asked the President of the Board of Trade the extent to which the increase in the retail prices of bacon during the quarter ended 25th March, 1934, is due to the imposition of the quota on supplies from Denmark?

Such increase as has taken place in retail prices has been due to the increase of wholesale prices, to which the regulation of imports has no doubt contributed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can now make a statement with regard to the complaints from the North of England to which his attention has been drawn regarding alleged methods of intimidation by canvassers for goods?

I have seen the complaints to which my hon. Friend refers. They cover a rather wide field, and some appear to be matters which can be dealt with under the existing law. I should be glad if my hon. Friend would be good enough to let me know in what particular direction he thinks that action is desirable.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if any representative body of agricultural opinion was consulted on the provision in Article (2) of the Russian Trade Agreement requiring three months' notice before action can be taken to stop dumping; and whether they concurred in this provision?

The arrangement set out in Article 2 of the Anglo-Soviet Agreement was only reached after prolonged negotiations, during the course of which the representations received from various home interests were taken into account and the interest of home agriculture was carefully borne in mind. My hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate that it is not possible in these trade negotiations to secure the prior concurrence of all interests in the exact terms of the agreements for which His Majesty's Government must take responsibility themselves.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total number of cotton mills in Japan, giving also separate figures for spinning and weaving, together with their total spindleage and loomage for the years 1920 and 1933?

Particulars of the number of mills owned by members of the Japan Cotton Spinners' Association in 1920 and 1933, with the numbers of spindles and looms in such mills, are given below. The figures are believed to include all the spinning mills in Japan. Precise information is not available regarding the number of weaving mills and number of looms owned by firms not members of the Association.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if there are any companies engaged in the manufacture of sugar beet which, having received advances under the Trades Facilities Act, are in arrears with their repayments and which are in receipt of subsidy?

There are two cases in which companies have failed to pay off capital as rapidly as required by their agreements. No default has taken place on interest, and the Treasury is receiving interest on the sums it advanced.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that the average cost in the period 1924–33 of new dwellings in Yorkshire was only £450, the lowest average in England, he will publish a statement showing the economies which made this result possible, for the information of other local authorities and to enable them to lower their costs to a similar level?

I think the figure quoted by my hon. Friend refers to the average estimated cost of all dwelling-houses for which plans were approved in certain Yorkshire towns in the year 1933. The average cost of erection of working-class non-parlour houses included in contracts let and in direct labour schemes commenced by local authorities in England and Wales, outside the County of London, during the three months ended 28th February last, was only £289 per house, and I do not think any advantage would be gained by an investigation of the reasons for the average cost in Yorkshire of houses which are not strictly comparable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many town-planning schemes, and covering what acreage of land, have been approved by the Department of Health for Scotland prior to the passing of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, 1932, and since the passing of the Act, respectively; and, if no schemes have been approved since the Act, how many local authorities have passed resolutions to prepare schemes under the Act and how many of those resolutions have been approved by the Department?

Prior to the coming into operation of the Act referred to, the Department of Health had approved 10 town-planning schemes covering a total area of 89,410 acres. No planning schemes have been approved by the Department since the Act was passed. According to the records of the Department, resolutions to prepare planning schemes under the Act have been passed by three local authorities. Only two of these resolutions have so far been submitted for approval and they are at present under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the requests made that the Government should amend Section 7 (c) of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, to enable the wife of an insured person not 65 years of age to commence drawing her old age pension simultaneously with her husband, provided that the wife is not less than 55 years of age, that five years have elapsed since marriage, and the husband has ceased remunerative employment; and whether he will promote legislation to give effect to this proposal?

I have considered the representations, but the financial and other difficulties involved in the proposal are such as to render it impracticable in present circumstances.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in assessing the income from investments of applicants for old age pensions, he is prepared to modify the figures of 5 per cent. on capital up to £375 and 10 per cent. on sums in excess of that figure and bring them into conformity with rates of interest now generally enjoyed from Government stock or, alternatively, the actual return on the investments?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 22nd February to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for East Dorset (Mr. Hall-Caine).

asked the Minister of Health whether any members of the staff of the corporation hospital or any of the inmates developed small-pox in the recent outbreak at Blackburn; and, if so, how many, and what was their vaccinal condition?

