asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the Statute 34 and 35 Henry VIII, c. 8, making provision whereby persons having a certain knowledge of herbs and roots can be privileged to engage in some branches of medical practice is still in force, and that a body calling itself the College of Botanic Therapy claims under that charter to be privileged to issue diplomas conferring legal status differing from the status of herbalists who have not such diploma; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter?

I have been asked to reply. I am aware of the statutory provision referred to. I was not previously aware of the claim said to be made by the College of Botanic Therapy, and I do not know on what is is based, but I do not feel called on to take any steps in the matter.

asked the Minister of Health when vaccination against smallpox became obligatory in this country, and what was the effect?

Vaccination against smallpox for new born children first became obligatory in this country in 1853. While it is not easy precisely to assign particular effects to this Measure, its immediate practical effect may perhaps be gauged from the fact that whereas in the six years 1847 to 1852 the average annual mortality from smallpox per

asked the Minister of Health whether any special schemes for the discovery of and care for cases of tuberculosis are in force in Manchester, Sheffield, Bradford (Yorks), Leeds, Newcastle-on-Tyne, South Shields, Jarrow, Birmingham, Leicester, Cardiff, Northampton, Wolverhampton, Wednesbury, and Derby?

I am not aware of any special schemes for the discovery of cases of tuberculosis in the areas mentioned beyond the normal arrangements

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give a return showing the death rate per 1,000 of the population in 1914 and 1934 in Manchester, Sheffield, Bradford (Yorks), Leeds, Newcastle - upon - Tyue, South Shields, Jarrow, Birmingham, Leicester, Cardiff, Northampton, Wolverhampton, Wednesbury, and Derby from pulmonary tuberculosis and from non-pulmonary tuberculosis, and the same rates for the same years in children under 15 years of age?

The figure asked for in the first part of the question are as follow. The corresponding figures for children under 15 are not available:for the compulsory notification of the disease and also such measures as the examination of "contacts" and home visitation which are primary functions of the tuberculosis dispensary organisation maintained by county and county borough councils, or joint committees of such councils, throughout the country. The care of cases of tuberculosis, as distinguished from treatment in institutions or otherwise, is a matter for which the same authorities have power to make provision, and according to my information care work of varying scope is carried out in all the areas mentioned. Special provision for the rehousing of families with tuberculous members has been undertaken at Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, and South Shields; and in addition, I understand that the Wednesbury Town Council have made provision for the rehousing of a number of such families displaced from slum houses. At Leeds employment is provided for a number of tuberculous persons at a non-residential establishment known as the Factory-in-the-Fields.

asked the Minister of Health how many references to the state and conditions of cemeteries occurred in the reports of the medical officers of health forwarded to his Department during 1934?

A precise answer to my hon. Friend's question would involve an amount of time and labour which I should be reluctant to devote to the purpose. I shall, however, be happy to see whether I can inform him as to any particular case he may have in mind.

asked the Minister of Transport the output of electricity for the years 1930 and 1934, respectively?

The number of units of electricity generated by authorised electricity undertakers was 10,917 millions in 1930 and 15,462 millions in 1934.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent the powers conferred by both Agricultural Marketing Acts to adopt schemes to encourage, promote, or conduct research in connection with production and marketing of agricultural products have as yet been exercised by the Milk, Potato, Bacon and Pigs Marketing Boards?

I am asking the marketing boards concerned for the information required, which I shall be happy to communicate to my hon. and gallant Friend in due course.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give reasons why a passport, No. 2,712, issued by the officer administering the Government of Ceylon on 21st July, 1925, to one Askar alias Mohamed, stated to have been born in Somaliland in 1894, who may be identical with Ascar Farrah Mahomed, has been withdrawn by the Cardiff police authorities acting on behalf of the aliens department of the Home Office?

Askar Farah or Askar Farah Mohamed was in possession of the passport indicated in which his place of birth was given as Boroa, Somaliland, and his national status as "British subject by birth." Towards the end of 1933 he applied for a special seaman's certificate of nationality and identity, and inquiries subsequently made established that he was a, native of British Somaliland, and therefore not a British subject but a British protected person. A certificate describing him as a British protected person was issued to him in October 1934, and in accordance with the usual practice his passport was withdrawn by the police on the issue of the certificate.

asked the Home Secretary if he can now state whether a decision has yet been made regarding the proposed Government censorship of films?

A survey is being made of the conditions in Scotland, and I regret that I cannot make any statement until the result of that survey is known.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the combined profits of companies and local authorities and undertakings of the gas industry for the years 1927 to 1934, each year separately?

It is not practicable to give a combined figure for the profits of company and local authority gas undertakings, as the two types of undertaking

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has considered the findings and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the loss of the s.s. "Blairgowrie"; and whether it is proposed to take any steps in the near future to amend existing regulations to meet the criticisms contained therein of the existing procedure adopted in connection with the safety of vessels at sea?

It is my intention to make a considered statement at an early date on the various matters arising out of the finding of the court in the recent wreck inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has yet considered the positions arising from the unauthorised reprinting of British books in China; and whether he has made any further representations to the Chinese Government on the subject of the improvement of copyright law in China?

In response to recent representations made by His Majesty's Ambassador at Peking, the latter was informed that the Chinese Government are not at present prepared to amend the Chinese Copyright Law so as to enable China to accede to the International Copyright Convention.