asked the Home Secretary what is the yearly number of persons proceeded against under the Vaccination Acts for the last 10 years for which the records are available; how many orders to vaccinate were made each year; and how many persons were fined under either Section 29 or Section 31 of the Vaccination Act, 1867?

During the ten years from 1924 to 1933, the number of persons proceeded against in England and Wales for offences against the Vaccination Acts, 1867 to 1907, the number of such persons fined, and the number of orders directing vaccination made under Section 31 of the. Act of 1867 were as follow:

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the death of Winifred Annie Edwards, aged 20 years, a nurse at the Birmingham Hospital, who died at the Queen's Hospital, Birmingham, on 16th October, from post- vaccinal encephalomyelitis; that Professor Haswell Wilson, a pathologist at Birmingham University, stated the condition to be due to a reaction of the vaccine and that the girl would probably not have died if she had not been vaccinated; what kind of lymph was used; whether he is aware that Miss Edwards was vaccinated in order to take up a position at a Sheffield institution; whether the Sheffield institution make vaccination a condition of employment; and whether there is any possibility of compensation being paid to Miss Edward's relatives?

The answer to the first, second, third, fifth and sixth parts of the question is in the affirmative. I understand that the lymph used in this case was supplied by "Dr. Renner's" establishment which is licensed under the Therapeutic Substances Act for the manufacture of lymph. I am not aware of any enactment under which compensation could be paid in such a case.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the unfair competition caused by the sale of Danish butter which has been cold-stored without any statement to that effect at the time of sale, thus misleading the public; and what action is being taken in the matter?

All imported butter when exposed for sale in this country, has to bear an indication of origin and all imported Danish butter is, in fact, so marked. Accordingly, I do not think that there is any reason for further action in the matter.

asked the Prime Minister whether he proposes to table proposals for the fixing of a compulsory retirement age for His Majesty's judges?

His Majesty's Government propose to refer this question, amongst others, for the consideration of those undertaking the investigation to which my right hon. and learned Friend referred on 1st November last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that many local authorities were under an impression, based upon the financial memorandum and terms of Clause 44 of the draft Bill, that the Unemployment Assistance Board would take over the transferred duties soon after 30th June, 1934, and accordingly levied rates for 1934–35 which will prove insufficient, as the date for the transfer of duties is now fixed at 1st March, 1935; and whether he will consider placing local authorities in the financial position they would have occupied had the date of transfer been fixed at 1st October, 1934?

I am not aware of anything in the financial memorandum or Clause 44 of the draft Unemployment Bill which gave any indication that the appointed days under that Bill would be as early as my hon. and learned Friend suggests. As regards the last part of his question, I am not in a position to add anything to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 1st November to questions by the hon. Members for Wallsend (Miss Ward) and Dunfermline (Mr. J. Wallace).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will consider whether the present conditions governing appointments to the Civil Service can be modified to allow chartered and incorporated accountants the same opportunities of admission as are open to members of the legal, medical, dental, veterinary, architectural and engineering professions?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given by my predecessor on 6th March, 1933, to the hon. Member for Westhoughton (Mr. Rhys Davies), a copy of which I am sending to him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Dutch authorities have made any proposals for the termination of the rubber restriction scheme?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Minister of Labour what method is adopted in procuring the average retail price of bacon for use in the cost-of-living figure evolved by his Department; whether the price obtained is that for large quantities sold retail or for small sliced quantities of 1 lb. or less; and whether he is aware that there is great difficulty in procuring at the average shop bacon at the average retail prices given as official?

The average retail price of bacon, as ascertained for the purpose of the official cost-of-living index figure, is based on the prices charged by about 1,000 retailers, distributed throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland, supplying working-class customers. The prices quoted are for streaky bacon, sliced, per lb., except in localities where streaky bacon is seldom sold, in which cases the prices quoted relate to other cuts locally representative. As regards the last part of the question, prices vary considerably in different localities, and with different retailers, but I have no reason to think that the figure, namely, 1s. 2¼d. per lb., published for 1st November is unrepresentative as a general average.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that candidates for the Army training schools sat for examination on 3rd July and were not told of the result till 11th October, thus preventing unsuccessful candidates from seeking other careers for over three months; and whether he will endeavour to expedite the procedure in such examinations in future?

I am aware that the facts are as stated in the first part of the question. The examinations for apprentice tradesmen, which are competitive, are held simultaneously at various centres at home and abroad, and some delay necessarily occurs pending receipt of the examination papers from overseas. Steps are, however, being taken to make more extended use of the Air Mail from India and China; and these, it is hoped, will considerably reduce the interval between the examinations and the publication of the results.