asked the Minister of Health the number of applicants for Poor Law relief in England and Wales at the last date for which figures are available and 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) at the end of September, 1935, was 1,280,942. The corresponding figure in 1934 was 1,299,233; in 1933, 1,279,717; in 1932, 1,225,103 and in 1931, 979,888.

asked the Minister of Health whether any indication has been given by his Department to the Hull Corporation relative to the publication or withholding from publication of a report made on public assistance administration in Hull by an inspector of the Ministry, and transmitted to the corporation in August last; and whether, in the event of the corporation desiring to publish the report, any objection would be taken by his Department to publication?

The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative. I may add that I have been informed to-day that the Hull Public Assistance Committee decided yesterday to supply every member of the City Council with a copy of the report in question.

asked the Minister of Health what is the estimated number of houses built in England and Wales since October, 1931, other than those built under Acts of Parliament previously passed, which can normally be let at rentals not exceeding 6s. a week excluding rates?

The hon. Member no doubt appreciates that the terms of his question exclude houses provided by local authorities and I regret that I do not receive returns which would enable me to form an estimate of the number of other houses at any particular rent level.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can state the approximate additional cost that would be incurred if the wives of men who become entitled to old age pensions at the age of 65 were to become entitled to pensions at the same time as their husbands; and, further, if he can say what the approximate cost would be if the extension of the pension to the wife were limited to the cases in which the wife was not more than 10 years younger than her husband?

It is not possible to make the calculations necessary to answer this question in the time available, but perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will find the figures in a reply I gave on the 12th February, 1935, to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Miss Ward), (of which I am sending him a copy), sufficient for his purpose.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the feeling of injustice caused by the way the Land Act of 1930 is being administered in various penalised local areas; and, in view of the widespread protest that is being made in all such localities, will he take steps to ensure that the rate shall be levied as a county rate within the meaning of the Act?

I could not agree that the Land Drainage Act, 1930, is being unjustly administered, but I am aware that in some areas protests have been made by some who are now being called upon to pay drainage rates for the first time. With regard to the last part of the right hon. Member's question, the Land Drainage Act, 1930, does not contemplate that the cost of all drainage operations shall be charged upon the county. I have no power to take the steps which the right hon. Member suggests.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that excise officials are discouraging attempts at tobacco growing in this country by continual visits of inspection and demands for reports and returns; whether this is in accordance with his instructions; and, if not, will he take steps to see that public time and money is not wasted in this manner?

I have been asked to reply. Tobacco grown in the United Kingdom is subject to a duty of Excise, and the supervision of growers is conducted by Officers of Customs and Excise in pursuance of Statutory Regulations made under Section 3 of the Finance Act, 1908, and Section 83 of the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910. I am satisfied that the requirements of the Regulations do not go beyond what is necessary for the safeguarding of the revenue from tobacco.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what classes of iron and steel are included in the Board's official index of wholesale iron and steel prices, and which of the several prices are used as a basis of the calculation?

A list of the descriptions of iron and steel, the prices of which are used in the compilation of the Board of Trade index number of wholesale prices, was published in the issue of the "Board of Trade Journal" dated 24th January, 1935.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, what proportion of British steel production in the year 1934 consisted of remelted scrap; and what proportion consisted of remelted scrap which had been imported?

According to particulars compiled by the British Iron and Steel Federation, scrap used in the production of steel ingots and castings in 1934 represented about one-half of the materials consumed. Information as to the quantity of such scrap which was imported is not available; the recorded imports in 1934 of iron and steel scrap and waste fit only for the recovery of metal represented about 6 per cent. of the quantity of scrap used.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total value of exports of steel from the United States of America for the years 1932, 1933, and 1934, and for the first nine months of the year 1935?

The classification of the official export statistics of the United States of America does not permit of the compilation of separate particulars relating to steel as such, but the following table shows the recorded value of exports (domestic produce) of the main classes of iron and steel in the aggregate during the periods specified.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many aeroplanes and aeroplane engines of British manufacture have been exported from this country since 30th June to the latest date for which he can give particulars?

