asked the Secretary for Mines the number of mines in Scotland employing ponies below ground and the number not employing ponies below ground; also the approximate total tonnage of coal raised in the mines using ponies and in those not using ponies in that area?

The information for the year 1934 is as follows:

—	Mines in Scotland.
	Employing horses below ground.	Not employing horses below ground.
Number of Mines	81	289
Quantity of Coal raised (Tons).	10,442,000	20,890,000

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of conveyors and loaders in use below ground in the mines of Scotland in 1934, the percentage of the total output carried by these conveyors; the total number of tons so carried; and the total tonnage transported in tubs drawn by ponies?

In 1934, 843 conveyors and 176 gate-end loaders were in use below ground at mines in Scotland. The quantity of coal conveyed was 15,055,000 tons, or 48 per cent. of the total output of coal. Particulars of the quantity of coal transported in tubs drawn by ponies are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans, prepared by the Commissioner for the special areas in Scotland, have been approved by the Government; what expenditure has been authorised; and how many men will be employed upon these schemes?

Plans submitted by the Commissioner for the special areas in Scotland under the following headings have been approved:—

		£
(1)	Physical Training Schemes	8,500
(2)	Special Development of Allotment Schemes including acquisition of land	14,000
(3)	Social Service	40,000
(4)	Industrial Publicity and Research	23,300
(5)	Agriculture Training	20,000
		£105,800

These plans may be regarded as constituting the preliminary stage of the Commissioner's work. They are based either on the idea of training and reconditioning the unemployed so as to fit them for employment or, as in the case of No. 4, of creating conditions conducive to the increase of employment. Meanwhile, a number of schemes which involve direct employment are in course of active preparation and will, it is expected, shortly be set on foot. At the request of the Commissioner a Bill has been introduced to continue the provisions of the Land Drainage (Scotland) Act, 1930, and it is intended to undertake with the Commissioner's assistance schemes under those provisions which will afford considerable employment.

asked the Minister of Health whether any record is kept by the medical superintendent of the Bir- mingham Infectious Diseases Hospital to show how many of the children sent in as cases of diphtheria and subsequently diagnosed as tonsillitis had previously been immunised; and, if so, whether he will publish statistics on this point for the last three years?

The following is the information furnished by the local authority on this subject:

Year.		Column 1.	Column 2.	Column 3.
		Total number of suspected cases of diphtheria admitted to hospital.	No. of cases in Column 1 which proved not to be diphtheria.	No. of cases in Column 2 previously immunised and now diagnosed as tonsillitis.
1931	…	1,728	690	9
1932	…	1,156	609	10
1933	…	788	441	11

Figures are not yet available in respect of the year 1934. It should be noted that 50 per cent. of the cases quoted in column 2 were also diagnosed as tonsillitis

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that prolonged experiments have been carried out in many voluntary maternity hospitals, and in certain London County Council hospitals, and at the Wellhouse Hospital, Barnet (a Herts County Council hospital), with a view to finding some safe and satisfactory method of relieving the pain of childbirth; and whether, considering the successful results of these experiments, he will recommend all public assistance maternity hospitals throughout the country to make use of some form of anaesthesia for their patients, and to undertake further research work of a like nature?

I have noted with interest the experiments referred to in the first part of the question. As regards the second part, I am advised that medical opinion is not unanimous as to the safety and desirability of administering anaesthetics in all cases of childbirth, and I should not be justified in making a general recommendation as to the adoption of particular clinical and therapeutic methods, which must remain within the discretion of the medical officers responsible for the care of their patients. I have no doubt that the medical officers of hospitals provided by local authorities are, in common with the medical profession generally, fully alive to the importance of continued investigation of this subject, and the visits of my medical officers to these hospitals afford opportunities of discussing the arrangements for inducing anaesthesia in suitable cases.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider introducing legislation to empower the payment of pensions to persons who are deaf and dumb?

I fear that I am unable to find reason for introducing legislation for this purpose.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he is aware that the accommodation provided for

—		Portsmouth.		Devonport.		Chatham.		Sheerness.		Rosyth.		Pembroke.
		E.	H.	E.	H.	E.	H.	E.	H.	E.	H.	E.	H.
1926	…	4,170	10,638	3,503	9,416	2,833	7,480	991	1,505	1,110	1,655	562	547
1927	…	4,498	10,228	3,686	9,015	3,082	7,052	1,013	1,482	169	638	55	95
1928	…	4,255	9,353	3,526	8,351	2,897	5,665	980	1,313	149	421	48	271
1929	…	4,108	9,270	3,393	8,126	2,747	5,682	942	1,157	131	368	48	109
1930	…	3,924	9,529	3,244	8,655	2,625	5,996	899	1,260	133	404	42	58
1931	…	3,803	9,542	3,086	8,584	2,493	6,334	855	1,275	131	345	14	38
1932	…	3,630	9,306	2,964	7,933	2,395	6,047	827	1,253	128	364	9	26
1933	…	3,528	9,167	2,917	7,925	2,361	5,804	815	1,212	123	438	12	40
1934	…	3,357	9,124	2,690	8,114	2,180	6,182	767	1,399	115	529	12	22
1935	…	3,192	10,307	2,559	9,034	2,052	6,608	740	1,381	116	551	18	37

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what alterations have taken place since 1920 in the regulations governing the proportion of men to be established in His Majesty's dockyards?

Such alterations as have been made since 1920 have been, not in the proportion of men to be established, but in the rate of filling vacancies in the established numbers. In

The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative. I may say that, while the premises are considered adequate to meet present requirements of the district, further space is available, if required, within the existing building. I have, however, received no complaints regarding the inadequacy of the accommodation.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of men established and hired, respectively, employed in each of His Majesty's dockyards in each of the last 10 years?

The numbers are as follow:view of the large numbers of established men who were rendered redundant by the contraction of the Admiralty establishments after the War, a rule was introduced in 1921 that only one man should be established for each two established men retiring. In 1922 it was decided to fill only one in each eight vacancies. Since then the rule has been relaxed as follows: