asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that Mr. B. T. Ranadive and Mr. S. G. Sardesai, each of whom is serving a sentence of two years' rigorous imprisonment for sedition, have been placed in C-class, although the chief presidency magistrate of Bombay had recommended that Mr. Ranadive should be placed in B-class; whether, as the social status and educational attainments of these two prisoners satisfy the scheduled requirements, he will see that the prisoners are placed in B-class; and whether he can make a statement as to the state of health of these two prisoners?

I am aware of the facts stated in the first part of the question. As regards the second part, the decision of the Bombay Government to place the prisoners in Class C was taken after full consideration of all the relevant facts, and I am not prepared to interfere with it. My latest information is to the effect that the health of the prisoners is satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether Mr. P. C. Joshi, M.A., LL.B., who was convicted in Cawnpore in April and sentenced to two and a-half years' imprisonment, satisfies the scheduled requirements in respect of classification for B-class; whether he is receiving B-class treatment; and whether he can state the condition of the health of this prisoner?

I have no information as to the classification of this prisoner or as to the state of his health, but will inquire.

asked the Secretary of State for India what are the precautions taken when hostile villages on the North- West Frontier of India are attacked from the air to allow of the departure of the non-combatant population; and whether these precautions have always been successful in practice?

Warnings are invariably given, normally 48 hours and never less than 24 hours before air action is taken. These warnings are conveyed to the inhabitants by means of leaflets dropped from aeroplanes, and in addition, whenever conditions permit, by messengers. To the best of my belief these precautions have proved adequate.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons unemployed in the jute industry in each of the months July to October, 1934; and the corresponding figures for the same months in 1933, 1932 and 1931?

The following table gives the information desired:

asked the Post master-General whether he is aware that on 17th September last 10 unemployed men in North Berwick were given green cards by the local Employment Exchange and told to report on a certain date to the foreman of a firm engaged on work connected with the Post Office and that, on reporting themselves on the date in question, they were informed that no work was to be had as other men had been brought in from Haddington by motor; and whether, when giving out contracts, he can include a clause giving preference to local labour?

I am informed that the application to the North Berwick Employment Exchange was due to a regrettable misunderstanding on the part of the representatives of the contractor concerned. The work to be done covered a wide tract and only a small portion of it lay within the North Berwick area and the men brought from Haddington had been previously employed by the contractor on similar work. It is not, of course, possible to dictate to contractors the source from which they should recruit labour, but I am glad to say that the firm concerned in this case fully accepts the Post Office view that local labour should be employed as far as possible.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the death of a nurse at Birmingham from vaccination; whether he is aware that the operation was imposed by a Sheffield institution as a condition of employment; and whether, in view of such risks, he will advise the authorities of hospitals and similar institutions not to insist on the vaccination of their staffs?

The answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the third part, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to a question which he asked on 26th July relating to the case of Leonard George Jennings. I may also refer to the remarks on this subject which are contained in the annual report of the chief medical officer of my Department for 1933.

asked the Home Secretary whether it has been brought to his notice that Leonard George Jennings, aged 18, died recently from post-vaccinal encephalitis, and that he underwent vaccination as a condition of employment with the Gas Light and Coke Company; and whether, in view of this and similar cases, he will introduce legislation amending the Workmen's Compensation Act by putting on to employers the responsibility for the injurious or fatal result of vaccination performed as a condition of employment?

The principle as laid down in Section 1 of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1925, is to give compensation for personal injury by accident arising out of and in the course of employment, and I could not recommend legislation to extend the Act to death or injury due to vaccination where the circumstances are not such as to bring the case within the terms of that section.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will authorise his Department to prepare a table, giving in simple language the quantities of proteins, carbo-hydrates, and fats contained in each ounce of the principal foods of the poorer classes, with tables showing the quantities of these necessary for the daily rations according to the age, sex, and occupation of the consumers, and thus improve their diet and reduce its cost?

The information referred to in the first part of the question is available from several sources. Questions affecting nutrition are under regular investigation, and in connection with this I will bear in mind my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Home Secretary the pay of the subordinate ranks of the prison staff, with the annual increments, including the engineering staffs?

