asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the Glasgow public assistance Committee are in the habit of demanding old age pension books from pensioners when they are admitted to hospital, and that a number of persons have had to communicate with the Department of Health for Scotland and ask them for assistance in order to recover their books; and what action he intends to take in this matter?

I am informed that Glasgow public assistance department collect the pension books of old age pensioners who are admitted to the authority's hospitals for treatment. The books are not, however, retained unless the pensioner has voluntarily consented to the pension being received by the authority while he is in hospital. If the pensioner does not wish the authority to receive the pension, the book is handed to the agent who may have been previously nominated by him. If no agent has been appointed the book is forwarded to the Department of Health who send the pensioner a form on which he can nominate an agent to draw the pension. I am not aware that pensioners have difficulty in recovering their hooks from Glasgow public assistance department. If, however, the hon. Member is aware of any case where difficulty has occurred, I shall be pleased to have investigations made on receipt of particulars.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has ben drawn to the arrest of Mr. William Gallagher at Edinburgh during the recent by-election; and on what grounds and by whose authority certain organisations are now being prevented from conducting open-air meetings in certain areas where they were previously allowed?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, but from inquiry which I have made I understand that this man was arrested on a charge of breach of the peace and causing obstruction, and that on the 22nd instant the charge was found not proven. As regards the last part of the question, I am informed that there has been no change in the practice with regard to open-air meetings in Edinburgh.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any statement has ben published giving details of the mutiny at Peterhead prison during 1931?

:The answer to the question is in the negative. The hon. Member probably has in mind a minor incident which occurred in the early afternoon of 30th July,1931, when 50 convicts, dissatisfied because bread had been served at dinner instead of potatoes, refused to go to work in the quarry. After it had been explained that potatoes were not available, the men paraded for work and the incident terminated.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give, separately, the numbers of houses built yearly by the various public authorities in Midlothian in 1929; the Acts under which they have been built; and how many houses are at present under construction, under the same headings?

The following statements contain the information asked for.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has any statistics to show the number of overseas-born British subjects now employed for gain in this country; and, if so, whether he can give such statistics for each Dominion?

I regret that no statistics are available on statistics are available on this point.

asked the secretary for mines the amount of coal exported to countries within the Empire and to foreign countries respectively, for the years 1932,1933, and 1934?

The total quantity of coal exported from the United Kingdom and consigned to British and to foreign countries during the years 1932,1933, and 1934, was as follows.