asked the Minister of Transport if he will represent to the Loudon Midland and Scottish Railway Company the desirability of running some excursion trains for Lancashire schoolchildren to London on days when admission to the Tower of London is free?

My hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion will be brought to the notice of the railway company.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office, how many infantry depots there are in England and Wales; how many officers and other ranks are on the permanent staff in those depots; and how many recruits passed through each depot during the last recruiting year?

There are 51 Infantry of the Line depots in England and Wales. The establishment of the permanent staff (inclusive of all administrative personnel in addition to instructors) is 357 officers and 3,072 other ranks. During the last recruiting year (ending 30th September, 1933) 14,188 recruits joined these depots, and 11,875 completed their recruit training and were passed out. Separate figures for each depot are not readily available.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, how many naval officers were invalided during the years 1932 and 1933, respectively; how many there were whose invaliding disability was considered to be attributable to service; and how many whose invaliding disability was not considered to be attributable to service?

The numbers of Naval and Marine officers invalided during the years 1932 and 1933 were 36 and 22 respectively. The numbers whose invaliding disabilities were considered to be attributable to the Service were 10 in 1932 and 7 in 1933. The disabilities of the other officers who were invalided were not considered to be attributable to the Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the change in circumstances and policy as evidenced by the wide extension of no passport facilities for Continental visits, he will also reduce the fee for the issue of passports and renewals to the level prior to the alteration in 1931?

The extension of facilities for travel without passports does not seem to provide any reason for the alteration of fees charged when passports are required. The passport fees were doubled in 1931 in order to ensure that, despite the anticipated diminution in the demand for passports, the expenses of the Passport Office should be fully covered. This object would not be secured if the fees were now reduced to their former level.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Opium Committee of the League of Nations has issued any report on the official opium monopoly established in the north-eastern provinces of China under Japanese military occupation, and, if so, of what nature; whether recommendations on the subject have been made by the Council of the League; if so, whether the British Government have taken any steps to comply with these recommendations; and whether the Government will take steps to fulfil their obligations under the Hague Opium Convention by forbidding the use of British ships to transport opium from Persia or any other country to Manchuria?

As regards the first part of the question, no such report has been issued. As regards the second part, the Council of the League of Nations, at their Session in January last, adopted a recommendation of the Opium Advisory Committee that the attention of the chief producing and manufacturing countries should be drawn to the necessity for supervising most strictly any application for the introduction of narcotics into "the territory of Manchuria and Jehol, also known as 'Manchukuo.'" His Majesty's Government have complied strictly with the recommendation and also with their obligations under the Hague Opium Convention.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has given further consideration to the report of the Voluntary Hospitals Commission; whether he proposes to provide public funds for hospital extension on the lines recommended; and whether he has any statement to make?

I am aware of the recommendation made by the Voluntary Hospitals Commission in their report of 1925, but I would remind my hon. Friend that the situation has been materially altered since that date by the passing of the Local Government Act, 1929, which confers wide powers upon county councils and county borough councils in relation to the provision of hospital accommodation, including the power to make subscriptions or donations to voluntary hospitals. In view of these powers it is clearly undesirable to provide assistance in the form of direct Exchequer grant.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the changes that are recognised and actually known to take place in the blood of certain people through inoculation of anti-toxin, he will take steps to stop the issue to the public by medical officers of health of statements to the effect that the substances used are harmless?

I am advised that the changes referred to are intended to be, and are in fact with rare exceptions, beneficial, and I see no reason therefore to take any such steps as are suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health how many casuals, wayfarers and tramps (men, women and children) were admitted to casual wards and shelters in England and Wales during the years 1931 and 1933, respectively; and what was the total cost in each of such years of the accommodation afforded to them?

The average number of casuals (including wayfarers and tramps) in receipt of poor relief in England and Wales in 1931–33 was 12,982, and in 1933–34 was 14,319. Separate figures as to the numbers of men, women and children are not obtained except on 1st January in each year. On 1st January, 1934, 95.9 per cent. were men, 3.7 per cent. were women and 0.4 per cent. were children under 16 years of age. Most of the casual wards are administered in connection with general institutions, and separate accounts relating to the cost of the relief of casuals in these institutions are not kept. It is, however, estimated that the total cost of the relief of casuals in 1931–32 was about £350,000. The corresponding figure for 1933–34 is not yet available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has yet received deputations from the Federation of British Industries and from the Trades Union Congress General Council, either separately or jointly, for the purpose of considering a reduction of hours in this country to 40 hours per week without any reduction in earnings; if he can state the considered opinions from both delegations; and if he is now in a position to state what instructions are to be given to the Government's delegation to the International Labour Conference at Geneva when the 40-hours-week question comes up for consideration?

