asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of marriages which took place in the counties of Inverness and in Sutherland, Argyll, Caithness, Argyll and Ross and Cromarty, and. in each of the islands of Lewis, Harris, North Uist, South Uist, Benbecula, Eriskay, and Barra in each of the years 1914, 1920, 1925, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934 and 1935?

The following table gives the information desired so far as available:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will take action to have increased the financial assistance offered in the present herring fleet survey; and whether, in so doing, his action will have regard to any financial losses already incurred in the survey by share fishermen?

I understand that the first part of the question refers to a scheme which the Herring Industry Board issued in December last offering a contribution not exceeding £3 towards the expense of slipping steam drifters for survey under certain conditions. I am informed by the Herring Industry Board that that scheme was discontinued in February. The precise effect of the suggestion in the second part of the question is not clear to me but if the hon. Member will be good enough to send me explanatory particulars the point will be examined.

asked the Secretary of state for Scotland whether the Government, considering the serious position of the herring fishing industry and the lack of power on the part of the Herring Board to deal with the situation, contemplates taking any emergency measures for the assistance of that industry?

The powers which Parliament conferred on the Herring Industry Board under the Act passed last year at the request of the herring industry were granted with full appreciation of the serious position of the industry and, in the opinion of the Government, they provide an adequate means for dealing with the situation. The schemes recently issued by the Herring Industry Board include the offer of loans on favourable terms for the reconditioning of boats and the provision of nets and gear. The board arc also taking steps with the aid of grants under the Herring Industry Act for the purpose of stimulating, so far as practicable, the markets for herring at home and abroad. In my view these efforts by the board backed by the cooperation of the fishermen and others concerned offer the best hope of further improvement of the condition of the industry and I cannot hold out any prospect of emergency measures being taken outside the scope of the Act, such as have been suggested in recent resolutions, for the purpose of assisting the industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is in a position to report on the question of the proposed oil sanctions against Italy?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he intends to propose to our fellow members of the Council of the League of Nations an embargo upon the imports of oil into the guilty State in the dispute between Italy and the League of Nations?

On 18th March my Noble Friend explained, in reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, East (Mr. Mander) that the future proceedings of the Committee of Eighteen, in whose competence this question lies, must largely be guided by the results of the then impending meeting of the Committee of Thirteen. At that subsequent meeting it was decided, as my Noble Friend informed the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mr. Riley) on 25th March, that the President of the Committee of Thirteen, assisted by the Secretary-General of the League, should get into touch with the two parties and take such steps as might be called for in order that the committee might be able, as soon as possible, to bring the two parties together, and, within the framework of the League of Nations and in the spirit of the Covenant, to bring about the prompt cessation of hostilities and the final restoration of peace. The President has, I understand, been actively engaged on this task. At the same time recent events have made it clearly desirable that the Committee of Thirteen should be called together without delay. His Majesty's Government have made known that this is their view to the Chairman of the Committee of Thirteen and to the Secretary-General within the last few days. I am glad to say that the committee has now been summoned for Wednesday. Upon its decisions will depend the convocation of the Committee of Eighteen which can be called together at short notice.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any further statement to make on the crisis arising out of the German remilitarisation of the Rhineland and the unilateral repudiation by Germany of the Locarno Treaty?

I have nothing at present to add to the statement which I made on Friday last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total sum of money paid by the British Government to French railway authorities for the transport of men, munitions, nurses, and other services during the Great War, 1914–1919?

The total amount paid by His Majesty's Government to French railway authorities for transport from the outbreak of War to the 31st December, 1919, was approximately £30,500,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total sum of money paid by the British Government to Belgian railway authorities for the transport of men, munitions, nurses, and other services during the Great War, 1914–1919?

No payment was made by His Majesty's Government in respect of transport on the Belgian railways for the period from the outbreak of War to the Armistice. The amount so paid in respect of services rendered after the Armistice and up to the 31st December, 1919, was £1,603,446.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that a number of Acts of Parliament at present in force are out of print and not obtainable from His Majesty's Stationery Office; and whether he will take steps to ensure that no member of the public should be in the position of being unable to obtain copies of legislative measures?

Prior to 1887 the printing and publication of Acts of Parliament was entrusted to a private firm acting under a Patent, but I agree with the hon. Member that no member of the public should be in the position of not being able to obtain a copy of any Public General Act which is in force. If the hon. Member will let me know the particular Acts of Parliament to which he refers, I will make inquiries into the matter.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the cost of providing a pension for the wife of a contributory pensioner when her husband has reached the age of 65 instead of waiting, as at present, until she herself is 65?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on the 19th March to the hon. Member for Spennymoor (Mr. Batey).

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of service men who were blinded in, or as a consequence of, the Great War?

