asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to recent decisions of certain assessment authorities reducing very materially, and in one case to zero, the net annual value of certain railway companies' hereditaments; whether he has considered the effect of these decisions on the finances of Scottish county and burgh councils; and what action he proposes to take to prevent local authorities suffering these severe losses of revenue?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The valuation of the Scottish railways has been fixed, subject to minor adjustments, for the years 1933 to 1938, and will not be affected by the decisions referred to during that period. I understand that appeals against these decisions, in one case to the House of Lords, are pending, and until these appeals have been determined consideration of the situation in Scotland after 15th May, 1938, would be premature.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the amount of expenditure on land settlement in Scotland during the years 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, and 1934–35, respectively?

The net capital expenditure on schemes of land settlement in Scotland in the years mentioned was as follows, the figure given for the year 1934–35 being subject to adjustment:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the amount applied for by way of grants under the scheme for the assistance of agricultural drainage in Scotland in the year 1934–35, and the amount actually paid?

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the attitude of the Treasury to the proposal that the State should introduce a five-clay working week for its employés?

The Royal Commission on the Civil Service 1929–31 dealt in paragraphs 604 to 606 of their report (Command Paper 3909 of 1931) with a proposal submitted to them by the staff side of the Civil Service National Whitley Council for the introduction of a five-day week. The finding of the Commission was that the evidence submitted as to outside practice did not justify the introduction of any general measure of closing of Government offices on one week day, and that, further, the proposal was impracticable in a large number of cases.

The amount applied for by way of grant was £11,326, and the amount paid to date is £7,360.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the amount and value of the importation of herrings from Norway for the perids January to April during each of the years 1929 to 1935?

The following table shows the total quantity and value of herring imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland, consigned from Norway, as registered in the four months ended 30th April, in each of the years mentioned in the question.This, among other findings of the Royal Commission, has since been discussed through the appropriate Whitley machinery. The official side have expressed the view that there is no ground for a revision of the Royal Commission's conclusion.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that established civil servants to whom His Majesty the King has granted the right to retain their military rank are shown without such rank in all official staff lists, etc.; and whether he will give directions that such practice be discontinued?

No, Sir. This is not a matter on which there is any need for the issue of instructions.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed at the middle of June, 1932, and 1935 in the Hexham, Haltwhistle, and Prudhoe areas, respectively?

The available figures, which relate to a date towards the end of June in these years, are given in the following table:—

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many spindles in the Lancashire cotton industry would be employed and rendered non-redundant if the markets for British cotton goods within the Empire were as large as they have been at any period during the past 20 years?

Redundancy in the Lancashire cotton industry has arisen from a number of causes, and it is not possible to estimate what would be the effect of an alteration of any one particular factor in the situation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of spindles owned by those who are in favour of the Cotton Spinning Industry Bill, and the number owned by those who are opposed to its provisions?

The scheme on which the Bill is based was approved in October last by the owners of spindles variously estimated at between 28,000,000 and 32,000,000 (representing nearly two-thirds of the cotton spinning industry). The owners of 11,000,000 spindles (or about one-quarter of the cotton spinning industry) are said to be opposed to the present proposals.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many cotton-spinning mills are now working full time or at over 90 per cent. capacity, and for whom, therefore, the levy proposed under the Cotton Spinning Industry Bill will constitute merely a tax without any corresponding advantage in increased output?

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that the Stevenson scheme for the restriction of rubber proved a failure because all rubber exporting countries were not included, he will take steps to ensure that all cotton-cloth exporting countries come to some arrangement with regard to redundant spindles before the restriction scheme envisaged by the Cotton Spinning Industry Bill is imposed on the British cotton spinning industry?

I have nothing to add to the reply given to a similar question by my hon. and gallant Friend on 18th July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received a report from the Import Duties Advisory Committee as to the recent application of the silk industry; and, if so, when the report will be made public?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which was given to the hon. Member for Derby South (Mr. Emrys-Evans) on 22nd May, 1933, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Health whether, since the administration of the Vaccination Acts has been taken over by the councils, any reports regarding the number of vaccinations performed in those countries where the Act is administered by county councils have been received by the Ministry; and, if not, whether any provision has been made for such reports to be sent in as were formerly sent in by vaccination officers under boards of guardians?

The Local Government Act, 1929, gave rise to no change in the previous practice by which returns are annually rendered by individual vaccination officers. These returns are, however, aggregated for the purpose only of presenting figures for England and Wales as a whole; and it has not appeared necessary to tabulate or publish any figures for administrative areas.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many children there were in the age group 13 to 14 years in the elementary schools in each local education authority in Durham county on 31st March, 1935, or at the latest date on which the record is available?

The number of pupils aged 13 and under 14 in public elementary schools maintained by local education authorities in the geographical county of Durham on 31st March, 1935, is given in the following table:—

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he proposes to make any change in the approved numbers of students in training colleges and university training departments for the year 1936 to 1937 as compared with the two previous years?

No, Sir. No change is proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the numbers of civil aircraft in the following countries: Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy; and how many in each case are privately-owned machines?

Information is not available in the precise form asked for. The following table shows in column II the total number of registered civil aircraft in the respective countries, and in column III the number (included in II) of registered civil aircraft other than those owned by air transport companies operating regular air services. The figures relate to the last week in June, 1935.