Prison officers receive in addition to their pay certain emoluments including free quarters or an allowance in lieu. The pay of male officers starts at 44s. 9d. a week and rises by 10 annual increments to 61s. 3d. There are some further increments for men who remain 15 or 20 years in this grade, and there is a higher scale for those promoted to be principal officers. The lowest grade of engineers start at 58s. 10d. a week and rise by nine annual increments to 75s. 2d. There are higher scales for engineers in the more responsible posts. I am sending my hon. Friend a full statement of the various scales.

asked the Home Secretary whether, seeing that he has increased the staff in several of His Majesty's prisons, he will consider increasing the staff at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum; and whether he is aware that many days of statutory reliefs are due to the staff at the asylum in consequence of a lack of attendants to carry out the duties?

I am making inquiry into the points raised by the hon. Member, and will communicate with him.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Crown receives requests for copies of Crown photographs in the Imperial War Museum; and, if so, on what terms it supplies them?

Copies of British official War photographs are available for sale at the Imperial War Museum at prices from 1s. upwards according to size. Receipts from sales and reproduction fees in the last financial year were approximately £700.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total values of British manufactured goods and of all goods exported to Empire and foreign countries, respectively, during the first nine months of the present year?

During the nine months ended September, 1934, the total value of the exports of United Kingdom goods consigned to British countries was £133,100,000 and to foreign countries £155,900,000. The corresponding figures for articles classed as wholly or mainly manufactured were £112,500,000 to British countries and £110,800,000 to foreign countries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give any information with regard to the revised freight rates introduced on sisal and tow by the East African Conference Lines from East Africa to this country

I am informed that recent adjustments in these rates have reduced them slightly, from 30s. to 29s. 8d. per ton for sisal and from 27s. 6d. to 27s. per ton for sisal tow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the importation of Japanese momis to Ceylon has killed the chest industry in that country; how many employes in the Ceylon industry have lost their employment; and whether he proposes to suggest any 'action to restrict the importation of Japanese chests?

I have no information on the subject, but I am asking the Governor for a report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the statutory rules governing the Scottish Prison Officers' Representative Board contain any provision by which the representatives may personally approach the Secretary of State or a representative from the Scottish Office in the event of the representatives feeling that they have not been satisfactorily treated by the Department?

There are no statutory rules governing the Scottish Prison Officers' Representative Board, and the terms of its constitution do not include a provision of the kind mentioned. The Prisons (Scotland) Rules provide that written applications by prison officers to the Secretary of State shall be submitted by the Prisons Department, and I am always prepared to give careful consideration to such applications, whether the officers making them are or are not representatives of the board.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on whose authority additional words in brackets were made to an official circular issued to the Scottish prison staff relating to lines 3 and 4 of the Stanhope Report, paragraph 18, and interpreted to include warders employed at the criminal lunatic department at Perth?

The application to the Scottish Prisons Service of para- graph 18 of the report of the Prisons Officers Pay Committee was explained in a circular issued to prison governors by the Prison Commissioners for Scotland in January, 1924, and the then Secretary for Scotland was satisfied that the commissioners had correctly given effect to the intention of the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the amount of weekly lodging allowance paid to warders of the various grades when living out of quarters by consent of the Department?

Warders not provided with official quarters are granted a lodging allowance of 6s. 6d. per week; this rate may be increased where necessary in the case of married officers up to a maximum of 10s. 6d. per week.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Removal Expenses Circular, of 24th October, has now been applied to the staffs of Scottish prisons; if so, to what date does the concession apply; and whether he is aware that this circular applied to the prison officers in England and Wales from 24th October, 1925?

The terms of the removal expenses report referred to, as applied to the Civil Service generally, were extended to the Scottish prisons service as from 6th September last in supersession of the special rules which, as explained in my replies to questions by the hon. Member on the subject on 14th February and 18th July last, were designed to meet the particular conditions obtaining in the Scottish prisons service. I understand that the terms of the report referred to were applied to the prisons service in England and Wales on 1st April, 1926.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the Scottish Prison Officers' Representative Board has repeatedly asked the Department to be supplied with waterproof coats for the warders similar to the coats supplied to officers in the English prison service; and whether, having regard to the fact that these warders are civil servants similar to the warders in England, he will make the concession to Ole Scottish warders?

