asked the Minister of Health the total number of persons now drawing Poor Law relief in England and Wales; and also the figures for the corresponding dates in 1934, 1933, 1932, and 1931?

The total number of persons in receipt of poor relief in England and Wales (including dependants but excluding rate-aided patients in mental hospitals, persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only and casuals) on 20th April, 1935, was 1,333,163. The numbers on the corresponding days in 1934, 1933, 1932, and 1931 were 1,377,160, 1,319,452, 1,195,047, and 1,022,241 respectively

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of persons now drawing Poor Law, relief in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and the whole of Scotland, and the figures for the corresponding dates in 1934, 1933, 1932, and 1931?

The particulars requested are contained in the following statement.

asked the Minister of Health for the years 1931, 1932, 1933, and 1934, respectively, the numbers of medical practitioners undertaking National Health Insurance work in this country; and the total amounts paid for such services out of National Health Insurance funds?

The number of medical practitioners under agreement with insurance committees in England and Wales, and the total amounts paid to them from National Health Insurance funds during the years 1931, 1932, 1933, and 1934 were as follow:

Year.	Practitioners	Amount.
		£
1931	15,703	7,316,633
1932	15,834	6,875,014
1933	16,019	6,898,822
1934	16,329	6,995,255

The amounts payable to insurance practitioners were subject as from 1st October, 1931, to 30th June, 1934, to an economy deduction of 10 per cent., and as from 1st July, 1934, to the end of the period covered by this statement, to an economy deduction of 5 per cent.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of his announcement last year that the Board of Trade was engaged in drafting legislation to deal with the standardisation of the measurement for the sale of ballast sand, building and other road-making materials, he can now state when this Measure may be expected to be laid before the House?

My right hon. Friend has this matter under consideration, and hopes shortly to be in a position to say whether it will be practicable to deal with it this Session.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is intended to enter into negotiations at an early date with the Government of the United States of America with a view to the lowering of existing tariff barriers; and whether there are any particular reasons for which such negotiations have been delayed?

I regret that I am unable to add to the replies given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton East (Mr. Mander) on 7th May.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the rates of import duty imposed on jute manufactures and jute yarns imported into the United States of America?

As the answer requires a lengthy statement, I propose, with the hon. Member's permission, to forward the information to him.

asked the Secretary for Mines the extent to which the expansion anticipated as a result of the recent agreement with the Irish Free State has been realised by the coal industry?

As a result of the recent understanding with the Irish Free State Government, exports of coal from the United Kingdom have increased substantially, and are now approaching the level obtaining in periods prior to the imposition of the duty. Exports of coal to the Irish Free State during March and April of this year were approximately 191,000 tons and 185,000 tons, as compared with 79,000 tons and 93,400 tons respectively in March and April of last year.

asked the Secretary for Mines the relative positions of coal, water power, oil, and natural gas used in the energy production of the world for 1910, 1920, 1930, and each of the last three years?

I regret that the information asked for is not available. I understand, however, that steps have recently been taken by the International Executive Council of the World Power Conference to collect the particulars necessary for the purpose, for the years 1932 and 1933.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the roads in the neighbourhood of Nkana, in Northern Rhodesia, are in such a bad state that settlers have difficulty in getting their produce to market; and whether he will see that immediate steps are taken to put the roads in repair?

The improvement of the road system of Northern Rhodesia is a subject to which the Government of the territory have recently been giving serious attention. The Governor now has under consideration a scheme for the reconstruction of trunk roads in the territory, and also of the roads connecting the important towns in the mining district in the neighbourhood of Nkana and Ndola.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken by the Government of Northern Rhodesia to deal with the plague of locusts infesting the country?

In accordance with the general policy which has been adopted in all the tropical African countries infested by locusts, the Government of Northern Rhodesia is concentrating by various means on the destruction of (locally bred) hoppers which menace crops and essential grazing areats. No other policy is feasible in so sparsely inhabited a country, and no attempt can be made to destroy the flying swarms which are liable to invade the territory from the north, east and south. I would invite reference to the last part of the answer I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Hitchin (Sir A. Wilson) on 20th February last.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of auxiliary postmen still employed by the Post Office and their average wage?

The number of auxiliary postmen at present employed by the Post Office is approximately 12,000, and the average wage is £1 6s. 5d. for an average weekly attendance of about 25 hours.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether any facilities are offered to the British overseas to purchase coins specially minted for the Jubilee, or whether sales are restricted to people in this country?

Arrangements have been made with all Dominion and Colonial Governments and the Government of India for the commemorative silver medals struck by the Royal Mint to be available for purchase locally on the same terms as in this country. The silver crown piece specially minted for the Jubilee in this country cannot be circulated as currency overseas, but anyone who wishes to obtain a specimen should have no difficulty in doing so through his bankers.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what were the quantities of each of the categories of hydrocarbon oils retained for home consumption during the year ended 31st March, 1935; and what were the net receipts of duty in respect thereof?

The quantities of each category of hydrocarbon oil retained for home consumption, and the respective net receipts of duty derived therefrom, during the year ended 31st March, 1935 (rounded off to the nearest thousand gallons or thousand pounds), were approximately as follows:

—								Approximate Quantity retained for Home Consumption.	Net Receipts.
Light Oils (Customs).								Gallons.	£
Petroleum Spirit:
Motor Spirit		…	…	…	…	…	…	1,167,371,000	38,912,000
Other Spirit		…	…	…	…	…	…	19,539,000	651,000
Coal Tar Products:
Benzol	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	243,000	8,000
Naphtha	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	1,000	—
Toluol	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	—	—
Other Sorts		…	…	…	…	…	…	1,000	—
Turpentine	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	4,636,000	155,000
Heavy oils for mixing with light oils					…	…	…	35,000	1,000
Other Hydrocarbon Oils.			…	…	…	…	…	25,000	1,000
Oil in Composite Articles.			…	…	…	…	…	137,000	5,000
Total	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	1,191,988,000	39,733,000
Deduct Net Amount paid to Isle of Man (a)							…	—	38,000
Net Receipts		…	…	…	…	…	…	—	39,695,000
Heavy Oils:
Excise:—Taxed Stocks on 25th April, 1933 (b)							…	705,000	3,000
Customs:—
Petroleum Oil:
Crude Oil		…	…	…	…	…	…	1,880,000	8,000
Lamp Oil		…	…	…	…	…	…	190,499,000	794,000
Lubricating Oil			…	…	…	…	…	91,630,000	382,000
Gas Oil		…	…	…	…	…	…	73,593,000	307,000
Fuel Oil		…	…	…	…	…	…	256,824,000	1,070,000
Other Sorts		…	…	…	…	…	…	6,848,000	28,000
Coal Tar Products			…	…	…	…	…	102,000	—
Other Oils		…	…	…	…	…	…	178,000	1,000
Oil in Composite Articles				…	…	…	…	2,983,000	12,000
Total Customs				…	…	…	…	624,537,000	2,602,000
Total Customs and Excise.					…	…	…	625,242,000	2,605,000
Grand Total Net Receipts					…	…	…	—	42,300,000
(a) Estimated difference between amounts collected in, and allocated to, the Isle of Man.
(b) Details under the various descriptions are not available. The figures are in respect of payments during the year ended 31st March, 1935.