asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what steps, if any, are being taken by the Air Council to secure co-ordination between municipal authorities in the selection and acquisition of suitable sites for air ports, or whether it is the policy of the Council to encourage any local authority which desires to do so to possess its own air port?

It is the policy of the Air Ministry to encourage local authorities generally to provide themselves with suitable aerodromes. Whether their needs are best served by separate aerodromes or by aerodromes established jointly by two or more municipalities depends on the circumstances of each case, such as the relative situation of the towns and the aerodrome sites available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will take steps to ensure that in future no officer of the Air Ministry who has previously been consulted by one of the interested parties shall be appointed as technical adviser to the inspector holding a local inquiry?

My Noble Friend does not think it desirable to give an undertaking in these terms. At the same time my hon. Friend may certainly assume that the advice given, whether before or during an inquiry, would in any event be entirely disinterested and impartial.

asked the Home Secretary whether the annual report of the Carlisle State-management of licensed houses has yet been published and, if so, whether copies are available for Members of this House?

The latest annual report of the State management districts, dealing with the year ended 31st March, 1934, was published on 28th September, 1934 (H.C.P. 123). A copy of the report was sent to the hon. Member on the same date, but I have arranged for another copy to be sent to him.

asked the Home Secretary whether cases of death after the operation of voluntary sterilisation are brought to the attention of his Department; and, if so, through what channels is his Department so informed?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, and the second part therefore does not arise.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has any information as to the number of cases of typhoid fever and deaths from that disease registered from 1906 to 1933 in the towns of Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Winnipeg; and whether he can provide similar information for each of the Canadian provinces?

I regret that I am not in possession of the information asked for by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will inquire into and expedite the granting of the contributory pension to J. Bloomfield, 10, Cross Street, Stratford, E.; and whether he will inquire as to the necessity of a six-weeks' delay in the decision on this case?

It is presumed that the question relates to the claim of Charles Broomfield of the address stated. The statutory conditions were not satisfied on the information originally available, but evidence of two earlier periods of insurance was obtained, and investigation was necessary to decide whether the separate insurances could be linked up. The necessary evidence to establish the continuity of the insurance has now been obtained and the statutory conditions are shown to be satisfied. An award notice will accordingly be issued to Mr. Broom-field, which will enable him to draw his pension from 24th January, 1935, the date of entitlement.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that Mary Ann Woodcock, The Grange, Newton Burgoland, daughter of the late 2nd A.M., No. 104,257, Royal Air Force, who died on 21st May, 1924, is a confirmed invalid, suffering from tuberculosis; and whether, having regard to this fact, he will look into the case with a view to the re-issue of the war orphan's allowance which ceased in January, 1932?

The reasons which preclude me from authorising a re-issue of the allowance, which ceased when the young person referred to reached the age of 21 years, are explained in the reply which I gave on 5th February to the hon. Members for Deritend (Mr. Crooke) and Rhondda, East, (Mr. Mainwaring), of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour the retail prices of household commodities in July, 1931, and to-day?

At 1st July, 1931, the average level of working-class cost of living, as indicated by the index number compiled by the Ministry of Labour, was approximately 47 per cent. above the level of July, 1914. At 1st February, 1935, the corresponding figure was 42 per cent. For particulars of the changes in the prices of the principal items of expenditure covered by the index number, I would refer the hon. Member to the issues

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the assumed cost of repairs to property during the past 10 years, as stated in the last report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, page 63, namely, £849,000,000; whether the remission of income tax allowed on this assumption was, approximately, £195,000,000; and whether, with a view to ensure that the work of repairs is in fact carried out, he will again consider allowing the remission only on expenditure actually incurred?

asked the Secretary for Mince the respective numbers of pits in production, companies, men employed, and output for the years 1920, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, and 1934, for Great Britain and South Wales, respectively?

The following statement contains such information as is readily available. I will send the hon. Member the remaining particulars shortly.

I am unable to anticipate the Budget statement. I may point out that the figures of allowances for repairs, in the table of the Inland Revenue report to which the hon. Member refers, include both the flat rate allowance and the additional allowance due where the actual cost of repairs, taken on a five years' average exceeds the flat rate. These allowances do not represent a remission of taxation, but rather the deduction of expenditure from gross income in order to arrive at the net income on which tax should be levied.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent since 1920 machines have been substituted for hand clerical labour in the Post Office Money Order Department; and what is the estimated annual saving deriving from the substitution, allowance being made for the purchase and/or renting of machines, maintenance thereof, and material used in connection therewith?

Since 1920, about 40 machines have been introduced in substitution for hand clerical labour, at an estimated net annual saving of about £3,000.

asked the Postmaster General to what extent, since 1920, machines have been substituted for hand clerical labour in the Post Office Savings Bank; and what is the estimated annual saving deriving from the substitution, allowance being made for the purchase and/or renting of machines, maintenance thereof, and material used in connection therewith?

Since 1920, about 200 machines have been introduced in substitution for hand clerical labour, at an estimated annual net saving of about £70,000.