asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the latest statistics of tuberculosis among members, all ranks, of His Majesty's Navy, the numbers of cases in which the disease was decided to have been latent upon enlistment, and the numbers that have contracted the disease while serving; and what steps are being taken to counteract a spread of the disease before and after contraction?

The latest available statistics are for the year 1933. In that year there were 176 cases of tuberculosis in the Royal Navy. With present medical knowledge, it is not possible to differentiate between cases latent upon enlistment, and those contracted while serving. Methods employed to prevent the occurrence of the disease include constant medical inspection of naval personnel, physical training, instruction in personal hygiene, supervision of living accommodation, diet and ventilation, and regulation of the temperature of His Majesty's ships. In order to prevent the spread of the disease after contraction, all cases of tuberculosis are taken to hospital and the usual processes of disinfection are carried out in the ship or establishment concerned.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of boy naval recruits for the year ended 31st December, 1934, whose applications were accepted compared to those rejected; and the reasons given by His Majesty's medical advisers to the Admiralty for such rejections?

The total number of applications was 13,894, and the number required and entered was 3,063. Of those who were not entered, the number rejected on medical examination was 1,940. The list of reasons for the medical rejections is appended. Defective vision and defective teeth accounted for considerably over half the number.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British Government still regard as valid the policy of the Consortium in relation to China?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent machines have been substituted for hand clerical labour in his Department; and what is the estimated annual saving deriving from the substitution, allowances being made for the purchase and/or renting of machines, maintenance thereof, and material used in connection therewith?

Apart from typewriting and neostyling machines, 118 machines of various types are used in my Department in substitution for hand clerical labour. Forty-four of these are calculating and adding machines and most of the remainder are punching, sorting, duplicating and addressing machines. I fear that it would be quite impossible to arrive at even an approximately accurate estimate of the annual saving due to the use of these machines.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will give early and favourable consideration to the recommendation of the Tomlin Commission to the effect that members of the "P" class and "PU" class and of the temporary clerical and typing classes who have been debarred from admission to the established grades on age grounds should receive gratuities on retirement at the rate of two weeks' pay for each year of service?

This recommendation by the Royal Commission on the Civil Service referred to members of the classes in question who were debarred on age grounds from admission, not to the established grades, as stated by my hon. Friend, but to the contributory Superannuation Scheme B, which the commission suggested for these classes. The proposal to bring these classes under a contributory superannuation scheme was not adopted by His Majesty's Government. Instead, subject to certain conditions, they were established under the non-contributory superannuation system applicable to established civil servants in general. It follows that those of them who were over age for establishment must be dealt with like other unestab lished civil servants, for whom the Royal Commission did not recommend any change in regard to retiring gratuity, and the individuals concerned were notified accordingly on appointment to the appropriate permanent grade in an unestablished capacity.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many motor-driven coastal vessels have been constructed in the shipbuilding yards of this country in each of the last three years; and whether he has any information as to the extent to which the coastal traffic on the East Coast is being captured by Dutch vessels of this type specially built to operate in our waters?

The number of motor vessels between 100 and 1,000 gross tons

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give the respective balances of trade with all countries with which agreements have been negotiated since the dates thereof up to the nearest convenient time?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th February, 1935; col. 1926, Vol. 297], supplies the following statement:

asked the Home Secretary the names and ages of persons executed in England and Wales during the year 1934; and the dates on which

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the number of foreign European air lines using British

The particulars are as follow:and the number using American air liners?

On 31st December last, four foreign air transport companies in Europe were using British aircraft and two were using United States aircraft.