asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of his recent experiences in using the pedestrians' crossings in London, he can now make any statement which will result in more public advantage being derived from them?

The experience so far gained with pedestrian crossing places, which have been marked at a. number of road junctions in London, is sufficiently satisfactory to justify the extension of the scheme to other localities, and I am making proposals for such extensions to the highway authorities concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the inconvenience caused to passengers from Thornton Heath to Holborn Viaduct owing to the lack of a through service between these stations; and if he will consult the Southern Railway Company with a view to establishing a through service, thereby obviating prolonged delay at Streatham Station?

My attention has not previously been called to this matter, but I will communicate with the company and let my hon. Friend know the result.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the costs of construction, excluding land and roads, of tenement houses of three apartments, arid also of those of four apartments, in Glasgow and in Edinburgh, respectively?

According to tenders recently submitted to the Department of Health in respect of houses to be built on normal sites, the cost of construction, excluding land and roads, of three-storey tenement houses, each containing three and four apartments, was £248 and £243 respectively in Glasgow, and £262 and £310 in Edinburgh.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses were built in Scotland during the year ended 30th June; and how many of these were to be let at rents of 10s. a week, including rates, or less?

During the year ended 30th June last the number of houses built in Scotland with the help of State subsidy was 23,743. The approval of the Department of Health is not required to the rents of individual houses, and I am unable to say how many of the above houses were to be let at rents of 10s. a week, including rates, or less.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses under construction with the assistance of a State subsidy in the month of June, 1934, and the number approved for subsidy, but not begun, in the same month; the number constructed with the help of a State guarantee under the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1933, and the number approved for guarantee, but not begun, in the same month; the number of houses the construction of which was approved in June, 1934, distinguishing between slum clearance and other assisted houses; 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) Acts, 1926 and 1931, in the second quarter of 1934?

The number of subsidised houses under construction in Scotland at 30th June, 1934, was 13,515, and the number previously approved for subsidy but not begun at that date was 3,894. At the same date the number of houses completed with the help of a guarantee under the Act of 1933 was 20, and the number then approved for guarantee purposes but not begun was nil. The number of houses approved for construction in June, 1934, was 1,215, of which 933 were to replace slum dwellings, 234 were other assisted houses, and 48 had not been allocated. In the second quarter of this year under the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts, 1926 and 1931, certificates were granted approving assistance by way of loan in respect of 25 houses, and by way of grant in respect of 1,033 houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the various rates of pay and war bonus of the Scottish prison warders; how long does it take an ordinary warder to reach his maximum rate of pay; whether the pay and general conditions of service of these officers were assimilated with those obtaining in the English prison service and, if so, what was the date or year of the assimilation; and if the rent, subsistence and removal allowances granted in England and Wales formally apply to the Scottish warders

In consequence of the Government's decision to consolidate the salary and bonus of civil servants as from 1st July, 1934, the remuneration of Scottish prison warders, exclusive of all allowances, has been consolidated as from that date at the rates set out in Table I below, subject to the proviso that so long as half the emergency reductions remain in force, the rates of remuneration will be as set out in Table II below. An ordinary warder reaches the maximum of his grade after 20 years. The pay and general conditions of service of the English and Scottish Prisons Services were generally assimilated in accordance with the recommendations of the Stanhope Committee's Report, which came into operation on 1st October, 1923. Differences of circumstances in certain respects, however, require to be taken into account. As regards the last part of the question, the rules governing lodging, subsistence and removal expenses differ as in the two countries, those applying to the Scottish service being designed to meet the special conditions obtaining therein. In accordance with the reply given to the hon. Member on 14th February last, I am looking into the question of removal expenses.TABLE I.

asked the Home Secretary how many men and how many women are now serving commuted death sentences on conviction for murder in His Majesty's prisons in England and Wales; how many men and how many women had served between 15 and 20 years, and over 20 years of such sentences at 31st December in each of the years 1929 to 1933, inclusive; and how many men and how many women prisoners who had served over 15 years of such sentences at 31st December, 1933, have been released during the present year?

61 men and five women are at present in prison in England and Wales under a commuted death sentence, including two men who were convicted and sentenced overseas and transferred to this country under the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act. On 31st December, 1929, three men had served over 15 years; the number on the corresponding date in 1930 was four; in 1931, one; in 1932, one; in 1933, none. On the dates mentioned no woman had served over 15 years, and no man over 20 years.

asked the Home Secretary the initial rate of pay of a prison officer and that of an assistant housemaster of a Borstal institution?

