asked the Minister of Health if there is any record kept of the examination of liquid eggs imported into this country as to cleanliness and bacterial content; and if he will cause an examination to be made into the question of how rapidly deterioration in these eggs takes place once the container is opened, to settle a question of such importance to the health of the community?

Imported liquid eggs are subject to inspection by the sanitary authorities of the ports of entry, but there are no records available of the results of their examinations in regard to cleanliness and bacterial content. With regard to the second part of the question, I am advised that the suggested examination would not yield any information of practical value which is not already available.

asked the Minister of Health whether the death of Winifred Annie Edwards, who died recently at Birmingham as the result of vaccination. will be included among the deaths from vaccination in the Registrar-General's Return?

The particulars of the cause of death in this case have not yet been received by the Registrar-General. It is not possible to say to what heading the death in question will be classified until this information is available.

asked the Minister of Health whether and, if so, when the Dental Benefit Joint Committee propose to issue a fresh edition of the Dental Benefit Handbook of 1927?

The Dental Benefit Joint Committee, which was a voluntary non-statutory body, ceased to exist on 31st December, 1928, 'and, subject to my general control, the arrangements for the provision of dental benefit are now in the hands of a statutory body known as the Dental Benefit Council set up in accordance with Regulations made under Section 16 of the 'National Health Insurance Act, 1928. These Regulations also contain provisions for the administration of the benefit, including the scale of fees and conditions of service, and they replace the Dental Benefit Handbook, which will consequently not be re-issued.

asked the Minister of Health how many institutions have been set up by local authorities for the purpose of giving advice on contraceptive methods, and in what places?

So far as is known in my Department, clinics at which advice on contraceptive methods is given subject to the limitations laid down in Ministry of Health circulars on the matter have been provided by 32 local authorities in England and Wales, particulars of which I am sending to my hon. and gallant Friend. It is understood that 'a number of other authorities have made arrangements with the same object otherwise than by the provision of clinics.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons insured for health and pensions at the latest available date, giving separate figures for persons under the age of 20

The numbers of persons in Great Britain who on 31st December, 1933, were insured for health and pensions purposes respectively were approximately 18,481,000 and 18,793,000. The number of insured persons who were under the age of 20 on 31st December, 1931 (the latest date for which such figures are available) was approximately 2,500,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many accidents have occurred to ships using British ports within pilotage areas when the ships in question have, respectively, not taken a pilot or were being piloted by a master holding a pilotage certificate in the last two years?

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the fact that the London County Council has a censorship overriding the decisions of the British Board of Film Censors, and that in consequence films which the latter body consider unsuitable for children are being permitted by the Council; and whether he will consider the desirability of legislation to make the censorship of films really effective?

The Cinematograph Act, 1909, empowers county councils to grant cinematograph licences on such terms and conditions and under such restrictions as, subject to the safety Regulations of the Secretary of State, the councils may by the respective licences determine. Following a decision of the High Court, county councils in England and Wales in the exercise of their discretion usually impose conditions to the effect (i) that apart from news-reels no film which has not been passed by the British Board of Film Censors shall be exhibited without the express consent of the council, and (ii) that no film which has not been passed by the Board for universal exhibition shall be exhibited to children under 16 without the express consent of the council except where a child is accompanied by a parent or adult guardian, in which case the responsibility rests with the parent or guardian. I understand that the London County Council have never allowed children unaccompanied by their parents or guardians to see a film which the Board passed for public exhibition to adult audiences. In the last three years there have been four cases in which films have been rejected by the Board and then on appeal to the council allowed to be exhibited by them with an exceptional condition that no child whatever under 16, whether accompanied by a parent or not, shall be allowed to see the film. In one case a film rejected by the Board has been passed by the council for universal exhibition, but I understand that no special question of its suitability for children was involved. There is thus no ground for the suggestion that the council are allowing children generally in London to see films which the Board consider unsuitable for them. I believe the present arrangement works satisfactorily, and I see no reason for legislation on the point.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the number of persons killed and injured in accidents on the road caused by stationary motor lorries being left unattended on the roadside, he will instruct the police to take action for obstruction against the owners of such lorries?

The attention of the police was recently drawn to the dangers involved in the practice referred to, and I have no reason to doubt that they take such steps as are possible to secure compliance with the law.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the traffic commissioners for the Scotland (Northern) area have refused Mr. Melville Ross, Forgandenny, Perthshire, permission to transport coal or livestock outside a radius of eight miles from Forgandenny, to carry more than 112 lbs. of goods outside a radius of three miles, and have refused to allow him to carry out any removals at term day; if he is aware that the railway company, the sole objector to Mr. Ross receiving a full licence, can offer to the district only inadequate facilities for transporting coal, livestock and goods, and none at all for term-day removals; and whether Mr. Ross has yet lodged an appeal, and when the appeal is likely to be heard?

I have no information regarding the case mentioned by my Noble Friend. The licensing of goods vehicles rests with the licensing authorities appointed under the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, who are not subject to my directions, and the appeal from any decision of a licensing authority lies to an independent appeal tribunal.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has yet received the report of Lord Kinross's Committee on Sheep Stock Valuations; and does he propose to publish the same?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; as regards the second part the report was published on 8th October.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the imports in weight, the wholesale and retail prices, respectively, of Danish bacon sold in this country at the end of each quarter since the quota was established, and the production of bacon in this country for the same periods?

The contract system for the supply of pigs to bacon factories was instituted in Great Britain at the beginning of November, 1933, and the regulation of imports of bacon by order under the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1933, was introduced on 1st December, 1933. The desired information is given in the following table:

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the Hops Marketing Board have received notice from any hop growers that they have taken advantage of the provisions for the exchange of quotas contained in Clause 46, b (ii), of the Hop Marketing Scheme; if so, how many of such transfers have there been; and what has been the average consideration for such transfers'?

I am informed by the Hops Marketing Board that 485 transfers of annual quotas, affecting less than 5 per cent. of the crop, have been arranged among registered hop producers this season. As regards the last part of my hon. Friend's question, the consideration is a matter for arrangement between the producers concerned, and I regret I have no information on the subject.

asked the Postmaster-General the landing charges on press cables and wireless messages, respectively, in the different chief countries of the world, including Great Britain?

The International Telegraph Regulations, which have been adopted by all the chief countries except Canada and the United States of America, provide that the terminal and transit charges for European press telegrams shall be half those for ordinary private telegrams, and not more than half for other press telegrams. The terminal charges of the United Kingdom for European press telegrams thus range from 3½ to 6 gold centimes a word according to the destination (or origin) of the telegrams. The transit charge is 3½ gold centimes, except in one case where it is 3 gold centimes. The terminal charges of the other chief European countries for European press telegrams are similar, except in the Soviet Union and Turkey, where maximum terminal charges of 17½ gold centimes and 10 gold centimes respectively are allowed. The maximum transit charge is 3½ gold centimes a word for most countries, 7½ gold centimes for Turkey and 15 gold centimes for the Soviet Union. In the extra-European system the press telegram services are mainly provided by telegraph companies. and the rates are in many cases less than half the ordinary private rates. No information is available as to what proportion of the charge the various companies regard as appropriate to this terminal service. In the few cases where extra-European press telegrams are handled by the Post Office, the terminal charge due to the Post Office is reduced in the same proportion as the company's total press rate, subject to the normal minimum of 1s. per telegram. No details are published as to the terminal or transit charges in other countries on extra-European press telegrams. The International regulations provide that the same terminal rates must be applicable on all routes whether cable or wireless, between any two countries.