asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the conditions governing the eligibility for promotion of schoolmasters in the Royal Navy; whether there has been any recent alteration in their conditions; and whether the position of schoolmasters on the strength prior to such alteration is prejudiced thereby?

The conditions governing the eligibility for promotion of schoolmasters, Royal Navy, are given in paragraphs 9–13 on page 189 of the appendix to the Navy List. There has been no recent alteration in the conditions, and the last part of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Health the latest available figures of the cost of A3 houses and of flats built in three to five-storey blocks for a few typical large cities, including floor area, cost of land and building separately, net weekly rent before deduction of subsidy, weekly rate charge, and amount allowed in rent for maintenance?

I will send a statement to the hon. Member giving such of the desired particulars as can conveniently be obtained.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to ascertain, for the information of Members, the number of houses erected during the years ended 31st March, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 and 1934 to be let at rentals, including rates, of 10s. per week or under, distinguishing local authorities from private enterprise and assisted from unassisted building; and whether he will make available to Members similar information for each subsequent quarter as soon as may be after the close of such quarter?

It would be impracticable, without a quite unreasonable expenditure of time and money, to obtain the information asked for in the first part of this question. The proposal made in the second part of the question presents considerable difficulty, but I will give consideration to the question how far it may be practicable to include information of this kind in the periodical housing return which, as I have already stated, I propose to publish.

asked the Minister of Health the number of rate-aided patients in mental hospitals, casuals, and persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only, in Lancashire in June, 1931, and at the latest date at which figures are available?

Returns of the number of rate-aided patients in mental hospitals are obtained only for 1st January in each year. The following statement gives the desired particulars in regard to the administrative County of Lancaster and the 17 associated county boroughs on the dates indicated:

—	1931.	1934.
Number of rate-aided patients in mental hospitals.	11,928(1st Jan.)	12,402(1st Jan.)
Number of casuals	728(26th June)	727(6th July)
Number of persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only.	2,091(27th June)	4,535(30th June)

asked the Minister of Health the number of cases of small-pox and deaths from that disease notified in Russia since the year 1920?

I am not aware of any official returns giving the figures for which the hon. Member asks.

asked the Minister of Health the capital value of housing and public works schemes in respect of which local authorities applied for loan sanction during the years ended 31st March, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 and 1934, and the value of such schemes for which loan sanction was withheld and granted, respectively, in each year, distinguishing hi each case the purpose of the loan; and whether he will make available to Members similar information for each subsequent year as soon as may be after the close of such year?

The capital value of the housing and public works schemes in respect of which loans have been sanctioned in the years named are shown in the following table:

Year ended 31st March.		Loans for Housing.	Loans for Public Works.
		£	£
1930	…	35,999,921	36,358,352
1931	…	32,281,195	47,365,434
1932	…	22,738,631	34,375,486
1933	…	18,555,877	19,980,902
1934	…	21,858,565	20,344,465

Information of the capital value of schemes submitted in respect of which no loan sanction was ultimately granted could be given only after lengthy investigation and in some cases only estimates could be provided. Particulars of loans sanctioned are given for each year in the annual reports of the Ministry, and the total amount for each class of public works is shown. It is hoped that the report for 1933–34 will be published early next month.