From 1st July, 1934, the initial weekly remuneration of a prison officer (including the value of quarters and uniform) is £2 16s. 3d. An officer serving at a Borstal institution receives an additional weekly allowance of 4s. 7d. The annual remuneration of an assistant housemaster at a Borstal institution (including the value of quarters) is £219 11s.

asked the Home Secretary how many, if any, assistant housemasters and housemasters, respectively, are to be appointed from the public schools or from outside of the prison services and Borstal institutions for the Borstal institutions, including the proposed new Borstal institution in Lincolnshire, during the current financial year ending 31st March, 1935; what are the officials' rates of pay and allowances; and if it is intended to appoint any officers with wide experience in the prison and Borstal establishments?

As far as can be foreseen, one housemaster and three assistant housemasters will be appointed during the current financial year to fill vacancies existing or pending in Borstal institutions. It is not possible to anticipate the recommendations of the selection board, but the hon. Member may rest assured that the board will take into consideration the qualifications of serving officers. The minimum pay of a housemaster is £274 6s. per annum, with quarters, or an allowance in lieu of £50 in London, or £39 elsewhere. The pay of an assistant housemaster is £193 11s. per annum, with quarters or an allowance of £26 in lieu.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that dummy cartridge cases are being imported into and sold in this country without being marked with an indication of the country of origin; and whether, having regard to the circumstances that there are only two firms in Great Britain making cartridge cases, he will consider the desirability of making a marking order under the Merchandise Marks Act on the application of one of such firms, notwithstanding that the other refuses to join in making the application?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the rest of the question, Marking Orders can only be made under the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926, after the various conditions laid down in that Act have been complied with; I am sending my hon. Friend a summary of these conditions. The Board of Trade cannot make a, reference to the Committee on the application before them, since in their opinion it does not substantially represent the interests of the manufacturers of these goods.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the recent decision with regard to an immediate increase on promotion to the clerical classes of the Civil Service for the ex-service "S" class clerks and the treatment extended to them as against their predecessors who entered those classes from the Lytton and Southborough competitions and under the provisions of the Guinness agreement, he will now agree to the re-opening of the starting pay case and for a fresh consideration of the same?

The question of the application to the case of "S" class clerks promoted to the clerical classes of the recent Award No. 1559 of the Industrial Court in regard to increases on promotion is still the subject of negotiation with the staff associations concerned, and no decision has yet been reached. The starting pay arrangements referred to in the question were determined in accordance with an award of the Industrial Court and an agreement with representatives of the men concerned, and there is no question of reopening these arrangements except to the limited extent which may be found necessary in accordance with the latter part of paragraph 16 of Award 1559.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many visits have been made by His Majesty's vessels in the Mediterranean to the new port of Haifa since the opening of the harbour at that place; and whether he will now arrange for regular visits to be made to that and other Palestine ports?

His Majesty's Ship "Hastings" visited Haifa from 30th October to 4th November, 1933, for the opening of the new port. Since that date the following visits to Haifa have taken place:His Majesty's Ship "Resource" and Fourth Destroyer Flotilla-7th-13th July, 1934.His Majesty's Ship "Resolution"—14th July, 1934—Due to leave 23rd July, 1934.Haifa or Jaffa, is regularly visited by ships of the Mediterranean Fleet during the summer cruise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can make any statement upon the trial of Mr. William Livesay, of Barcelona; and whether, as a result of his complete acquittal, any compensation will be demanded or paid on his behalf for his long imprisonment?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for South-West St. Pancras (Mr. Mitcheson), to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the coming Naval Conference to discuss the limitation of armaments will bear in mind the original terms of the invitation extended by President Harding on the occasion of the first Washington Conference, namely, that the Conference should also discuss Pacific and Far Eastern questions?

So far as I am aware, it is not proposed that the Conference should discuss other than naval problems.

asked the Minister of Labour the total numbers of persons unemployed within the borough of West Ham for the years 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, and 1934, ended 31st March, giving separate figures for men and women?

The following table shows the number of unemployed persons on the registers of the Stratford and Canning Town Employment Exchanges at each of the dates specified in the first column: