asked the Minister of Transport for the latest year available the average price charged per unit of electricity sold, excluding intersales, by public authorities and companies, respectively?

The average price obtained by authorised undertakers in 1933 per unit of electricity sold for all purposes, including power supplies, traction, street lighting and domestic supplies, but excluding intersales, was in the case of public authorities 1.29d. and in the case of companies 1.27d.

asked the Minister of Transport the number of accommodation crossings which exist in this country; and whether, in view of the serious mishaps which occur to trains on such crossings, he will endeavour to enforce some better system of supervision and control for the safety of the travelling public?

I cannot say how many railway accommodation crossings there are, but there can be little doubt that the number of such crossings largely exceeds the number of public road crossings, and may be 10,000 or more. During 1933, 43 train accidents in which 13 persons (including six pedestrians) were killed, have been reported at railway occupation crossings, as compared with 140 train accidents, in which eight persons (including six pedestrians) were killed, at public road crossings. As my hon. Friend will see, the risk of accidents at occupation crossings is relatively not large, and while I have no power to enforce the provision of safeguards for the travelling public, the attention of railway companies or other parties concerned will be called to any recommendations which may be made in any reports on accidents of this kind made by railway inspecting officers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the names of those seaside resorts with a population of over 5,000 where the beach, or the main part of it, is owned by private interests?

The foreshore below high-water mark adjacent to the following sea-coast towns in England and Wales with a population of over 5,000 is not regarded, wholly or mainly, as under the management of the Board of Trade, the Commissioners of Crown Lands, or of the Duchies of Lancaster or Cornwall:

*Blackpool.	Margate.
Blyth.	*Morecambe.
Bournemouth.	*Newquay.
*Brighton.	*Paignton.
Broadstairs.	Penarth.
Christchurch.	*Penzance.
*Dover.	Ramsgate.
*Eastbourne.	Redcar.
Falmouth.	Ryde.
Felixstowe.	St. Ives.
*Fleetwood.	*Sandown-Shanklin.
Folkestone.	*Scarborough.
Formby.	Southend-on-Sea.
Great Crosby.	Southport.
*Hastings.	South Shields.
Herne Bay.	Sunderland.
*Hoylake and West	*Swansea.
Kirby.	*Torquay.
Hythe.	Tynemouth.
Littlehampton.	*Wallasey.
Lytham St. Anne's.

In the cases of those towns marked with an asterisk, it is understood that the foreshore is owned wholly or mainly by a local authority. I have no information as to the present ownership of the foreshore adjacent to the other towns. In some cases the foreshore passed from the Crown many years ago.

asked the President of the Board of Trade particulars of all licences granted during the years 1932, 1933, and the 11 months of 1934, in respect of exports of war material, such particulars to include the names of the firms to whom the licences have been granted, the quantities and descriptions of the commodities involved, and the oversea countries to which they were consigned?

It has not been the practice to disclose the names of the individual firms to whom licences have been granted, and the value of a statement of such length and in such detail as the hon. Member desires would not, in my opinion, justify the expenditure of the time and labour which would be required for its preparation.

asked the Secretary of State for India the number of women employed underground in coal mines in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and the Central Provinces in 1932 and 1933?

The following are the figures:STATEMENT of the Number of Women Employed Underground in Coal Mines in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and the Central Provinces in 1932 and 1933.

		1932.	1933.
Bengal	…	5,060	4,551
Bihar and Orissa	…	8,827	7,292
Central Provinces	…	696	846
Total	…	14,583	12,689

asked the Secretary of State for India what are the number of mines at work in India; the number of persons engaged in the mines; the number of males, females, and children, respectively; and the earliest age children are allowed to work in the mines?

The following is the information asked for:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any alteration in the vaccination laws of Nigeria has been carried through; and what is the nature of the recent legislation proposed or carried through on that subject?

The Vaccination Ordinance of Nigeria, which was enacted in 1917, has not been amended, and I am not aware of any proposal to alter its provisions.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, having regard to the increase of revenue since the introduction of the reduced charges for telephone calls, he will consider the advisability of introducing penny postage for a period of three months in order to see whether an increase of revenue would also result?

I am afraid that it would be impracticable to undertake an experiment such as my hon. Friend suggests.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the basis of compensation paid to farmers whose cattle are slaughtered as a result of foot-and-mouth disease; and whether any compensation is paid for pedigree?

The basis of compensation to the owners of animals slaughtered in connection with outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease is that laid down in Section 15 of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, namely:

"(i) Where the animal slaughtered was affected with foot-and-mouth disease the compensation shall be the value of the animal immediately before it became so affected;

(ii) in every other case the compensation shall be the value of the animal immediately before it was slaughtered."

In the case of pedigree stock the value of the animal is its actual value as a pedigree animal.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total amount paid in respect of compensation for animals as a result of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Gloucestershire during 1932, 1933, and 1934, and the total amount paid in respect of England, Wales, and Scotland during 1933?

The following is the information desired by my hon. Friend:

COMPENSATION paid for animals slaughtered in connection with outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease.
Gloucestershire:
	£	s.	d.
Year 1932	1,610	7	6
Year 1933	Nil.
Year 1934 (to 7.12.34)	6,678	7	0
	8,288	14	6
Great Britain—year 1933:
	£	s.	d.
England	71,322	3	9
Wales	1,076	9	0
Scotland	Nil.
	72,398	12	9

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the presence in Nevin Bay, Carnarvonshire, of large numbers of grey seals which are destroying herring, damaging nets, and causing considerable loss to fishermen; and what steps he pro- poses to take to protect the fishing interests of that area?

I have seen a Press report but no complaints of damage done to fisheries or nets by grey seals in Nevin Bay have recently been received by the Ministry. As regards the last part of the question, it would be an offence under the Grey Seals Protection Act, 1932, for any person knowingly to kill, wound, or take a grey seal at the present time, since the period from 1st September to 31st December is a close season for grey seals.