Yes, Sir. The first case of the recent outbreak was removed not to the small-pox hospital, but to the ordinary isolation hospital before the illness was diagnosed as small-pox. Four members of the staff of the latter hospital and three patients subsequently developed small-pox. None of the three patients had been vaccinated. The four members of the staff had been vaccinated in infancy, and one of them stated that she had been re-vaccinated, but showed no evidence of re-vaccination.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that Thakin Ba Thaung, a candidate for the Legislative Assembly of Burma at the recent by-election, was, with three other Burmans who had helped him in the election, ordered by the district magistrate to leave the district on the day following the election; that they were arrested and sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour by the special power magistrate of Shwebo and, on being transferred to Mandalay Central Gaol, three of them, Thakin Ba Thaung, Thakin Thein Maung, and Thakin Ba Sein, were beaten and abused, and afterwards went on hunger strike; and, as the High Court has set aside the said order of the district magistrate, whether the sentences of imprisonment will also be set aside?

Thakin Ba Thaung and his colleagues were sentenced as stated for refusing to obey the order of the Deputy-Commissioner. The order was subsequently set aside and the sentences quashed by the High Court. I have no information on the other points raised by the hon. Member.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service that the time has arrived for the consolidation of basic pay with cost-of-living bonus in the ordinary Civil Service, he will consider the desirability of consolidating the basic pay and bonus of industrial civil servants at an early opportunity, although such bonus is not in the same way dependent on the cost-of-living figure?

The recommendation of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service referred to has no relevance to the conditions of service of the industrial employés in question. Neither the recommendation itself, nor the argu-

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the numbers of men and women, respectively, employed in the established departmental clerical class of the Scottish Office in the grade proceeding to a maximum of £180 basic, men, and £150 basic, women; and in the grade proceeding to a maximum of £250 basic, men, and £220 basic, women, on 1st April, 1933?

The departmental clerical class referred to is not employed in establishments borne on the Scottish Office Vote. There are, however, officers of the departmental class employed in the sheriff clerk service for the staffing of which I am directly responsible; and in that service there were 53 men and 15

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the numbers of men and women, respectively, employed in the established Departmental clerical class of the Customs and Excise Department on the scale £60 to £250 basic, men, and £60 to £180 basic, women, on 1st April, 1933?

The particulars requested are contained in the following tables:women of the first grade mentioned and 16 men of the second grade mentioned on 1st April, 1933.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the numbers of men and women, respectively, employed in the established departmental clerical class of the Board of Inland Revenue in the grade proceeding to a maximum of £180 basic, men, and £150 basic, women; and in the grade proceeding to a maximum of £250 basic, men, and £220 basic, women, on 1st April, 1933?

The numbers of men and women employed in the established (departmental) clerical classes of the Inland Revenue on 1st April, 1933, are as follow:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many copies of the report of the Committee on Industrial Insurance (Cmd. 4376) have been issued to Members of Parliament, issued free in other ways, and sold for cash by the Stationery Office, respectively?

146 copies of the report of the Committee on Industrial Insurance (Cmd. 4376) have been delivered to the Vote Office, House of Commons, and 20 copies to the Printed Paper Office, House of Lords, for supply to Members of Parliament on demand. A further 294 free copies have been issued to Government Departments, etc. 5,295 copies of the report have been sold for cash by the Stationery Office to date.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that notices are being served on owners of property in Lancashire requiring them to agree to the payment of compensation and costs to the lord of the manor for the extinguishment of manorial incidents; that such compensation amounts in some cases to as much as 78 times the annual value and the costs to 720 times the annual value; what is the authority for such requests; and whether he is prepared to take any steps to put a stop to such exorbitant charges?

I am aware that lords of manors in Lancashire, in common with those in other parts of the country, are inviting their tenants to enter into compensation agreements for the extinguishment of manorial incidents; but the terms offered do not fall within my jurisdiction, and I have little information concerning them. While lords of manors cannot compel their tenants to agree the amount of compensation for extinguishment, they have the power under Section 138 (1) (b) of the Law of Property Act, 1922, to serve notices requiring the ascertainment of the amount of such compensation. In the absence of agreement, the amount is normally ascertained in accordance with the scale set out in Part II of the Thirteenth Schedule to that Act, by a valuer whose decision is subject to the Ministry's approval. Unless there are compulsory proceedings under the Section referred to, and they are brought formally to the notice of my Department, I have no power to intervene in the matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is now in a position to make any statement in reply to the representations which have been made to him in respect of tithe?

I have been asked to reply. As the hon. Member will be aware, my right hon. Friend announced on Monday last the Government's decision to introduce amending legislation on the subject of tithe rentcharge. The proposals are now before Parliament.

asked the Home Secretary if he has now been able to consider the remarks of Mr. Justice Swift at the recent Liverpool assizes as to the examination of persons charged with being intoxicated while driving motor cars; and if he proposes to amend the existing practice relating to the examination of such persons by doctors called in by the police?

