asked the Minister of Transport, whether, in view of his recent intimation that he is prepared to give financial assistance to schemes for the abolition of level crossings, he will be prepared to consider schemes for the abolition of such crossings in Hull?

I am quite prepared to consider any definite schemes submitted from Hull and elsewhere for grants from the Road Fund for the abolition of level crossings.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is prepared to pay or contribute towards the payment by a London local authority for experiments in the lighting of beacons or other signs at selected pedestrian crossings in central parts of London on some system whereby a light, whether automatic in its operation or controlled by the traffic, will give warning to drivers of the intention of pedestrians to use the crossing and assist in ensuring their safety when so doing?

I am always prepared to consider any proposals which local authorities may desire to make to me for the illumination of beacons which are not reasonably visible at night. I am also prepared to consider proposals from the local authorities concerned for the erection of pedestrian operated light signals at crossings where such signals would be justified.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can expedite the promised reconstruction of the main road between Hexham and Halt-whistle, Northumberland, in order to assist the serious unemployment of Halt-whistle and the surrounding area?

In October last I made a grant from the Road Fund towards the cost of constructing a section of a new road to by-pass the village of Henshaw on this road; but I understand that work has not yet been commenced owing to difficulties in acquiring the necessary land.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the custom of letting out on tenders the manual work of porterage in the ports of Haifa and Jaffa has recently been discontinued and that considerable feeling has been roused in consequence; and will he look ito the question with a view of a return to the status quo in this matter?

I have no information on this subject, but I will ask the High Commissioner for Palestine for a report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies from which of the Crown Colonies and Protectorates protests have been received, either from the Governors or from the unofficial members of the legislatures, against the imposition of the additional duties upon foreign trade which His Majesty's Government urged should be adopted as a consequence of the Ottawa Agreements?

I am afraid that without elaborate research, which I should not regard as justified, I should not be able to say definitely that no protests of this kind have been received, but, broadly speaking, the only Colonies where any objection was taken to the terms of the Ottawa Agreements were Ceylon, where certain parts of the Agreements were not put into effect, and one or two West Indian Colonies, where doubts were expressed regarding the rates of duty on certain articles such as rubber shoes, hosiery, pitchpine and white oak staves. But I should certainly give a wholly inaccurate picture if I did not say at the same time that the Ottawa Agreements in general were widely welcomed and highly valued throughout the Colonial Empire.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, with a view to the suppression of bogus telegrams, he is prepared to introduce legislation amending Section 11 of the Post Office (Protection) Act, 1884, so as to make it a criminal offence to despatch a telegram the contents whereof are, to the knowledge of the sender, false with intent to cause damage, anxiety, or inconvenience to the recipient thereof?

I will consider my hon. Friend's suggestion when a suitable opportunity arises; but I regret that there is no prospect in any case of introducing amending legislation during the present Session.

asked the Minister of Health whether there are still any administrative counties or county boroughs not covered by joint vagrancy committees; and whether, if the formation of these committees is now substantially completed, he will consider afresh the maintenance of a register of persons frequenting casual wards, as recommended by the Departmental Committee in 1931 (Cmd. 3640)?

All the county boroughs of England and Wales and all but six of the administrative counties are now covered by joint vagrancy committees. I have reason to hope for the inclusion in combinations of at least three of these counties. I will consider the matter raised in the second part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question, but as he will have seen from the Departmental Committee's report, they considered that an effective system could not be introduced without legislation.

asked the Minister of Health whether the Board of Control for England has under its present consideration the boarding-out of rate-aided patients; and can he say how the practice in England compares with the Scottish practice reported on in the Twentieth Annual Report of the Board of Control for Scotland?

This matter is receiving the attention of the Board of Control, particularly in view of schemes which are being put into operation experimentally by certain local authorities. The practice in England cannot, however, be accurately compared with that in Scotland, where the conditions and the statutory provisions are entirely different.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that certain objectors to the audits of the accounts of the late Kingsbury Urban District Council were admitted as having a locus standi at the audit held on 15th May, 1934, but were refused as having no locus standi at the adjourned meeting on 26th July, 1934; will he state the reasons for this altered decision; and by whose authority the alteration was made?

The right of objection at audit is derived from Section 226 (1) of the Local Government Act, 1933, which provides that a local government elector for the area to the accounts of which the audit relates may be present or may be represented at the audit and may make any objection to the accounts before the auditor. It is understood that the objectors referred to were not local government electors for the area of the late Kingsbury Urban District Council and that, on his attention being drawn to the fact, the district auditor decided not to hear their objections

asked the Home Secretary the legal powers under which he claims to instruct the Postmaster-General to detain lottery tickets sent by post to persons who purchase the same for their own use?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I have given to-day to my hon. Friend the Member for Penryn and Falmouth (Mr. Petherick)