asked the Home Secretary what is the cost at the present time of hiring a policeman to maintain order at a public meeting; and whether the strength of the existing police force would permit of such hiring being carried out on any large scale?

Chief officers of police have been advised that when they receive requests from responsible persons convening a meeting for police to be present inside the meeting, and are satisfied that there is reason to anticipate interference with the meeting of a nature calculated to lead to disorder or a breach of the peace, they should be ready to entertain such applications and make no charge to the promoters. This is the practice in the case of the Metropolitan Police, and I have no reason to doubt that it is also followed in other districts. In the case of a request to send police to a meeting in other circumstances, with which the chief officer is able and willing to comply, it would be open to him to make a charge for the services of any police sent. The minimum charges in the Metropolitan Police District would be for a constable 9s. and for a sergeant 10s. 6d., with proportionately higher rates for the higher ranks. The extent to which requests of this latter class are met must, of course, be at the discretion of the chief officer of police, and among other considerations depend upon the available strength and the other demands on the police.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in respect of how many houses in Scotland certificates have been granted approving assistance by way of loan and how many approving assistance by way of grant under the Housing (Rural Workers) Act, 1926, in each quarter of 1933 and in the first quarter of 1934?

The following table contains the information asked for:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses under construction, with the assistance of a State subsidy, in each of the months of February to May (inclusive), 1934; the number approved for subsidy in each of the same months but not begun; the number constructed with the help of a State guarantee under the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1933; the number approved for guarantee, but not begun, in each month since the Act came into operation; and at what rents these houses are to be let?

The numbers of houses under construction under State-assisted schemes at the end of February, March, April and May of this year were 16,446, 14,674, 14681, and 14,488, respectively. The figures for the first two of those months included 1,809 and 412 houses, respectively, under construction by private enterprise in respect of which subsidy ceased as from 31st March last. The numbers of houses approved for subsidy but not begun at the same dates were 3,598, 3,738, 4,456, and 3,917, respectively. The figure of 3,598 for February included 331 houses previously approved for erection by private enterprise. As regards the last three parts of the question, one scheme, comprising 260 houses, has been approved for guarantee purposes under Section 3 of the Act of 1933. Of these houses, which were approved in April last, 20 have been completed, approximately 180 are under construction, and the remainder have not been begun. The houses are to be let at £27 per annum, exclusive of occupiers' rates.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has received a report from the Camden Town superintendent of police in connection with the Fascist disturbance which took place on Sunday night last; the number of persons arrested, and how many were injured?

I presume the hon. Member refers to the incident which occurred in Arlington Road, Camden Town, on the 17th instant, and I would refer him to the reply which I gave to a question on this subject on the 20th instant.