asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of unemployed British seamen and the approximate number of foreigners at present employed on British ships?

On the 2nd March, 1936, there were 31,994 unemployed seamen aged 18 years and over on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain. The number of seamen employed in British ships is ascertained only at a date when the yearly census of seamen is taken and the latest information relates to 15th June, 1935. On that date about 6,300 foreign seamen (other than lascars) and 43,000 Iascar seamen (British subjects and foreigners) were employed in sea-trading vessels registered at ports in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the revised regulations for the mercantile marine will include a report as to the safest types of hatch coverings to be used?

The Load Line Rules, 1932, contain the general requirements with which hatchway covers must comply

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that when the Dutch motor vessel, "Alko," carrying china clay from Par, Cornwall, to Leith, was sunk in collision in the North Sea on 10th March, she had on board the master, his wife, two children, and only three crew, whereas a British motor coaster of comparable tonnage carries master, mate, two A.B.'s, one O.S., and two engineers; and whether he will take steps to prevent such inequalities in manning between vessels engaged in competition in a purely British domestic trade?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Cases of inadequate manning of coasting ships, whether British or foreign, are dealt with on their merits and without distinction as regards nationality.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can give any information as to the total amounts collected in premiums for industrial assurance for the years 1934 and 1935 by life assurance companies and collecting societies, respectively, together with the amounts expended in commission and expenses of management, with comparative figures for the year 1925?

Figures for 1935 are not yet available. The figures for 1934 and 1925 are as follow:

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether the efforts which have been made to secure new accommodation for the office of His Majesty's inspector of taxes and staff at Romford have been successful or not; and whether, in view of the rapid increase of work and staff at the present Romford office at Station Chambers, Victoria Road, and the consequent overcrowding, his Department is prepared to build new offices?

This matter is receiving consideration but no decision as to alternative accommodation has yet been taken.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he has any statement to make regarding the loss of a commercial air-hire machine at Minstead; if the machine was operating with the Army at the time; and, if so, why a woman passenger was on board?

The aircraft was flying under contract arrangements in connection with the training of anti-aircraft units of the Territorial Army. It was under the sole control of the operating company, and it was not contemplated in the contract that any nonofficial passengers would be carried, though it was not expressly prohibited. The cause of the accident is under investigation by the Inspector of Accidents. The hon. and gallant Member will no doubt have seen the report of the inquest in the Press.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he can make any statement about British air transport development in the years immediately after the War and before the institution of a single centralised undertaking, with particular reference to the activities of the four independent companies which were the precursors of Imperial Airways, Limited?

I am very glad to have the opportunity of clearing up some misunderstanding which appears to have arisen in connection with my remarks on the occasion of introducing Air Estimates. These remarks bad reference to the system condemned in the report of the Civil Air Transport Subsidies Committee of 1923, which spoke of it as entailing, in effect, competition by the Government against itself. I was not, of course, referring to the activities of the individual companies. British aviation owes indeed a real debt to the vision and enterprise of those responsible for the four original companies, namely, Handley Page Transport Limited, Instone Air Line, Limited, Daimler Hire Limited, and the British Marine Air Navigation Company, Limited. It was their faith, even in those early days, in the future of commercial flying which laid the foundations of British air transport.

asked the Minister of Health whether any decision has yet been given as to what is the position of an occupier of property adjoining another property which has been condemned and pulled down as the result of a demolition order in which process the dividing wall has been damaged; and who is to be liable for making good such damage, the local authority or the owner whose property was subject to a demolition order?

The duty to pull down a house which is the subject of a demolition order rests primarily with the owner of the house. I am advised that his obligations in this matter towards the owner of adjoining property would depend on the particular circumstances but that, in any case, the local authority are not, by reason of having made a demolition order, liable to make good any damage that may result from the pulling down of the house.

asked the Minister of Health whether approved societies in their administration of additional benefits are allowed to discriminate in the amount of their grants in such a manner as to give preferential treatment not ordinarily permissible under the regulations?

It is provided in Article 18 (2) of the Additional Benefits Regulations, 1930, that an approved society, in considering applications from its members for additional benefits in the nature of treatment, shall not be entitled, except as expressly provided in the regulations, to discriminate amongst members with respect to the extent to which the benefit is to be provided.

asked the Minister of Health the equivalent of how many weeks unemployment assistance to a man and wife at 24s. per week is expended in payment of the poor rate per annum in each of the following areas, and assuming a house with a rateable value of £10 in each case: Rhondda, Pontypridd, Merthyr, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Brighton, and Westminster?

The poor rate has ceased to be leviable, but on such estimate as is possible of the charge falling on rates in respect of public assistance in the year 1935–36, after making allowance for the block grants payable under the Local Government Act, 1929, the following statement gives the information desired.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the growing criticism of certain aspects of the existing pensions arrangements, especially as regards women, he will consider appointing, in conjunction with the Treasury a Departmental Committee or similar body to investigate the working of all germane Acts now in force?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on the 13th February last to a similar question asked by the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. Banfield).

asked the Prime Minister whether he will give tile names, with their length of service in their present rank, of all second secretaries, principal assistant secretaries, and assistant secretaries in the Treasury, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and other Departments of State, respectively, who were senior at the time of the appointment to the assistant secretary of the Treasury who has been appointed as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries?

The higher appointments in the Service are filled by selection and not by seniority. It would not, therefore, be justifiable to incur the considerable expenditure of time and labour which would be involved in preparing the information for which the hon. Member asks.

asked the Home Secretary whether the Government is to be represented at the conference at Geneva on establishing a fixed date for Easter; if so, whether their representative is to be instructed to support the fixing of a date; and whether the Government has decided what attitude they are going to take on the subject?

I presume the hon. Member is referring to the Fifth General Conference on Communications and Transit. I understand that no information has yet been received with regard to the convocation of this conference and accordingly I am not in a position to give any of the information for which the hon. Member asks.