Written Answers
Egypt
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make any statement on the Parliamentary position in Egypt; in particular, as to whether His Majesty's representatives have maintained, and have been instructed to maintain, a policy of non-interference in the political negotiations now proceeding?
His Majesty has only one representative in Egypt, namely, the High Commissioner. It is his function to meet requests for advice, and no instructions inconsistent with this function have been sent to him.
Assyrians (Re-Settlement)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make any statement on the pro posed cost of settlement of Assyrians in Syria, both as a total sum and per head; and whether His Majesty's Government are prepared to participate in the financing of the settlement?
As I informed the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, East (Mr. Mander) on 1st May, the project for settling the Assyrians in Syria is being explored locally by the President of the Committee of the League of Nations Council which is dealing with the matter, in consultation with the French authorities and the Iraqi Government. I cannot make a statement about cost. As the Lord President of the Council informed the hon. Member on 16th May, 1934, until a concrete scheme has been worked out and agreed upon for re-settling the Assyrians, I am unable to anticipate the nature of the reply of His Majesty's Government to any appeal to them for assistance in financing its execution.
Argentina (British Railways)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will represent to the Argentine Government, when the trade agreement comes up for renewal a short time hence, that no return has been received during the past five years on £105,000,000 of capital invested in Argentine railways, and that the recommendations of the Ortiz-Nogues investigation committee are not improving the earning powers or restoring the credit of the railways to enable capital to be raised for repairs and extensions of the Argentine railway system provided by British savings for the development of Argentina?
I can assure my hon. Friend that the position of the British railways in Argentina receives the constant consideration of His Majesty's Government.
Post Office Facilities, Westminster
asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that, owing to the growth of offices and other business premises in the area served by the Marsham Street, Westminister, Post. Office, that office has become inadequate to deal with the volume of letters and parcels that pass through it; and whether he will take steps to see that larger premises and staff are provided?
The establishment of a, Crown Post Office to meet the growing, requirements of the area has already been authorised. Prolonged search has been made for premises, but none in a suitable position have hitherto been forthcoming except at prohibitive rentals. Inquiries are still being actively pursued, and I hope that a solution of the problem will be reached in the near future.
Education
Foreign School (Grant)
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what grants are made to foreign schools established in this country; and to what extent in each case?
No grants are made by the Board of Education to foreign schools or educational institutions established in this country, except in the case of the Institut Francais, which at, present receives a sum of £1,500 per annum from the London County Council. This expenditure is taken into account for grant by the Board at the rate of 50 per cent.
Teachers' Pensions
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will take action to mitigate the hardship sustained by three headmasters in Stoke, who were eligible to retire on full pensions in 1931 and have, through staying on in full work until 1934, suffered a reduction in their pension, as this is worked out on the last five years of service and, by reason of the cuts in 1931, their pension is affected; and is he aware that in the case of Mr. Wilkinson, Longton, he gets 8s. per week less pension than if he had retired in 1931 before the cuts?
I am aware that the pensions of many teachers have been affected in the manner indicated in the question, and perhaps I may refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 15th May to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chippenham (Captain Cazalet), of which I am sending her a copy.
Deputy-Lieutenants
asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office what are the regulations governing the appointment of deputy-lieutenants; whether there is a minimum number of such appointments which must be made in each county; if there are any counties in which the full number has not been appointed; and, if so, which are the counties concerned?
The appointment of deputy-lieutenants is governed by Section XXX of the Militia Act, 1882, as modified and extended by the Deputy-Lieutenants Act, 1918. Briefly, the conditions are that a person appointed to be a deputy-lieutenant must possess the following qualifications:
Scotland (Exchequer Grants)
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the services in Scotland to which the Goschen formula applies, and the amounts paid to each of those services in accordance with that formula in the years 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, and 1934?
I am having inquiries made, and will circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as the in formation is available.
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the method applied in the operation of the Goschen formula to Scotland?
The allocation of the taxation assigned for local purposes in 1888 between England and Wales on the one hand and Scotland on the other in the proportion of 80 to 11 was based upon their respective contributions to the total revenue received into the Exchequer, as estimated at that time. A Parliamentary paper (163 of 1890) was subsequently issued showing the method of calculation.