I am aware of the applications made by the Scottish Prison Officers' Representative Board for a personal issue of waterproof cloaks to warders; but, as explained in my replies to questions on the subject by the hon. Member on 14th March and 19th June last, differences in circumstances in certain respects between the prison services in Scotland and England require to be taken into account. In Scotland, every warder is provided with a uniform greatcoat, and an adequate number of waterproof cloaks is maintained at each prison for issue at times when they are required; and as practically every warder is provided with official quarters adjacent to the prison, a personal issue of waterproof cloaks to every warder would not appear to be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the initial rate of consolidated pay for a subordinate officer in a Borstal institution in Scotland; and what was the weekly amount payable specially to Borstal officers as recommended by the Stanhope Report and accepted by the Government applying prior to the consolidation scheme?

The initial rate of consolidated pay for subordinate officers of the lowest grade at the Borstal institutions at Polmont and at Greenock are 48s. 11d. a week for men and 41s. 2d. a week for women, less temporary abatements of 1s. 2d. and 1s. 1d. a week respectively so long as half the emergency reductions in remuneration remain in force. These rates include the special non-pensionable allowance of 3s. a week recommended by the Stanhope Committee. Prior to the consolidation of remuneration on 1st July last, the corresponding rates of pay as recommended by the Stanhope Committee were 29s. a week for men and 24s. a week for women, plus a variable cost-of-living bonus and the special non-pensionable allowance referred to, amounting in the aggregate, immediately prior to consolidation, to 46s. 6d. a week for men and 39s. a week for women.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any arrangement has yet been arrived at regarding the absence of street lamps in certain parts of the Carntyne housing scheme?

The answer is in the negative. The matter, I am informed, is still under consideration by the local authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action has been taken to alleviate the insanitary condition of the burn running between Glen Road and Station Road, Shotts, Lanarkshire?

I am informed that Lanark County Council have received a. report from the county medical officer and that a sub-committee has been appointed to inspect the condition of the burn with a view to the further consideration of the matter. I shall communicate with the hon. Member as soon as I have been informed of the result.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of persons in receipt of public assistance in Scotland at the last date for which figures are available, and also the numbers at the corresponding dates in 1933, 1932, and 1931?

The following statement gives the number of persons in receipt of public assistance in Scotland at 15th October, 1934, 1933, 1932 and 1931.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the fact that sheriff officers in Glasgow are guilty of defrauding poor persons who are summoned to the courts for debt by imposing higher charges for expenses than they are legally entitled to; and whether he will inquire as to whether it is possible to issue a printed decree of the court to each defender informing them of the decision and amount of expenses awarded?

On the information before me, I have no reason to believe that sheriff officers in Glasgow charge poor persons more than they are entitled to for expenses, but if the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of my cases which he has in mind, I shall be glad to have them investigated. The suggestion in the second part of the question presents practical difficulties, and would not appear to be necessary, In small debt cases the scale of expenses that may be charged is shown in the copy summons served on the defender, and details of the expenses awarded are contained in the decree, which can always be seen by the defender.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of persons who were employed by the Glasgow Corporation as polling clerks and enumerators at the municipal elections on 6th November, 1934; the number of unemployed and employed persons, respectively, who were engaged; and the number engaged who are in full-time employment in Glasgow Corporation service?

I am informed that 911 poll clerks and 660 enumerators were so employed. All the poll clerks, and a proportion of the enumerators, were unemployed or necessitous persons. Of the 660 enumerators, 263 were selected from the lower-paid full-time officials in the Corporation service.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the scheme for the provision of cheap milk for school children is applicable to the North of Scotland?

The scheme now in operation applies to the area of the Scottish Milk Marketing Board. The North of Scotland Milk Marketing Board propose to make similar arrangements for the supply of milk for schools within the area of their administration. As regards Aberdeen and district, the matter is under consideration by the Milk Marketing Board concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the new Highway Code he is publishing will warn motorists against the practice of passing on the left-hand side on ordinary roads?

The new Code is at present under consideration by the Committee on Road Safety, and I will draw their attention to the question raised by my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport whether any scheme has yet been evolved for the reducing of the number of accidents in Chiswick High Road; and, if not, by what date he anticipates that such a scheme will be evolved?