During the three months ended September, 1935, 80 complete aeroplanes and 165 aeroplane engines of United Kingdom manufacture were exported from this country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the quantities of malt, unmalted corn, rice, maize, etc., sugar, glucose, and hops used in brewing in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year ended 30th September, 1935, and also the quantities of malt, unmalted corn, rice, sugar, and

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the world production of gold at gold par in the year 1934; and what had been the greatest world production of gold at gold par in any one year previous to 1930?

The world production of gold in 1934 has been estimated at £116,200,000, par value, and that in 1915, the year of greatest world production before 1930, at £96,400,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the excess of imports of gold over exports of gold at gold par during the five-year period from the beginning of 1930 to the end of 1934?

The available statistics of imports and exports of gold for 1930–33 are to be found in the Annual Statement of Trade for 1933 (Vol. I,

I am having the information for which my hon. Friend asks collected, and will communicate it to him as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the number of standard and bulk barrels produced and retained for consumption in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the years ended 30th September, 1934 and 1935?

The number of standard and bulk barrels of beer produced and retained for consumption in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the years ended 30th September, 1934 and 1935, is as follows:pages 627–32 and 640–5), and for 1934 in the monthly Trade and Navigation Accounts for December, 1934 (pages 249–54). I regret that, as the fineness of the unrefined gold is not indicated in the returns, it is not possible to state its exact par value. For the last three years estimates of the par value of the excess of imports of gold have been made by the Board of Trade, in connection with their annual calculation of the balance of payments, as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the Department of Agriculture for Scotland has refused to settle any landless men on the 60,000 acres of land now under deer in North Harris, Inverness-shire; if he is aware that Donald John Morrison has recently been cultivating a small patch of land on the said forest and is now threatened with imprisonment for so doing; whether the Government consent to such proceedings, seeing that he has offered a fair rent for the piece of land, but this offer has been refused by the landlord; if he is aware that the only holding offered to Morrison by the Department is on Borve or Luskintyre, which are a long way from his home and for which holding no other tenant can be found even among the landless in the immediate neighbourhood; and what steps he will take to protect Morrison in his plot of ground or provide him with a holding near his home?

In reply to the first part of the question, the Department of Agriculture for Scotland have acquired 13,000 acres of deer forest lands in Harris and are at present in course of developing land settlement schemes. With regard to the second part of the question, I understand that Donald John Morrison referred to by the hon. Member has, against the advice of the Department of Agriculture, taken unauthorised occupation of certain lands at Ardvourlie, which I am informed are occupied by an estate employé. Proceedings are being taken by the proprietor for interdict. Morrison has been informed that the Department are prepared to give consideration to his requirements when 30 holdings on the estate of Borve, which is situated about 20 miles from Ardvourlie, are being allocated in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department of Agriculture has taken any steps to draw the attention of sheep-breeders in the Scottish Highlands to the results of an experiment conducted by the department of agriculture at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, in hill-land reclamation and the improvement of grazing at a height of 1,500 feet above sea level?

Experiments of a somewhat similar nature to that referred to by my hon. Friend have been conducted in Scotland, and articles on the results obtained have been published from time to time in the Scottish Journal of Agriculture. It is proposed to publish in an early issue of the Journal an article on the results of the Welsh experiment.

asked the Home Secretary the number of proceedings and convictions for drunkenness in England and Wales during the calendar year 1934?

The figures of proceedings and of convictions for drunkenness in England and Wales during 1934 were, respectively, 46,293 and 39,748.

asked the Home Secretary whether Italian subjects resident in this country who have recently joined the Italian army will be allowed to enter this country after hostilities have ceased in Abyssinia?

A foreigner domiciled in this country is ordinarily readmitted after a temporary absence abroad provided he has not been absent so long that he has ceased to have a claim to be treated as resident here. In the application of this rule no discrimination is exercised by immigration officers against a foreigner who returns to his own country to perform military service. As at present advised I do not propose to issue any special instructions with regard to Italians.