asked the Minister of Transport for how long it is anticipated that the present weight restrictions on the use of the Menai Bridge are to continue; what would be the cost of replacing the present structure with an adequate toll-free bridge; and what has been the excess of toll revenue over maintenance expenditure during the past 15 years?

The weight restriction must continue until the bridge is either strengthened or reconstructed. No scheme has been prepared for replacing the present structure and I am, therefore, unable to state what the cost would be. The excess of the net toll revenue over maintenance expenditure during the past 15 years amounted to approximately £110,000.

asked the Minister of Transport what were the total payments made by Scottish road-users into the Road Fund, and the total payments made for Scottish roads from the Road Fund, and the General Exchequer Contributions under the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929, between 1st April, 1921 and 31st March, 1935?

The net proceds of motor licence duties and of penalties for motoring offences collected in Scotland from 1st April, 1921, to 31st March, 1935, amounted to £26,267,919. The grants made from the Road Fund to Highway Authorities in Scotland for the same period amounted to £33,973,976, while the sum paid from the Road Fund towards the General Exchequer Contributions under the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929, amounted to £3,417,596.

asked the Minister of Transport under what heads the total sum of £2,449,000 was paid out of the Road Fund to Scottish authorities in the year 1934–35; and if this sum includes any proportion of the administrative expenses of his Department?

The sum in question represents payments towards maintenance and improvements of roads; the salaries of surveyors to local authorities; traffic regulations; loan charges; and the General Exchequer Contribution under the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has any records of road accidents during the past two years caused by or involving a horse or horses being led on the right-hand side of the highway; and, if so, how many?

I have no records of accidents of the type mentioned in the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether a commercial counsellor assisted by a Treasury expert will be delegated to represent unorganised bodies of British investors, other than railway shareholders, when the Argentine trade agreement is reconsidered, in order to protect the £300,000,000 of sterilised miscellaneous investments, in view of the fact that the exchange tax and maize negotiations of the Anglo-Argentine railway directorates have failed to secure a return upon £200,000,000 of Argentine railway capital?

I can assure my hon. Friend that His Majesty's Government when undertaking trade negotiations make full use of the expert advice at their disposal.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the uncertainty that still exists as to the definition of a noninflammable film which under present regulations is confusing to local authorities, he will consider introducing legislation to clarify the meaning of a noninflammable film as distinct from a slow-burning film?

My right hon. Friend is aware that there is uncertainty as to the scope of the Cinematograph Act, 1909, which applies to exhibitions for the purposes of which inflammable films are used, and the question is now under his consideration.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can state the nature and number of the factories, workshops and departments in which the two-shift system is now in operation?

Under the present law Orders authorising the two-shift system to meet some temporary emergency or temporary pressure of work remain in force even after the system is discontinued; and there are. many Orders granted to meet seasonal pressure which are used for part of each year only. I am afraid, therefore, I could not, without special local inquiries, give particulars as to the works and departments in which the system is actually in operation at the moment, but I would refer the hon. Member to page 6 and the tables on pages 33–34 of the Report of the Departmental Committee on the Two-Shift System, where particulars, including the industries concerned, are given of Orders (2006) granted up to the 30th June, 1934, and of those (810) which in April, 1934, were still in use or likely to be used again. I am also sending him a table showing according to industry the numbers of Orders, totalling 451, granted between 30th June, 1934, and the end of last month. Further information will be found in the list placed in the House of Commons Library, which gives particulars of all Orders granted up to the end of last year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether bacon curers or producers, on notification to the railway companies, may elect to transport their pigs by road in hired vehicles; and whether in that case a rebate is allowed from the flat rate equal to that allowed if they carry them in their own vehicles?

I am informed that under the flat rate agreement for the transport of pigs sold in accordance with the Pigs Marketing Scheme, bacon curers have to arrange for the transport of the pigs at their own expense in those cases where the producers' premises are within a radius of 25 miles from the curers' factory and the curers are unable to meet the specified minimum loading requirements for the transport of pigs by road by the railway companies, and there is no agreement with the railway companies for transport by rail. In those cases the railway companies are under no obligation to carry the pigs, and the curers can, if they so desire, carry them in hired vehicles. They would be entitled to the same rebate whether they use their own or hired vehicles. In cases where bacon curers have the right to elect to convey the pigs at their own expense on giving the required notice to the railway companies, they are only entitled to convey them in their own vehicles or to arrange for them to be conveyed in the producers' vehicles.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the aggregate amount of money paid to the railway companies in the year ended 31st December, 1935, for the conveyance of pigs to the bacon-curing factories under the flat-rate agreement; and how many pigs were carried by those companies for the period covered by such payments?

I am advised that the information desired by my hon. and gallant Friend is not at present available. As I informed him on the 18th February, the total number of pigs actually transported during 1935 by the railway companies under the flat rate agreement was 1,455,732.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can state the cheese factory capacity in this country in 1933 and the capacity at the present time; and can he give similar figures for butter and condensed and dried milk?