I have discussed this matter with deputations from the National Confederation of Employers Organisations and the Trades Union Congress General Council. The views expressed and the facts presented to me in the course of these discussions are too numerous to be reproduced within the limits of an answer to a question. As to the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the White Paper (Cmd. 4584) issued this week containing the reply of His Majesty's Government to the Questionnaire circulated by the International Labour Office.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether, in view of the satisfactory operation of the Indian air mail service for the past five years and the rapid development of internal air communications in India, he will take steps to ensure that the advantage of these air mail services may be enjoyed by all classes of the community and not confined to that small section which can afford the present high air mail surcharge rates?

I am satisfied that the Government of India are alive to the desirability of popularising both the external and internal air mail services in India. In July last they introduced flat rates of air surcharge from any point in India (including Burma) which are less than the sum of the combined surcharges previously in force. Recently, too, they, have lowered the minimum surcharge.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will introduce legislation to make the observance of Empire Day, with appropriate ceremonial, compulsory in all schools under his jurisdiction?

My Noble Friend would draw attention to the answer given to the hon. Member for Canterbury (Sir W. Wayland) on 3rd May, of which he is sending his hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the undertaking given to the House by the Solicitor-General on 13th June, 1923, with regard to the adjustment of Income Tax liability still remains in operation; if he is aware that the Board of Inland Revenue, in implementing that undertaking, discriminates between one taxpayer and another, thereby causing inequity and hardship; and if he will now give an assurance that, where such discrimination has taken place, the case in question will receive consideration with a view to the undertaking aforesaid being strictly adhered to?

I think that my hon. and gallant Friend is under a misapprehension. Following upon a discussion in the course of the Finance Bill of 1923 of the then practice of the Board of Inland Revenue in giving relief in certain classes of cases of overpayment of Income Tax, it was decided to put the matter on a statutory basis, and this was done by Section 24 of the Finance Act, 1923. Claims for relief in such cases now fall to be dealt with by reference to the provisions of this Section (as extended by later legislation), and under these provisions any taxpayer, who is aggrieved by the determination of the Board of Inland Revenue on his application, has a statutory right of appeal, to the Special Commissioners of Income Tax.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many persons having incomes of £200 a year and under were assessed for Income Tax in respect of the year 1933–34; and what the annual cost to the Treasury would be if Income Tax were remitted on all incomes of £200 a year and under?

As the assessments to Income Tax are not classified by reference to total income, it is regretted that the information asked for regarding assessments in 1933 is not available. The graduation of the Income Tax is not determined solely by refernce to total income, but depends upon whether the income is earned income or investment income and upon the personal allowances and reliefs to which a taxpayer may be entitled by reason of family or other responsibilities. I am afraid, therefore, that it is not practicable to attempt an estimate of the cost of the suggestion in the question without knowing the changes which such an exemption must necessarily entail in the personal allowances by which the Income Tax is graduated.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the greatly increased bounties on the export of eggs and dead poultry to be paid by the Irish Free State Government; and what steps he is taking to protect the position of British poultry-keepers, who are already suffering great financial losses?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part, no increase in imports of eggs from the Free State is anticipated over last year's figures, as the Free State Government have already given an assurance of their co-operation in the emergency proposals recently made to exporting countries that they should endeavour to limit their shipments of eggs to the United Kingdom in the six months to 14th September next to quantities not exceeding those exported to this market in the corresponding period last year. The effect of the increased bounties on exports of dead poultry to this country will be closely watched.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, since the meeting of the Disarmament Conference in 1932, any licences for the export of arms to Denmark and Holland have been issued, and, if so, for what kind of arms and for what quantities?

pusuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 8th May, 1934; col. 902, Vol. 289] supplied the following statement :STATEMENT SHOWING WAR MATERIAL COVERED BY EXPORT LICENCES ISSUED SINCE 3RD FEBRUARY, 1932, IN RESPECT OF DENMARK AND HOLLAND.Denmark.6 1.8 inch machine gun sights.1 clockwork fuze.200 tracers (for both 75 m/m and 57 m/m projectiles).1 transmitter for motor director fire control gear.1 receiver for motor director fire control gear.10 angle telescopes for fire control gear.200 rounds 25.4 m/m practice shell.20 rounds 25.4 m/m A.P. shell.1 25.4 m/m infantry gun equipment.2 empty 76 m/m shells.2 75 m/m cartridge cases.5 75 m/m propellant charges.1 light patrol tank, complete with one .303 inch machine gun, spare parts, one trailer and 1,000 rounds .303 inch ammunition.2 patrol tanks with spare parts.2 transporters for use with patrol tanks.40 track link pins for patrol tanks.Spare parts for patrol tanks.20 rounds 70 m/m H.E. shell.12 torpedo warhead pistols with housings.12 sets rough turned forgings for 18 inch torpedo air vessels, each set comprising one body and 2 ends.