Population (Rhondda)
asked the Minister of Health the estimated population of the Rhondda urban area for the years 1920, 1924, 1930 and 1934, respectively?
The following tabular statement gives the information desired.
| Rhondda Urban District. | ||||
| Estimated mid-year population. | ||||
| 1920 | … | … | … | 164,000 |
| 1924 | … | … | … | 167,900 |
| 1930 | … | … | … | 147,000 |
| 1934 | … | … | … | 137,200 |
Public Assistance (Rhondda)
asked the Minister of Health the number of ordinary cases of relief granted by the public assistance committee within the Rhondda urban area for each of the years 1930 to 1934 inclusive?
The returns made to my Department relate to counties and county boroughs as a whole. I regret, therefore, that the desired figures are not available.
Unemployment (Statistics)
asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons registered as wholly or temporarily unemployed, respectively, at each of the following exchanges: Ferndale, Porth, Tonypandy, and Treorchy for the years 1925, 1930, 1934, and the nearest available date; and what percentage of the insured population is represented by the figures given in respect of those returned as wholly or temporarily unemployed?
The table below gives the desired information for a date in April in each of the years specified and for 15th April, 1935. Particulars of the total numbers of insured persons in these districts are available only in respect of July of each year, and the percentages shown in the last two columns have accordingly been computed by relating
| Date. | Numbers of unemployed persons aged 14 years and upwards on the registers. | Insured persons, aged 16–64* recorded as unemployed, expressed as persons of percentages of the estimated numbers, aged 16–64* insured at the previous July. | ||||
| Wholly unemployed. | Temporarily stopped. | Wholly unemployed. | Temporarily stopped. | |||
| Ferndale Employment Exchange. | ||||||
| 27th April, 1925 | … | … | 249 | — | 3·0* | — |
| 28th April, 1930 | … | … | 1,794 | 78 | 23·1 | 1·1 |
| 23rd April, 1934 | … | … | 3,476 | 1,427 | 43·1 | 18·7 |
| 15tgh April, 1935 | … | … | 3,735 | 678 | 47·9 | 9·1 |
| Porth Employment Exchange. | ||||||
| 27th April, 1925 | … | … | 290 | 1,200 | 1·7* | 7·2* |
| 28th April, 1930 | … | … | 1,660 | 21 | 16·0 | 0·2 |
| 23rd April, 1934 | … | … | 3,300 | 46 | 32·8 | 0·5 |
| 15th April, 1935 | … | … | 3,517 | 101 | 35·9 | 1·1 |
| Tonypandy Employment Exchange. | ||||||
| 27th April, 1925 | … | … | 3,291 | — | 24·5* | — |
| 28th April, 1930 | … | … | 3,444 | 2,890 | 28·6 | 25·5 |
| 23rd April, 1934 | … | … | 5,614 | 396 | 45·2 | 3·3 |
| 15th April, 1935 | … | … | 5,850 | 219 | 46·9 | 1·8 |
| Treorchy Employment Exchange. | ||||||
| 27th April, 1925 | … | … | 2,829 | — | 14·3* | — |
| 28th April, 1930 | … | … | 1,470 | 4,178 | 7·9 | 24·3 |
| 23rd April, 1934 | … | … | 4,388 | 2,083 | 26·2 | 12·8 |
| 15th April, 1935 | … | … | 4,796 | 1,320 | 28·5 | 8·2 |
| * The figures for 1925 include insured persons of 65 years of age and over. | ||||||
Attested Herds Scheme
asked the Minister of Agriculture how many herds have been accepted under his tuberculosis attested herds scheme so as to qualify for the grant of an additional 1d. per gallon for milk under that scheme; whether he pro poses to revise the conditions regulating the scheme; and whether he can state the number of herds that have been placed on the roll of accredited producers organised by the Milk Marketing Board?
I would refer the hon. Member to the replies which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member
the numbers unemployed in April to the numbers insured at July of the previous year.
for Newbury (Brigadier-General Brown) last Thursday.
Contributory And Old Age Pensions (Rhondda)
asked the Minister of Health the number of persons in receipt of widows' pensions, contributory pensions, and old age pensions within the Rhondda urban area for the last available date?
I regret that the information asked for by the hon. Member is not available, as the records of pensioners are not arranged on a territorial basis.