I regret that I have no information as to the total capacity of the factories which manufacture milk products. The following figures, which have been supplied to me by the Milk Marketing Board, show for the years 1933–34 and 1934–35 the intake of milk for manufacture into cheese, butter, condensed milk and milk powder at factories in England and Wales which have been approved by the Board for the supply of milk at manufacturing rates.

	1933–34.	1934–35.
	Gallons.	Gallons.
Cheese	61,635,700	91,887,000
Butter	41,291,550	83,706,250
Condensed Milk	39,929,850	57,227,100
Milk Powder	8,357,750	12,680,250

It is stated by the Milk Marketing Board that these increases are mainly due to increased sales of milk through the pool by farmers who had previously used it on their farms in the manufacture of cheese and butter and in the rearing of calves.

asked the Minister of Agritulture whether he will consider the desirability of introducing legislation to co-ordinate the powers of those authorities responsible for dealing with the pollution of our inland waterways?

The various aspects of the question of the pollution of rivers and measures for control of pollution, including the desirability of coordination of the powers of the authorities concerned, are receiving the attention of my right hon. Friends the Ministers of Health and Agriculture, with the help of an Advisory Committee appointed by them jointly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give a list of the authorities responsible for dealing with the pollution of our inland waterways?

Under the Rivers Pollution Prevention Acts and the Local Government Acts county councils and local sanitary authorities have certain powers for the control of pollution in rivers, and these powers can also be exercised by a joint committee of county and county borough councils appointed by the Minister of Health in the area in which the constituent authorities are jointly interested. There are at present four such joint authorities. Fishery Boards constituted under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Acts have also certain powers to control pollution within their districts.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, whilst the necessary work is in progress to reopen the mouth of the harbour at Lossiemouth, steps will be taken to increase the width and depth of the bar?

The suggestion of my hon. Friend is one primarily for consideration by the owners of the harbour who are, I understand, awaiting a report from their engineer.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air when the existing agreement with Imperial Airways in respect of the London to India service expires; whether it is the intention of the Government to renew this agreement; and, if so, for how long?

The answer to the first part of the question is 31st March, 1939. As regards the second part, it is intended in due course to include provision for the continuance of the England-India service in an agreement with the company relating to the Empire Air Transport Scheme as a whole. This agreement, it is contemplated, will have a term of 15 years.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he can give an assurance to the House that no agreement will be signed with Imperial Airways after the existing contract for the India-London service expires without first consulting the House?

In accordance with the customary procedure, a White Paper

Year.			Dartmouth.	Special Entry.		Royal Marines.	Lower Deck.		Corps Commissions in the R.M.
				Executive.	Engineering.		Executive.	Engineering.
1931	…	…	97	14	20	6	12	4	1
1932	…	…	100	16	16	16	8	4	—
1933	…	…	105	23	11	14	6	4	—
1934	…	…	100	25	13	25	5	4	1
1935	…	…	122	38	13	25	3	3	1

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why imported frozen rabbits have been supplied to units of the Royal Air Force instead of fresh ones, in view of the large and cheap supplies of the latter which have been available during recent months?

Rabbits are not included in the ration which is supplied in kind, but are purchased by the messes out of the cash allowance, at the discretion of the messing officers. It is understood that the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, who supply the rabbits, have recently arranged to include a note in their price lists, at appropriate times of the year, as to fresh rabbits being obtainable.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will give the number of cadets entered for the executive and engineering branches of the Navy through Dartmouth and the public schools, and the number of Royal Marine officers entered, during the years 1931 to 1935; and the number of promotions to commissioned rank from the lower deck in the same period?

The numbers asked for by the hon. Member are as follow:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will give the total cost of Dartmouth College during the current year; the number of cadets borne; the total number of the staff; the cost per cadet; the various scales of fees charged to the parents and guardians; the bursaries granted; and the numbers now being educated at the college under the various scales?

The total cost of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in the current year, allowing for the accruing non-effective liability for naval and civil staff and for allied services (rates, stationery, etc.), the cost of which is borne by civil Votes, is estimated at £106,000, against which can be set receipts amounting to £49,500 arising from fees for cadets.The number of cadets borne is 405. Details of the staff will be found on pages 75–79 of the Navy Estimates, 1936.The average gross cost per cadet is £262 per annum, but the average net cost, i.e., after making allowance for fees paid by parents and guardians, is £140 per annum. The normal fees is at the rate of £150 a year, but reduced fees are allowed where the pecuniary circumstances of the parents are, in the opinion of the Admiralty, such as to justify reductions being made. No bursaries are granted, except by way of reduction in fees, as explained above.The various scales of fees charged to parents or guardians at present in force are as follow:—

287	cadets at £150 per annum.
1	cadet at £125 per annum.
8	cadets at £120 per annum.
1	cadet at £110 per annum.
15	cadets at £100 per annum.
2	cadets at £95 per annum.
2	cadets at £90 per annum.
3	cadets at £85 per annum.
9	cadets at £80 per annum.
6	cadets at £75 per annum.
20	cadets at £70 per annum.
1	cadet at £65 per annum.
11	cadets at £60 per annum.
5	cadets at £50 per annum.
1	cadet at £45 per annum.
28	cadets at £40 per annum.
1	cadet at £30 per annum.
4	King's cadets—No fees payable.
405

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will give the figures for 1936 of the number of cadets to be entered for the executive and engineering branches of the Navy through Dartmouth and the public schools; the number of Royal Marine officers to be entered; and the number of vacancies for commissions in these branches to be filled from the lower deck?

I regret that I am not yet in a position to give the final figures for 1936, but the January entries were: 46 through Dartmouth, 31 through the Special Entry (Executive), eight through the Special Entry (Engineering), and 15 officers to the Royal Marines. The number of commissions to be filled from the lower deck during 1936 depends largely on the number of candidates fully qualified and considered suitable.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the recent decision to submit to the Admiralty industrial council the question of increasing the present establishment ratio in His Majesty's naval establishments, he can state what is the approximate proportion of established men, respectively, who are represented through their various organisations on this particular council; and whether any special steps will be taken to fill the gap in representation which has been caused by the recent withdrawal from the council of one of its principal constituent organisations?

The proportion of established workmen in naval establishments who belong to the trade unions represented on the Admiralty Industrial council cannot be stated. I have never heard that there is any divergence of interest between those who belong, whether established or not, to trade unions and those who are not members of trade unions. No organisation has recently withdrawn from the Admiralty Industrial Council.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will give particulars of the classes of certificates so far obtained in their various courses by the sub-lieutenants promoted from the lower deck in September, 1934; and whether he will consider instituting preliminary training in technical subjects for these officers on

		Greenwich Course.	Seamanship.	Navigation.	Gunnery.	Torpedo.
1st Officer	…	3rd	1st	2nd	1st	1st
2nd Officer	…	2nd	1st	2nd	1st	1st
3rd Officer	…	2nd	2nd	2nd	1st	3rd
4th Officer	…	3rd	2nd	2nd	2nd	2nd
5th Officer	…	2nd	1st	2nd	1st	2nd

The extra term's instruction given at Greenwich to acting sub-lieutenants (ex-lower deck) and the qualifications needed for promotion to commissioned rank were designed to enable such officers to compete with acting sub-lieutenants (ex-cadet) on equal terms. The above results tend to prove that the aim has been achieved.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether it is now decided to abolish promotion to the rank of commander and engineer-commander for officers promoted from the lower deck; and, if not, why has the former practice of making two such promotions to commander and eight to engineer-commander every year been abandoned, seeing that only two such promotions to engineer-commander were made on 31st December last and no such promotion to commander has been made since June, 1934?

The Admiralty, in selecting officers for promotion, does not give preference to any particular class, although they have on occasions selected officers promoted from the lower deck at a lower seniority than officers ex-cadet owing to their greater age. There have recently been no executive lieutenant-commanders from the lower deck amongst those considered most suitable for promotion. The decrease in the number of lower deck engineer lieutenant-commanders recently promoted is due to the substantial decrease in the number of these officers in the zone for promotion.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will give the ages of the three officers

Five ratings were promoted to acting sub-lieutenant in September, 1934. They have obtained the following classes of certificates in their examinations for the rank of lieutenant:promoted from the lower deck to sub-lieutenant and sub-lieutenant (E) in. 1935, and the minimum ages at which cadets from Dartmouth and public schools reach these ranks?

The following table shows the ages at which ratings promoted to commissioned rank in 1935 will commence their seniority as sub-lieutenants and sub-lieutenants (E):

Sub-Lieutenant.	Sub-Lieutenant (E)
21 years 7½ months.	22 years 6 months.
23 years 4½ months.	23 years 2½ months
24 years 4 months.	24 years 4 months.

The minimum and maximum ages at which Dartmouth and Special Entry cadets reach these ranks are as follows:

	Minimum.	Maximum.
Ex-Dartmouth.	20 years 5 months.	21 years 2 months.
Ex-Special Entry.	20 years 2 months.	22 years 0 months.

asked the Minister for Health whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Mr. W. Hatherell, of 7, Ivy Cottage, Chippenham, who had been receiving a blind pension from September, 1930, up to October last, on which date he became eligible for the old age pension but lost his blind pension; and whether the Minister will inquire into his case?

I have had inquiry made into the case. Under the law a person cannot continue to draw a blind pension and a pension under the Old Age Pensions Acts after attaining the age of 70, and the blind pension previously paid to Mr. Hatherell was accordingly withdrawn as from 21st October, 1935, when he attained the age of 70.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received a petition from certain Kikuyu chiefs, in which it is stated that while the Kenya estimates for European and Indian education in 1936 have been increased by £3,967 and £3,132, respectively, African education for the same period is cut by 23,963; and what is the justification for this differential treatment?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part of the question the Governor has explained that the reduction in the cost of African education is in no sense due to curtailment of services, but is solely attributable to a reorganisation of the existing staff which will lead to considerable economy without loss of efficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state the position as regards the claim made by British Somalis for the rights of British citizenship?

Inhabitants of the Somaliland Protectorate are not British subjects, as defined in the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, 1914. Their status is that of British protected persons, and as such they are not entitled to all the rights and privileges of British subjects.