asked the Minister of Health whether he will suggest to medical officers of health that they should take swabs of their own throats during the prevalence of scarlet fever or diphtheria outbreaks; and, in the event of their finding that the swabs are positive, should take the same measures in regard to themselves as they would to any member of the public in the same position?

I am satisfied that medical officers of health can be relied upon to take such precautions as are practicable and necessary for preventing the spread of scarlet fever and diphtheria infection.

asked the Minister of Health how many types of haemolytic streptococcus have been identified; whether particular types are assigned to particular diseases; and what is the official explanation of the fact that four different types of the haemolytic streptococcus have been found in cases of acute tonsilitis in Essex during 1934?

The answer to the first part of the question is that up to the present 28 different types of haemolytic streptococcus have been identified. As regards the second part, the answer is in the negative, but I am advised that certain types are more frquently associated with particular clinical manifestations, for instance, scarlet fever. As regards the third part, I am advised that nearly all the types of the streptococcus identified can cause acute inflammation of the throat and tonsils.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in whom the ownership of the lead and silver mines of Sunart, Argyllshire, is vested; when they were acquired; and how long is it since they were last worked?

The ownership of the mines in question is vested in the Department of Agriculture for Scotland, who acquired the Sunart Estate in 1920. I understand that 1871 was the last year in which the mines were actively worked. An attempt to resume operations was made between 1901 and 1904 but was abandoned.

asked the Secretary for Mines the total quantity of coal exported to those countries with which an arrangement regarding coal has been entered into in a trade agreement, general quota provisions, and other agreements of any kind, for the last 12 months since the operation of the several agreements of all kinds, and the total quantity of coal exported to those countries during a similar period within the years 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1933?

The information is as follows:—

Total quantity of coal exported from the United Kingdom to countries with which Agreements of all kinds covering coal had been in force for 12 months at 31st March, 1935.*
12 months ended March			Tons.
1035	…	…	14,439,708
1934	…	…	12,793,920
1933	…	…	10,700,614
1932	…	…	10,518,105
1931	…	…	12,921,708
1930	…	…	15,970,962
1929	…	…	13,445,908
* Including Canada, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Argentina.

NOTE.—Particulars for the following countries are omitted since the agreements with them had not been in force for 12 months at 31st March, 1935, namely, Esthonia, Latvia, Lithuania, France, Holland and Italy.

asked the Minister of Labour the weekly cost of assistance under the Unemployment Assistance Board in Glamorganshire and Mon- mouthshire since 7th January last to the latest available date; and the estimated weekly cost caused by the standstill arrangement?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 30th May, 1935; col. 1270, Vol. 302] supplied the following statement:The following table sets out the amount of transitional payments and unemployment allowances paid each week to claimants at local offices of the Ministry of Labour in Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire, respectively, since the 7th January, 1935, to 25th May, 1935. Transitional Payments made through Associations are not included.

Week ended.	Glamorganshire.	Monmouth shire.
1935.	£	£
12th January	82,429	24,350
19th January	80,410	23,791
26th January	78,798	23,413
2nd February	77,700	23,185
9th February	77,414	23,303
16th February (a)	97,511	28,094
23rd February (a)	84,872	24,867
2nd March	85,480	24,845
9th March	86,244	24,970
16th March	86,362	25,053
23rd March	86,410	25,089
30th March	86,330	25,108
6th April	86,262	25,036
13th April	86,430	25,028
20th April	86,406	25,080
27th April	86,887	25,167
4th May (b)	98,971	28,586
11th May (b)	87,203	25,214
18th May (b)	86,676	25,116
25th May (b)	86,366	24,807

(

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether in any new legislation to amend the law relating to the issue of third-party-risk policies by insurance companies, he will render it illegal for liability under any such policy to be repudiated on the ground of misstatement of fact in the proposal form unless such misstatement is directly material to the liability of the holders of such policy to recompense the third party who has suffered injury and to the liability arising therefrom of the insurance company to indemnify the policy holder?

My hon. Friend is no doubt aware of the provisions of Section 10 of the Road Traffic Act, 1934, on the subject. I do not propose to introduce further amending legislation in the matter unless a longer experience of the effect of these provisions shows that they are inadequate.

asked the Minister of Transport whether in the replacement of the old bridge over the River Irfon, near Builth, Wales, by a new structure which he is subsidising, the designs of the new structure have been submitted to his Department for architectural approval?

The engineering details of the new bridge over the River

District.	Flat Rate per Unit for Lighting.	Unit rate of Two-part tariff for domestic supply.
County of London (29 undertakers)	Ranges from 2½d. to 6d. in the various areas of supply.	Ranges from ½d. to ½d. in the various areas of supply.
Manchester	4½d.	½d.
Leeds	3½d.	½d.
Edinburgh	3½d.	½d.
Representative Rural Areas.
Norfolk (Aylsham and Smallburgh R.Ds.)	8d.	¾d.
N. Riding of Yorks. (Easingwold, Flaxton and Malton R.Ds. (parts)).	6d.	1d.
Bucks. (Buckingham aod Winalow R.Ds.)	8d.	¾d.
Wilts. and Berks, (e.g. Pusey, Faringdon and Hungerford R.Ds.).	9d.	1¼d.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present position of the subsidy promised to tramp shipping; and whether a start has been made with rationalising the shipping industry by laying up or scrapping unwanted tonnage?

The first payments of subsidy under the provisions of Part I of the British Shipping (Assistance) Act, 1935, are now being made. With regard to the second part of the question, I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind

asked the Minister of Transport the maximum and minimum rates charged for electricity in London, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, and in any four representative rural districts in England and Scotland?

My hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate that there are a variety of methods of charge in force for different classes of supply. I have assumed that he is more particularly interested in the charges for lighting supplies and for general domestic supplies, and the figures given below have been compiled on that basis.the condition attached to the grant of subsidy that the shipowners should press ahead with an international scheme for the rationalisation of shipping. On the initiative of the British shipowners a preliminary International Conference of Shipowners was held in January last, at which, I am informed, a rationalisation scheme was drawn up for consideration by the shipowners in the countries concerned. I understand that it is intended that the scheme should form the subject of discussion at a further Conference to be held next autumn.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what action is being taken in respect of the testamentary bequest to the State of the Allen collection of English porcelain and pottery on the understanding that this bequest should be exempted from Estate Duty and any other form of taxation?

The bequest to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers is one in respect of which exemption from Estate Duty will be granted under the provisions of Section 15 (2) of the Finance Act,1894.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the estimated additional gross annual cost of increasing all contributory old age pensions by 5s. a week for single persons and by 7s, a week for married couples?

I assume that my hon. Friend intends his question to cover widows' pensions and that he does not contemplate that the increase would be withdrawn when the pensioner reached the age of 70. If this assumption is correct, the additional cost of the increase he mentions would be about £33,000,000 a year, while if all old age pensioners were included, the cost would be about £40,000,000 a year. The cost would increase steadily as the aged population increases.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the total annual expenditure of the War Graves Commission at present; and what has been the aggregate expenditure of the same Commission from its inception to date?

The estimated expenditure of the Commission for the current financial year is £295,000, and the approximate total expenditure from its inception in 1917 to 31st March, 1935, is £11,878,000. Of these amounts approximately 20 per cent. is provided by the Dominions.