asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give particulars regarding the terms of the peace treaty which has been signed by Bolivia and Paraguay; and whether a solution of the Chaco dispute, satisfactory to both parties, has been concluded?

No full peace treaty has yet been signed between Bolivia and Paraguay. However, at a session of the Buenos Aires Peace Conference on the 21st January last an agreement was concluded for the reciprocal and complete repatriation of prisoners of war and for the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries as soon as possible. A formal protocol was signed by the two parties, laying down precise rules for the procedure to be adopted for the exchange of prisoners and containing provisions for mutual security on the basis of the Buenos Aires Agreement of the 12th June, 1935. The protocol will require to be ratified by the Parliaments of Bolivia and Paraguay.

asked the President of the Board of Education what percentage of the pupils in secondary schools in England and Wales and in Birmingham were paying fees during the period of the last school term?

Of the pupils in secondary schools in England and Wales on 1st October, 1935, 46.1 per cent. paid full fees and 6.3 per cent. partial fees. The comparable percentages in Birmingham were 25.8 and 7.8 respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Education in how many cases during 1935 he has asked a local education authority to increase the acreage of the playing fields proposed for an elementary school; in how many cases he has asked that such an acreage should be decreased; and in how many cases he has declined to confirm a compulsory order on the ground that the acreage proposed was too large?

I am afraid that the exact information required is not readily available, but I am not aware of any cases during 1935 in which a reduction in acreage was asked for. As the hon. Member will be aware, the Board have urged upon authorities the need for extended playing field facilities, and this need is constantly in mind in considering proposals for the acquisition of sites. If there is any particular point which the hon. Member has in mind I shall be glad to supply him which such information as I can.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many local education authorities revised their scales of aid for special place pupils during 1935; and in how many cases the revision took the form of reducing the standard of income to qualify the pupil for whole or partial remission of fees?

During 1935 the board approved revised scales of aid for special place pupils submitted by seven local education authorities. In no case did the revision take the form of reducing the standard of income qualifying the pupil for total or partial remission of fees. In addition two authorities increased the maximum amount of maintenance allowance without revising the scales of aid.

asked the President of the Board of Education what representations, and of what nature, have been made to him from the County Councils' Association and the Association of Education Committees with regard to proposals to grant exemptions from statutory requirements to attend elementary schools; and what reply, if any, has been made?

In December last the County Councils Association requested me to receive a deputation to discuss this question of exemptions, to which the association was opposed. While I was anxious to discuss, and did discuss, with representatives of local education authorities the details of the Government's proposed legislation, I did not think that it would serve any useful purpose to discuss the general principles to which the Government were committed by their election manifesto. I did, however, indicate to an officer of the association that should the association desire to send a deputation after the publication of the Bill, I should be pleased to meet them. Three weeks ago I received a deputation from the Association of Education Committees to discuss certain resolutions passed at the annual general meeting of the association. On that occasion the chairman of the deputation made a statement indicating the objections of his association to a policy of exemptions.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the loss of life due to recent outbreaks of fire in Edinburgh and Tyldesley; and whether, in view of the fact that in these and other cases escape from burning buildings has been prevented by the destruction of staircases, he will in future, where possible, prescribe and elsewhere recommend that staircases shall be constructed from fireproof material;

(2) whether it is his intention to introduce legislation for the better inspec- tion of buildings, with a view to reducing the risk of life and damage from fire to a minimum?

My attention has been called to the outbreaks of fire referred to. I have no power to prescribe the method of constructing staircases, but local authorities can deal with the matter by by-laws and have various powers of inspecting buildings. I will consider whether it is desirable to issue any recommendation to local authorities.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the many complaints against his Department in connection, with the transfer of labour from the north of England, he is contemplating an alteration of the regulations whereby transferred persons whose new employment does not prove suitable may be sent back to their home towns at public expense?

I am not aware of the complaints to which the hon. Member refers. On the contrary my information goes to show that the scheme is operating with marked success. Where, however, a person transferred from a depressed area has lost his employment through no fault of his own, and the Exchange cannot within a short period find him a suitable job, a free travelling warrant is issued to enable him to return home.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the establishment of local advisory committees to the Unemployment Assistance Board has now been completed?

No, Sir. The position remains as explained in a reply which I gave on 19th December, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been directed to the land survey con- ducted by Professor R. G. Stapledon and the experiments he has made, proving the possibility of turning large tracts of highland from rough grazing into more productive uses; and if he proposes to take such steps as would regain from wasteful use the thousands of Scottish acres now lying derelict?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. If the hon. Member will refer to the conclusion of the article by Professor Stapledon published in the January issue of the Scottish Journal of Agriculture he will see that much further pioneering work and research require to be carried out before definite steps could be taken to apply the methods employed by him on a widespread scale. Careful consideration is being given to the questions raised by these interesting experiments.

asked the Secretary for Mines when the report of the chief inspector of mines on the causes of the Gresford disaster of September, 1934, is likely to be available; and whether it is the intention of the Ministry to publish any of the evidence that was given?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to-day to a similar question by the hon. Member for Pontypool (Mr. A. Jenkins).

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the provisions of Section 20 of the Superannuation Act, 1834, whereby the pension and salary of a man re-employed by the department after having been pensioned must not together exceed the emoluments of his former office, bear hardly on men whose first appointment ended when the economy cuts were in operation; and whether he will consider an amendment to the Act, so that the restoration of the cuts in July, 1935, shall not be taken into account when determining whether the pension has to be abated to satisfy this section of the Act?

I have been asked to reply. I am aware that if a person in receipt of Civil Service pension accepts re-employment in a post carrying a rate of pay lower than was attached to his previous office, the amount of pension which he can draw in addition to the pay of his new post may be slightly less, owing to changes in the rate of the former Civil Service cost of living bonus, or if retirement took place when bonus was high somewhat more, than if the pay of his old post had at the date of retirement been at its present level. I do not think, however, that it is possible to contemplate legislation to deal with this point.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the conditions of service of women tracers employed by the Admiralty, War Office, and Air Ministry are inferior in many respects to those of the clerical branches and that they are unable to qualify for pensionable establishment; and if he will investigate the matter with a view to improving these conditions and enabling women tracers to become established?

The representatives of the women in question have recently been informed that any proposals which it is desired to put forward with regard to the conditions of service of women tracers should, in accordance with the normal practice, be submitted to the separate Departments concerned, by whom they will be considered.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of war debt still outstanding due from France to Great Britain under the Funding Agreement of 16th July, 1926?

The aggregate payments in respect of war debts due to this country from France and outstanding under the Funding Agreement of 1926 are £755,875,000. In this connection, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement and to the footnotes given on page 87 of the Finance Accounts of the United Kingdom for the year ended 31st March, 1935.