asked the Minister of Agriculture if his suggestion to various countries that they should not increase their exports of eggs here during 1934 has been accepted?

I have been asked to reply. Assurances of co-operation have been received from the Irish Free State as well as from Denmark, Finland and in regard to supplies from China. Imports from these sources accounted for 73 per cent. of imports from all sources in the corresponding period of 1933. There is no reason to suppose that the attitude of other countries will not be equally satisfactory.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he can make any statement as to the progress of discussions upon the possibility of adding bacon and mutton to the National Mark grading scheme?

Grades of mutton and lamb which might form the basis of a National Mark scheme were demonstrated at agricultural shows in 1932, and similar grades are now used in connection with the Ministry's experimental schemes for the sale of fat stock by grade and deadweight. The desirability of introducing a National Mark scheme for mutton and lamb will be considered in the light of the recommendations which the Reorganisation Commission for Fat Stock may make in their report, which will, it is hoped, be published in a week's time. As regards bacon, my right hon. Friend understands that the Bacon Marketing Board are considering the prescription of standard national grades for British bacon.

asked the Secretary for Mines how many applications for licences to bore for petroleum have been received in the last 10 years from British and foreign undertakings, respectively; and how many of each have been refused?

During the last 10 years, 10 formal applications for licences were received by the Petroleum Department, of which two were granted, two were refused, one was withdrawn, and in the remaining cases the formalities connected with the issue of licences had for various reasons not been completed when the Government announced that pending the consideration of the Bill now before Parliament no further licences would be issued. A number of inquiries regarding licences have also been received during the last 10 years, which did not, however, proceed to the stage of a formal application. There is nothing in the Petroleum (Production) Act, 1918, under which licences have hitherto been granted, to prevent a foreign undertaking from applying for a licence, or from providing capital required by a licensee. It would appear that all the formal applications received were made by British concerns, but the Department has no information as to how far foreign interests might have been concerned in the applications or inquiries. It should be borne in mind that the amount of interest displayed in this question cannot be measured entirely by the number of applications received, but depends rather upon the standing of the applicants or inquirers.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he has yet received the proposals of the Milk Marketing Board with regard to the scheme for supplying cheaper milk to school children?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the percentage of home and foreign shipping coming into the port of London in each of the last four periods of six months?

The percentage proportions of the net tonnage of British and of foreign vessels that arrived, with cargoes or in ballast, at the port of London, in the foreign trade, during each of the last four periods of six months, were as follow: