asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, what acreage he proposes for plantation this year and 1937 in Glamorgan; what number of men he contemplates employing; and what number of forest workers' holdings will be established and where situated?

The planting programme for the current season in Glamorgan is 308 acres; the provisional programme for next season is 256 acres but this may be increased. It is estimated that an average of 60 persons will be employed during each season. It is not known how many forest workers' holdings will be established in the county this year and next.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, how many acres of trees have been planted in Glamorgan for the last five years; where situated; how many men employed; what number of forest workers' holdings has been established; and what price per acre has been paid for land for afforestation?

During the five years ended 30th September, 1935, the Forestry Commissioners planted 2,297 acres in Glamorgan, at Llantrisant, Margam, and Rheola Forests. The employment provided averaged 2,900 man-weeks per annum, and six forest workers' holdings were established. The average price per acre of land for afforestation purchased during the period was £2 7s. 4d.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, what proportion of the money provided by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be allocated for Wales for afforestation purposes?

Until plantable land has been acquired in the special areas it is not possible to state what proportion of the expenditure on afforestation will be incurred in Wales.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the number of forest workers' holdings in Scotland, England, and Wales; and whether he will give an estimate of the additional number which it is proposed to equip in the programme for the special areas?

The Forestry Commissioners have established 332 forest workers' holdings in Scotland, 631 in England and 295 in Wales and Monmouth. The answer to the latter part of the question is 1,000.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the extent of the proposed programme for afforestation in the special areas, showing the acreage for South Wales and the northeast coast, respectively; and the annual cost of carrying out operations and the purchase of sufficient land for this purpose?

The proposed programme covers the acquisition and planting of 200,000 acres in and near the Special Areas in England and Wales and the establishment of 1,000 additional forest workers' holdings. Until the work of acquisition has math some progress, it will not be possible to forecast the areas to be dealt with in the different localities. It is estimated that the cost will be £200,000 in the first year and £350,000 in each of the second and third years.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, whether the additional grant for the afforestation of 200,000 acres of land in the depressed areas during the next 10 years will include parts of the Black Country, where there is ample opportunity for reafforestation in slag-heap areas?

The scheme of afforestation in connection with the Special Areas relates to 200,000 acres in or within 15 miles of those areas and does not extend to what it usually known as the Black Country.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the proportion of soft woods and of hard woods which have been planted by the Forestry Commission?

Of the 280,000 acres planted by the Forestry Commission 93.3 per cent. are soft woods and 6.7 per cent. are hard woods.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the wages, hours, and conditions of workmen employed by the Forestry Commission; and whether piecework is encouraged in the various operations?

The wages, hours and conditions of workmen employed by the Forestry Commission are as defined by local Agricultural Wages Orders, but with a minimum of 35s. a week. Piecework rates enabling employés to earn more than the minimum are adopted wherever practicable.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, whether he will state the proportion of expenditure on wages and salaries, on purchase of land, and on administrative expenses of the Forestry Commission?

In the year ended 30th September, 1935, 65 per cent. of the Forestry Commissioners' total expenditure was in respect of wages and salaries, 8 per cent. in respect of the purchase of land, and 3 per cent. in respect of administrative expenses.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the average cost per acre of afforestation, including the purchase of land and all operations incidental to the production and planting of young trees?

The outlay per acre on land, labour and materials in respect of the areas planted by the Forestry Commissioners to the latest date for which figures are available was approximately £12 I4s. 6d. This figure covers the cost of land, preparation of ground, drainage, fencing, plants, planting, replacement of failures and weeding.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the total amount expended on the purchase of land, with the average price per acre of plantable land acquired?

The total amount expended by the Forestry Commissioners on the purchase of land for afforestation up to 30th September, 1935, was £995,000. The average price per plantable acre was £3 4s. 6d.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the Department has considered the complaints of maladministration at the Shotts Employment Exchange; of the dissatisfaction of the staffs employed there; and whether he will arrange for inquiries to be made with a view to removing the causes of dissatisfaction which now exist?

I know of no complaints with regard to this Exchange other than certain general allegations made by a staff association which is not recognised as representing Exchange staffs. These allegations are without foundation.

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the great dearth of skilled mechanics in the engineering trades due to the lapse of the apprenticeship system, what steps the Government are taking to give practical training facilities in this direction; and whether this could be done in conjunction with manufacturers throughout the country?

The shortage of certain classes of skilled mechanics in the engineering industry is mainly due to a great and sudden expansion in demand after a long period of depression, and not to the lapse of the system of apprenticeship, though there was, of course, a considerable reduction in the number of apprentices recruited into the industry during the period of depression. The engineering industry is alive to the necessity of increasing the numbers in training for the skilled occupations, and if, as I hope, it experiences a continuance of the demand for its products, it can be relied upon to do so, though it will be appreciated that the process of training is bound to take some time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that in the Trade and Navigation Accounts the imports from the Soviet Union into Great Britain, for the nine months ended September, 1935, are recorded as £13,823,000, whereas the exports from the Soviet Union to the United Kingdom, in the same period, are recorded in the Foreign Trade and Commerce Accounts to be of a value of £10,310,000, based upon the mean rate of exchange quoted therein; and how the discrepancy of £3,500,000 arises?

The discrepancy in question is due to the following causes:(1) The imports are valued c.i.f., while the exports are valued f.o.b.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give statistics showing the imports of cotton goods and shoes from Japan into the West Indies in the year before the imposition of a quota on Japanese goods and for every year since the quota, and the imports of these goods from Great Britain in these same periods?

Following is the information asked for:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the effect upon British exports of the trade sanctions imposed by the League of Nations against Italy; and whether in any instance any compensatory trade has been arranged?

It is not possible to estimate the effect of the application of sanctions on the United Kingdom export trade as a whole. The reply to the second Tart of the question is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the trawl fishermen in Aberdeen have their pay computed on settling sheets which do not fulfil the requirements of the law; whether he will take immediate steps to have the law in regard to settling sheets enforced; and whether, at the same time, he will investigate the inadequate provision which exists to enable the crews to check the justice of deductions for ice, water, coal, and food supplied?

I am informed that the matters referred to in the question have been receiving the attention of the Sea-Fish Commission. When their report is available further consideration will be given to the points raised in my hon. Friend's question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what date he was apprised of the nature of the Rome accord between France and Italy in regard to Abyssinia; and on what date the British Government first made known to the Italian Government its disapproval of its terms?

As regards the first part of the question, information regarding this agreement was first communicated to my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 12th January, 1935. As regards the second part, His Majesty's Government received the fullest assurances that the scope of the agreement was purely economic. No such action as the hon. Gentleman suggests was therefore required.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he can give the monthly production of petrol at the Imperial Chemical Industries works at Billingharn; and whether the works are now in full production, the total cost of the works to

The following table shows the quantities of crude petroleum and petroleum products exported from the United States of America to Italy and Italian Africa during the month of December, 1935:date, the monthly consumption of coal, and the number of workpeople now employed at the plant and in the secondary industries?

In reply to a question by the hon. Member on the 30th July last, I gave a full statement of the position as it then existed at the Billingbam plant. At that time 25,000 tons (7½ million gallons) of petrol had been produced. By the courtesy of Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited, am able to give the following information with regard to the present position.Up to the present time a total of about 80,000 tons (24 million gallons) has been obtained, of which approximately 36,000 tons were produced during the three months October-December, 1935, or practically up to the full capacity of the plant as given in the earlier statement referred to. During that quarter the total quantity of coal devoted to the manufacture of petrol was 113,500 tons. In addition, tar oils from the high and low-temperature carbonisation of coal were hydrogenated. My hon. Friend will appreciate that during the first few months in a new plant of this kind it is to be expected that the output may vary from month to month as modifications and adjustments to the plant need to be carried out as experience is gained of large-scale operations.The number of workpeople employed at Billingham in connection with petrol manufacture is over 2,000 and it is estimated that, in addition to miners directly engaged in producing coal for the plant, something approaching the same number may be employed in secondary industries. I have no information about the cost of the works beyond what was announced by the company in October last, when the plant was officially opened. It was then stated that the new capital expenditure amounted to about £3 million.

asked the Secretary of Mines how many total amalgamation schemes, and how many partial amalgamation schemes, have been prepared and recommended by the Coal Mines Reorganisation Commission; and how many have been put into operation?

I would refer the hon. Member to the Commission's own reports which have been presented to Parliament, the first (Cmd. 4816) in 1933 and the second (Cmd. 5069) in January last, in which he will find full particulars.

asked the Secretary for Mines how many meetings of the Coal Mines Reorganisation Commission have been held since 28th July last?

The answer is four.

asked the secretary for Mines whether the Government has yet considered the whole position and powers of the Coal Mines Reorganisation Commission?

Yes, Sir. The Government are advised that the compulsory powers which Parliament intended to confer upon the Commission are not inherent in the provisions of Part II of the Coal Mines Act, 1930, as those provisions stand. It is, therefore, the intention of the Government to introduce a Bill at an early date to amend Part II of the Act so as to give the Commission effective powers.

asked the Secretary for Mines (1) what was the rate per ton of coal paid in royalties in Glamorgan for the folowing years:1920, 1926, 1930, 1934, and 1935, respectively; and whether he can give the average for South Wales and Monmouthshire for the same period;(2) what was the amount per ton paid in local rates by the mining industry in Glamorgan for the following years:1922, 1923, 1930, 1934, and 1935, respectively; and whether he can give the figures separately for South Wales for the same periods?

The information is as follows:The following figures relate to South Wales and Monmouthshire as a whole. I regret that separate particulars for Glamorganshire cannot be given. The average rate of royalty per ton of saleable coal raised was 9.21d. during the year 1920, and 7.63d. and 8.07d., respectively, during the years ended January, 1931, and 1935. During the nine months ended October, 1935, the latest period for which figures are available, it was 7.98d. per ton. No information is available for the year 1926. With the exception of 1920, these figures include the rental value of freehold minerals worked by the proprietor. As regards local rates, no information is available for 1922 and 1923; during the years ended January, 1931 and 1935, the average amount paid by colliery owners in local rates per ton of saleable coal raised was 1.52d. and 1.31d., respectively. During the nine months ended October, 1935, the latest period for which figures are available, it was 1.45d. per ton.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will state the number of visits made underground by His Majesty's inspector of mines during the last three months of 1935 at the following Derbyshire collieries: Glapwell (Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company, Limited), Langwith (Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company, Limited), Tibshelf (Babbington Colliery Company, Limited), Morton (Clay Cross Colliery Company, Limited), Park House (Clay Cross Colliery Company, Limited), and Pinxton (Pinxton Colliery Company, Limited); and how many of these visits were made after the normal day shift was terminated?

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that certain of the men employed by the Babhington Colliery Company, Limited, at the Tibshelf Colliery, Derbyshire, are expected to wait until late in the evening, after the termination of the day shift on Fridays, before receiving their wages, giving rise to inconvenience to local tradesmen in the organisation of their business; and is the delay in making this payment of wages arranged to coincide with the frequency of overtime which is worked at this colliery?

I have no information on this matter. In any case

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will state the number of miners injured in the North Staffordshire area in 1925, 1932, 1933, 1934, and 1935; and specify the causes of the accidents?

The number of persons injured and disabled for more than three days at mines in North Staffordshire, during the years 1925 1932, 1933 and 1934 was as follows. Similar information on this matter. In any case particulars for 1935 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will state the amount of overtime worked at 011erton colliery, Notts, during the month of January, 1936; giving the number of shifts on which it was worked; the number of men involved; and for what reasons the overtime was worked?

I regret that the notice given was too short to enable me to obtain the information asked. I will send it to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will state the number of days during the month of December, 1935, on which overtime was worked at the following Derbyshire collieries: Pinxton, Morton, and Park House No. 7, giving the number of man shifts involved and the percentage number of men employed who worked at some period between the normal termination of the day shift on Saturday arid the normal commencement of the night shift on Sunday?

I regret that the notice given has been too short to enable me to get the information required. I will send it to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give the latest information as to the closing of the mouth of Lossiemouth Harbour?

As a result of exceptionally heavy seas about 150 feet of the north breakwater of Lossiemouth Harbour has been demolished and the entrance to the harbour is entirely blocked. Eight boats are at present held up in the harbour but the remainder of the local fleet were at sea when the disaster occurred and escaped that fate and are

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the failure of local authorities to provide boat-slips in the fishing island of Scarp, Harris, he will urge the authorities concerned to take action or take the matter in hand himself?

I am satisfied that the County Council of Inverness-shire fully appreciate the needs of the Island of Scarp in the matter of landing facilities, but they have not so far been able to give priority to this case having regard to the funds available. The matter is primarily one for the consideration of the County Council who will no doubt keep in view the claims of Scarp in connection with the programme of public works to be drawn up by them during the present year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will state the populations of the counties of Ross and Cromarty, Inverness, and Sutherland in the years 1920, 1925, 1930, and 1935?