I have had this matter under consideration, but at the moment I am not in a position to make any statement.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to have non-skid surfacing put into the roadway at Hyde Park Corner and the Marble Arch roundabout?

The Westminster City Council, who are responsible for these roads, inform me that they have received no complaint of their condition, and that special treatment is not considered necessary, as grit is applied when climatic conditions tend to make the sur- face slippery. I will, however, ask the council to examine my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his officers have re ported upon the fact of the completion of the first portion of the scheme for widening High Street, Stratford; whether he is aware that the net result is a bottleneck inconvenient and dangerous to traffic and pedestrians; and whether, in view of all the circumstances, he will communicate with the West Ham Council authorising the commencement of a further portion of this scheme?

I am advised that the completion of the first portion of this scheme has greatly conduced to the convenience and safety of traffic, but I recognise the desirability of proceeding with further sections and will consider whether, having due regard to the claims of other suspended works throughout the country, I shall be in a position to assist a further section of this improvement.

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware of the congestion of traffic in Kingston-upon-Thames owing to the road repairs along the main street; and if he will instruct the police authorities to put up notices to guide motorists through the town by other routes and to station extra constables to help motorists to avoid the main street, especially when an unusual volume of traffic is likely to occur?

I am aware that since December last, work has been in progress in Kingston which involves the taking up of the tram lines and the reconditioning of the roads concerned. Before the work was begun alternative routes were arranged for through traffic which was advised to proceed by the Kingston by-pass, thus avoiding the town altogether, and for certain classes of traffic with destinations in the Kingston area which were advised to proceed by suitable side roads. Attention was called to these alternative routes by suitable notices. Police officers have also been specially detailed for duty at the appropriate road junctions in order to direct drivers. Moreover, when special events likely to attract traffic to the vicinity are in progress, Press and broadcast notices are issued giving warning to drivers. The Commissioner of Police informs me that on the whole these measures have worked reasonably well, though a number of drivers have shown reluctance to use the alternative routes that have been indicated. At present, however, work is proceeding on a portion of Kingston Bridge in respect of which it is not possible to effect any local diversion of traffic, and until this stage of the work has been finished a certain amount of congestion and delay is inevitable. The whole of the roadworks are expected to be completed in about three weeks' time.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the nuisance to their neighbours caused by the users of wireless and gramophone loud-speakers in private houses, he proposes to take any steps to control the hours at which such instruments may be used?

Representations have been made to me as to the nuisance caused to residents in some urban areas by the inconsiderate use of wireless loudspeakers and gramophones by their neighbours, and after careful consideration of the circumstances I have decided that the matter can properly be dealt with by good rule by-law under Section 23 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1882. It is hoped to have available shortly a form of by-law on the subject suitable for adoption by local authorities where there is adequate evidence of the existence of this nuisance.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the possibilities of restoring the penny post at the earliest opportunity?

I am afraid that I cannot hold out any hope of the early restoration of penny postage.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) if he is aware of the public concern at the proposed closing of Wilson Street Post Office, E.C.2; and will he consider the possibility of keeping the Post Office there in service for the convenience of those who have used the office for many years;(2) how long the Post Office in Wilson Street, E.C.2, has been in existence and what is the annual turnover;(3) why he contemplates closing the Wilson Street, E.C.2, Post Office?

The present Post Office in Wilson Street was opened in 1924. The annual sale of postage stamps is about £40,000. It is being closed because the Moorgate branch office, which is now on the West side of Finsbury Pavement, will shortly be removed to a new site in South Place. The new office will be within 300 yards of the Wilson Street office, and will be easily accessible from that neighbourhood. In these circumstances I am sorry that I could not justify the retention of the Wilson Street office.

asked the Secretary for Mines the quantity of machine-cut coal produced in Great Britain for the first three months in 1920, the first three months in 1930, and for the last three months for which figures are availale, giving separate figures for Lancashire?

Such information is only collected on an annual basis, and for the years 1920, 1930 and 1933 is as follows:

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents on the coal face in the mining industry of Great Britain, in the first three months in 1920, the first three months in 1930, and in the last three months for which figures are available, giving separate figures for Lancashire?

I regret that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of persons employed on the coal face in the mining industry of Great Britain in the first three months in 1920, the first three months in 1930, and in the last three months for which figures are available, giving separate figures for Lancashire?

I regret that no information is available other than that which I gave to the hon. Member on 18th December, 1933.