Palestine?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part of the question, the High Commissioner reported recently that, as he was satisfied that there was a shortage of skilled labourers, he had decided to authorise the grant of 1,350 immigration certificates to the Jewish Agency as an advance on account of the next half-yearly schedule, which will cover the period from April to September, on the understanding (a) that 500 of these certificates will be distributed to Jewish residents who are now in Germany, or who have recently left that country, and (b) that half of the immigrants will be skilled men belonging to specified trades (each trade being allowed a definite quota), and half will be labourers for citrus groves and buildings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the tsetse fly is extending its operations in Tanganyika; and what steps the Government are taking to deal with the serious situation which has arisen?

It is unfortunately true that, in a country the size of Tanganyika, where it is impossible to apply measures of prevention throughout large unoccupied tracts of bush country, the area under tsetse fly tends to spread. I would, however, assure my Noble Friend that the Government are doing everything within their power, not only to prevent such spreading, but to reclaim for cultivation areas already subject to fly. Research into the best methods of combating the tsetse fly menace has been carried on for some years by the Tsetse Research Department, and I would invite attention to the account of this work given on pages 20–25 of the report issued by the Tsetse Fly Committee of the Economic Advisory Council last year. (His Majesty's Stationery Office, No. 63–77 of 1933.) The work of this Department is continuing, thanks largely to a liberal grant from the Colonial Development Fund. As regards actual reclamation of territory by the Tanganyika Administration, I would refer to the Annual Report on Tanganyika for 1932, pages 21–24. Information as to similar work accomplished in 1933 will no doubt be given in the report for that year when published. The Government Medical Department is also, as will be seen from paragraph 140 of the report for 1932, devoting close attention not only to the treatment of sleeping sickness but also to research into the factors influencing its spread.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give the names of those county and county borough councils which are exercising their powers under Section 2 of the Transitional Payments (Determination of Need) Act, 1932, stating in each case which rules are being observed, in continuation of the information he supplied in answer to a question put to him on 11th April, 1933?

I have been asked to reply. I am sending the hon. Member a statement setting out the information on the subject which is available in the Department.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of small-pox have been notified in Blackburn; what are the ages and vaccinal condition of the patients; and how many of the cases have proved fatal?

Twenty-five cases of small-pox have been notified in the recent outbreak at Blackburn. Of these, 11 were unvaccinated; their ages were one month, and 4½, 7, 8, 16, 19, 24, 25, 27, 30 and 44 years respectively. Twelve had been vaccinated in infancy only; their ages were 22, 31, 33, 41, 43, 49, 55, 56, 59, 61, 62 and 64 years respectively. Two, both 38 years of age, stated that they had been revaccinated, in 1917 and 1929 respectively; the formed showed evidence of revaccination but the latter did not. There were four deaths, three of unvaccinated persons aged 7, 8 and 24 years respectively, and the other of a man aged 62 who had been vaccinated in infancy only.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he is aware that the Acton Education Authority has introduced diphtheria immunisation into its schools; whether before injection of the immunising mixture the children were Schick tested; what form of immunising mixture has been used; how many injections of the mixture have been made into each child undergoing it; whether all the inoculated children were Schick tested three months after the final injection; and, if so, whether any of them were still Schick positive?

I have been asked to reply. This work has been done by the Acton Town Council in its capacity as health authority. I am informed that all children ever seven years of age were Schick tested before immunisation; but the children in the infants' department of one school only were so tested. The immunising material used was almost wholly T.A.M. (Toxoid Antitoxin Mixture), but T.A.F. (Toxoid Antitoxin Floccules) was used in a few cases. Three injections were given in the great majority of cases. The inoculated chil-

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the terms of the agreement which he has made with the Scottish section of the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association?

The Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association have agreed to

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, for each of the following counties, namely, Caithness, Sutherland, Aberdeenshire, Berwickshire, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire, and for each of the following cities, namely, Edinburgh and Glasgow, the average weekly expenditure upon the relief of able-bodied persons for the six months beginning June, 1930, and for each subsequent period of six months?

The following statement shows the average weekly expenditure on the relief of the able-bodied poor and their dependants incurred by Poor Law authorities in the areas referred to during each period of six months since 17th May, 1930:recommend their members to observe voluntarily in Scotland all the Home Office "model conditions" except Condition 3 (which relates to the admission of children under 16 during the exhibition of "A" films, that is, films passed "for public exhibition to adult audiences"). The representatives of the Scottish branch of the association have, on their part, pledged themselves to do all in their power, both individually and collectively, to ensure that the arrangement is in fact observed by their members. The conditions recommended for voluntary observance by Scottish cinematograph exhibitors on the basis of the arrangement referred to are contained in Scottish Office Circular No. 2833 of 26th January last, a copy of which I am sending to the Noble Lady. As stated in the Circular, the whole matter will be reviewed in the light of practical experience of the working of the arrangement.