asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Colonies are self-supporting at the present moment; and which these Colonies are?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the Estimates for the current year which indicate the Colonies that are at present in receipt of grants-in-aid from the United Kingdom Exchequer. All the Colonies which are not there mentioned are self-supporting, and meet all recurrent expenditure from local revenue.

asked the Minister of Health if he will set forth in tabular form the number of persons in receipt of non-contributory and contributory old age pensions, respectively, on a given date for each year and the amount paid since the contributory pension scheme became operative, and the number of beneficiaries in each case?

The number of persons in Great Britain who were in receipt of old age pensions under the Contributory Pensions Acts, 1925 to 1932, and the Old Agen Pensions Acts, 1908 to 1924, respectively, on 31st March of each year from 1927 to 1933 was as follows :

asked the Minister of Health whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that owners of good houses in slum-clearance areas shall be entitled to full compensation instead of the site value compensation which they receive at present?

The Housing Acts provide for the payment of compensation at site value in respect of dwelling houses in a clearance area which are, by reason of disrepair or sanitary defects, unfit for human habitation, or are, by reason of their bad arrangement, or the narrowness or bad arrangement of the streets, dangerous or injurious to the health of the inhabitants of the area. The operation of these provisions does not in practice involve the consequences suggested in the question.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is now in a position to reply to the representations made to him by the National Conference of Friendly Societies concerning Section 48 of the Poor Law Act, 1930, in which attention was drawn to the wrongful action taken by the London County Council whereby members of friendly societies had been having their sickness benefit wholly included when incomes were being assessed, or the needs tests being applied, in respect of applications received by that body for public assistance; and whether he now proposes, as a result of what transpired in London, to issue a special instruction on the subject to all public assistance committees?

I have now received further legal advice in regard to the proper interpretation of Section 48 of the Poor Law Act, 1930, and I propose to communicate the effect of that advice to public assistance authorities at an early date, and to furnish the National Conference with a copy of the circular to be issued.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that alcohol distilled from foreign molasses, which is used as motor fuel in this country, is not only exempt from the Petrol Duty of 8d. per gallon but, in addition, receives a subsidy from the Exchequer under the Revenue Act, 1906, of approximately 8½d. a gallon, making a total loss of revenue of 1s. 4½d. a gallon, he will state why such fuel receives preferential treatment as compared with petrol motor spirit; and if he is prepared to take steps to alter this?

The comparatively negligible quantity of power alcohol used in this country as motor fuel is outside the scope of the duty on light hydrocarbon oils, because it is not a hydrocarbon oil. I cannot accept the statement that it receives a subsidy of approximately 8½d. a gallon. I do not consider that any alteration is called for at present, but, as my hon. Friend has been previously informed, the matter is being kept under careful observation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government propose to take to safeguard the rights of British investors in German securities the interest on which is not being paid, or is being only partly paid, because the German Government is refusing to allow it to be transmitted to this country; and whether the Government will place an embargo on the transfer of moneys due to Germany from this country until the amount due to British investors has been deducted?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for West Birkenhead (Lieut.-Colonel Sandeman Allen) on 21st March.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of

I assume that my hon. and gallant Friend refers to an experiment made on 28th April, the day of the Football Association Cup Final, when the National Gallery was opened to the public at 8 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. This information was communicated in advance to the Press in order that the London papers and the provincial newspapers particularly concerned should be informed of the special arrangement made.

asked the Minister of Labour, by districts, the number of age-groups of men who, on 18th December, were registered as having been unemployed for six months or less, or 12 months or more?

The following table gives the information desired so far as it is available :

asked the Minister of Agriculture, in view of the fact that the ascertained bacon requirements of the country, according to the Lane Fox Commission, were placed at 10,670,000 cwts. a year, to what extent these requirements have been filled consequent upon the cuts in bacon imports and the partial failure of the Bacon and Pigs Marketing Boards to fulfil their home allocation?

In the first contract period 1st November, 1933, to 28th February, 1934, the deficiency in the home output of bacon and hams was offset by imports from Dominions and foreign countries in excess of allocations, with the result that the total supplies in the United Kingdom for that period, so far as can be ascertained, accorded with the quantity recommended by the Lane Fox Commission as representing the normal requirements of the market.