The following table gives the information desired:fishing from the adjacent towns of Buckie and Burghead. It is understood that fish landed by the fleet at the neighbouring ports will be conveyed by road to Lossiemouth for sale by auction, in order to maintain the local market, and that the work of clearing a passage for the fishing fleet will be begun as soon as the weather permits.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has had any conversations with or communications from local authorities in Scotland favourable to the proposed Forth and Tay Bridge scheme; and if he is now prepared to take steps to secure from the authorities concerned the evidence required by him relating to economic and traffic statistics, in order to expedite a decision regarding expenditure on the new bridges

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 'Wednesday last. It covers the points mentioned.

asked the Postmaster-General why British mail to America has been sent by German subsidised ships rather than by British ships or, in default, ships sailing under Dutch, French, or American flags?

If the right hon. Member will be good enough to give me particulars of the specific instances he has in mind, I shall be glad to make inquiries and write to him in the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, before reducing the charges for inland trunk calls during the day, he will ensure that adequate additional lines have been provided, with a view to preventing any hindrance to business calls such as would be caused by congestion resulting from such reduced fees in any way equal to that which followed the recent reduction in the fees for trunk calls after 7 p.m.?

I can assure my hon. Friend that the important consideration to which he has drawn attention is being borne in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the quantities of malt, unmalted corn, rice, maize, sugar, glucose, and hops used in brewing in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year ended 30th September, 1935; the quantities of malt, unmalted corn, rice, sugar, and molasses used for distilling during the same period; and the number of bulk barrels of beer brewed and proof gallons distilled during the same brewing and distilling year?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on the 20th December, 1935, to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Mr. Wells)

asked the Minister of Health whether he can inform the House as to the number of technical assistants, as distinct from clerical and other workers, who are employed by the London County Council in connection with the administration of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1932; and what are their aggregate salaries?

I understand from the London County Council that the information desired is not immediately available. It is, however, being obtained and will be sent to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that the new port of Haifa is already working to capacity and is now suffering from congestion, in part due to the presence of naval vessels and in part due to the con tinned expansion in the trade of Palestine, he will arrange to examine at an early date the possibility of providing additional harbour accommodation at Jaffa?

The whole: question of harbour accommodation in Palestine is at present engaging the attention of the High Commissioner in consultation with myself.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received any reports of the state of unrest on the Kenya-Abyssinia frontier; whether the settlement effected between the councils of the Boran and the Gurreh has improved the situation; and can he state when the last raid took place into British territory?

I have not received any reports which indicate that there is any unrest on the frontier. There has been nothing that could be called a raid into British territory since 1933. The meetings of the councils referred to by the hon. Member and the co-operation of local Abyssinian officials have, I understand, been useful in improving tribal relations.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether material for Indian railways under his control is still being ordered from Germany; and whether, if any such orders are placed in future, they will be used to free British frozen credits in that country?

Orders for material for Indian State Railways continue to be placed in Germany from time to time, when German tenders are most advantageous to India, but as far as is known here, the volume of such orders is relatively small. As regards the second part of the hon. Member's question I understand that the balance of trade between India and Germany is still in favour of the former.

asked the Home Secretary whether there have been any prosecutions under Section 13 of 'Ore Betting and Lotteries Act, 1934; and, if so, how many, and what were the decisions?

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how much fuel oil suitable for consumption in His Majesty's ships is now produced from coal in this country and what expenditure would be required to lay down sufficient additional plant to meet the present requirements of the Navy; and will he confer with his colleagues with a view to taking some action in the matter?

While there are possibilities of expansion in this industry the amount of fuel oil suitable for consumption in His Majesty's ships which is now being produced as such on a commercial scale in this country from coal is estimated at approximately 7,000 tons per annum only. This oil is obtained as a by-product of the low-temperature carbonisation of coal. In addition a considerable amount of creosote is produced annually in the United Kingdom, but this oil is not so suitable for use in His Majesty's ships as petroleum fuel.With the exception of the fuel oil which could be produced by the hydrogenation plant at Billingham, now for economic reasons entirely devoted to the manufacture of petrol, all fuel oils produced in this country from coal are manufactured as by-products of processes for making gas, smokeless fuel, etc., and the problem is therefore a much wider one than the construction of plant for the primary purpose of the production of liquid fuel. No useful purpose would therefore be served by attempting to give an estimate of the expenditure necessary to provide plant sufficient to meet the present fuel requirements of the Navy but the cost would clearly be enormous. This question is constantly under consideration by the Departments concerned.

asked the Home Secretary what was the total prison population at the last available date?

On the 11th instant there were 9,004 persons in prisons in England and Wales and in addition 1,722 in Borstal Institutions.

asked the Home Secretary the names and ages of the persons executed in England and Wales during the year 1935, and the dates on which, and the prisons at which, each execution took place?

The particulars are as follow: