asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give particulars of the different qualities and amounts of foreign textile goods coming into this country to be printed and finished in this country for re-export or for home use as made in this country; and whether he proposes to take any action in this matter?

Complete information is not available; but the total imports of grey cotton piece goods in 1934 amounted to 5,995,000 square yards valued at £82,200, of which 5,524,000 square yards, valued at £65,600 were entered for delivery for process and subsequent re-exportation. As to the second part of the question, I would refer to the reply which I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Royton (Mr. Sutcliffe).

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can now make any further statement with regard to the effectiveness of the arrangements made by the Belgian Government to prevent an excess of Belgian exports to this country following the devaluation of the belga?

Sufficient time has not yet elapsed for the effect to be gauged of the arrangements referred to by my hon. Friend.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what interest and conditions of repayment are enforced under the export credits scheme in respect of advances to traders who sell goods, respectively, to the Colonies and Dominions, to Soviet Russia and to other countries?

I have been asked to reply. Under the Overseas Trade Acts, 1920–1934, the Export Credits Guarantee Department is empowered to give financial guarantees in connection with the export of British goods. There is at the prsent time no provision for actual advances to traders, as suggested by my hon. Friend. The charges for such guarantees, as well as the length of credit granted, are fixed by the Department's statutory advisory committee, having due regard to all the factors which affect the credit of the individual buyer. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the most recent booklet issued by the Export Credits Guarantee Department

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that Hugh Gallacher, 300, Adelphi Street, Glasgow, was supplied with a cycle on hire purchase by Cycle Distributors, Limited, of Glasgow; that he was taken to court and ordered to pay a weekly instalment; that he carried this out and now the sum for the cycle has been fully paid; and that the firm have refused to give the man the cycle he has paid for; and what steps he proposes to take to see that this firm is prosecuted for wrongful detention of this man's property?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I am informed that the hire purchase agreement referred to was entered into in November, 1929, and being prior to the date of the Hire Purchase and Small Debt (Scotland) Act, 1932, it is not governed by the provisions of that Act. The bicycle was returned to the firm, and thereafter proceedings were taken against the hirer in the Small Debt Court and decree obtained on 9th March, 1931, and all the sums which the hirer was ordered to pay by the decree of the court have been paid. I further understand that the bicycle has been retained by the firm in accordance with the terms of the agreement for the hire of the bicycle. Inquiry has been made by the Procurator Fiscal, and I am informed that this inquiry has established no ground for criminal proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the British Government's request to Mr. Eric Gill to submit plans for the decoration of the Palace of Peace at Geneva, what suggestions and restrictions have been officially put to the artist; and if the British Government has full and complete liberty from the League of Nations to carry out its own scheme of decoration?

The present position with regard to the proposed gift of His Majesty's Government to the new buildings of the League of Nations is as follows:It has been ascertained that a set of sculptured panels by Mr. Eric Gill would be acceptable in principle to the authorities of the League, with whom Mr. Gill has discussed the situation in which the panels would be placed and the subject of the proposed work. Mr. Gill has not yet submitted a design for the panels, but has been asked to do so. His Majesty's Government have not made any suggestions or imposed any restrictions on the artist in the choice of a subject. It is, of course, understood, however, that the design must be a suitable one and acceptable to the authorities of the League. His Majesty's Government will consider any design submitted by Mr. Gill from this point of view.