In collaboration with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis I have had prepared diagrams of the four main routes in the Metropolitan area on which accidents have been particularly numerous, the Chiswick High Road being among them. The diagrams indicate the accidents recorded during the six months ended 30th September last, where they occurred and other relevant information. I sent these maps to the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee on 5th November with a request that the conditions on these roads should be investigated with a view to the adoption of remedial measures. I am sure that the Committee will have addressed themselves as a matter of urgency to this matter, and I await their recommendations with every confidence that they will be of the greatest value.

asked the Attorney-General whether, in view of the increase of motoring offences, especially under the new legislation, he will take steps to ensure that all benches of magistrates have members possessed of personal knowledge of road-traffic conditions?

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor appoints such persons to the magisterial bench as he believes to be competent to deal with offences under the Road Traffic the introduction of the new scheme from Act and there is no reason to suppose that the benches of magistrates do not include members who have personal knowledge or road-traffic conditions.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider setting up at an early date a special committee to evolve plans for the adequate celebration next year of the 25th anniversary of the accession to the throne of His Majesty the King?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Lord President of the Council in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Limehouse (Mr. Attlee) on 30th July last. The necessary arrangements for working out a detailed programme have already been made.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what steps are being taken to secure adequate school accommodation in connection with the new building estates in the Gravesend division of Kent?

Plans for a new school for 480 boys at Northfleet were approved in March last, and plans for a school for the same number of girls in the same district are now under consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give any figures of the milk consumption by school children in the Gravesend division of Kent before and after the introduction of the new scheme; and the numbers of school children availing themselves of such facilities for similar dates?

The milk consumed daily by school children in the Gravesend division of Kent, with the exception of one rural district for which particulars are not yet available, has increased since the introduction of the new scheme from 1,040 to 5,500 bottles containing one-third of a pint, an increase of over 400 per cent. In regard to the second part of the question, it may be assumed that the number of children receiving the milk corresponds very closely with the number of bottles supplied.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the threat to introduce prohibitive tariffs on Colonial products recently conveyed to the Tanganyika Cordage Company has been put into effect; what were the circumstances under which this threat was made; and, if withdrawn, what were the circumstances which led to its withdrawal?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The circumstances in which this matter arose are as follow: In August, strong representations were made to the Government by representatives of the Rope, Twine and Net Manufacturers' Federation to the effect that their home market in the United Kingdom was being menaced by the sale here by the Tanganyika Cordage Company of binder twine produced by low-paid African labour in Tanganyika. These representations carried the more weight by reason of the fact that the rope manufacturers in this country have agreed to co-operate with sisal producers in East Africa by using increased quantities of sisal in their manufactures. It is obviously an essential interest of the sisal producers to retain a market in the United Kingdom which will be not only secure but expanding. The retention of such a market would, however, manifestly be jeopardised if the manufacturers in this country who had undertaken to cooperate with the sisal producers were to be exposed to severe competition on the United Kingdom market by sisal manufactures produced in a sisal producing country. Consequently I came to the conclusion that, in the interests of the sisal producers themselves, there was no alternative but to inform the Tanganyika Cordage Company that, failing an agreement between them and the federation, I should not be able to oppose the imposi- tion of a prohibitive duty on binder twine imported to this country from the Colonial Dependencies.In the reply which I gave on 14th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr. North) I emphasised that, in my view, these rare cases of a conflict of interest between manufacturers in this country and Colonial interests were eminently matters which should be susceptible of satisfactory agreements between the parties concerned. In this particular case, the Colonial Office kept in touch with both sides, and on 10th October an invitation was issued to the federation and the company to meet at the Colonial Office to discuss the position. This meeting was, however, rendered unnecessary because it was reported to the Colonial Office by the Commissioner of His Majesty's East African Trade and Information Office that an agreement between the parties had been reached after discussion at his office. It was to this agreement that I referred in the answers which I gave to questions put by my hon. Friend on 14th November. Some qualification is, however, necessary to the words

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the British Government, under the Colonial Development Act, proposes to give financial assistance to establishing the paper-pulp industry in Kenya; and whether, in view of the recent difficulties which have arisen in connection with the importation of Tanganyika twine and cordage manufactures into this country, he will first define the attitude of the British Government towards manufactures in the Colonies produced by coloured labour and imported into this country?

An application for financial assistance from the Colonial Development Fund towards the establishment of a bamboo-pulp factory in Kenya is still under consideration by the Colonial Development Advisory Committee. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. North) on the 14th instant.