The total number of cases of eye affection due to war service which have at any time been pensioned at 100 per cent. is approximately 2,500.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can now give the designations of those trading organisations which agreed to an increase in the prices they, respectively, paid for coal to enable the wages of the miners to be increased; and whether the public utility bodies concerned have passed on such increases to the public?

I understand that there was an excellent response by consumers to the request by the coal industry for voluntary increases in the current contract prices for coal. I am, however, unable to give a list of the trading organisations who have agreed to pay such increases or to say whether public utility undertakings generally have passed on to the public the increases they have agreed to pay.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he can state the number of frontier incidents in India during the past three years in which aeroplanes have been used, the number of bombs dropped, the number of persons killed and wounded, and the value of property destroyed?

I am asking the Government of India for a report.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many men have been recruited for the Royal Navy from Southern Ireland in each of the last five years?

The number of men and boys recruited for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines from the Irish Free State in each of the five financial years from 1931 to 1935 was 33, 25, 52, 186 and 287, respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the Government have now ratified the draft convention concerning workmen's compensation for occupational diseases, revised 1934, and also the draft convention with which the unemployment insurance law and administrative practice in the United Kingdom are in accord?

Yes. Sir.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air on what grounds No. 590137, Leading aircraftman John Clifford Kilvington, was not granted a disability pension on his discharge from the Royal Air Force on the 10th October, 1934, on account of tuberculosis after nearly five years' service; whether he is aware that there is emphatic medical opinion that his disability is the result of his service; and whether, in consequence, he can secure that this man, who is at present in a sanatorium, may be granted a disability pension?

This airman was invalided for pulmonary tuberculosis on 10th October, 1933, after 5 years 82 months' service. The medical board which invalided him advised, and the medical department of the Air Ministry confirmed, that his disability was not attributable to conditions of service, and under the regulations he was therefore ineligible for pension. If any facts can be adduced to show that this opinion was incorrect, they will be given full consideration.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can state the approximate figure that represents the capital amount of investment of the Post Office?

Approximately £158,000,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that between 1926 and 1934 the goods handled at Jaffa port increased, despite the absence of a harbour, from 167,106 tons per annum to 607,941 tons per annum, he can state the reason for the delay in providing adequate harbour facilities at this place?

I am not clear as to the reasons for suggesting that there has been delay. Work on a scheme for the development of the port has been in active progress since 1934. A considerable improvement in its facilities has already been achieved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the recommendation of Sir Felix Pole that a new passenger station for Jaffa and Tel-Aviv should be constructed forthwith, and that the population of Tel-Aviv has increased from a few hundreds to over 150,000 since the War period, he will urge the Government of Palestine to arrange for this necessary work to be carried out as soon as possible?

It is hoped to provide for the enlargement of the existing Jaffa station and the construction of a new passenger station at Tel-Aviv in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state in what Crown colonies, protectorates and mandated territories persons accused of criminal offences who might, on conviction, be sentenced to death, are refused leave to be heard by counsel, distinguishing between those in which the rule is statutory and a matter of practice, respectively; and whether, in such cases, any provision exists whereby legal advice or practical assistance of any sort is afforded under poor persons rules to defendants to assist them in preparing their defence against charges brought under Crown indictments?

The only courts in which the right referred to is refused are those in Somaliland and certain native courts in the Protectorate of Nigeria. In both cases the refusal is a matter of practice and custom. I am aware that provision is made for giving legal aid to poor persons in a number of dependencies, but I am not able to supply a complete list without further investigation which is being made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the practice of his Department to require that building materials imported into this country are marked with an indication of origin if they are imported by a builder of houses who uses these materials on houses which he subsequently sells?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given him to-day on this subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the total British exports to and imports from Soviet Russia up to the latest available date for the present year?

The total declared value of merchandise imported into the United Kingdom and registered during January and February, 1936, as consigned from the Soviet Union was £1,664,000, and of exports to the Soviet Union £1,434,000, including re-exports valued at £1,109,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that commercial agreements signed before 1st January, 1934, by the Federal Government of Brazil are to be denounced so that they will expire not later than 30th July, 1936; whether this will apply to Anglo-Brazilian agreements; and what is the reason given for this denunciation?

Yes, Sir. I am aware of the position as stated in the first part of the hon. Member's question. As regards the second part, the Brazilian Government denounced on the 31st January last the commercial agreement concluded with the United Kingdom by exchange of notes on the 11th September, 1931. The reason given by the Brazilian Government for denouncing this agreement was their desire to adapt their commercial agreements with foreign nations to the interests and necessities of Brazil in the present international situation.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the acquisition of over 90 per cent. of the capital of six of the London electricity supply companies which are authorised undertakers by the London Associated Electricity Undertaking, Limited, which has concluded an agreement with the said companies to manage them until 1911, he can state whether the compensation provisions of the Electricity (Supply) Acts, 1882 to 1935, will be applied to the officers and servants of the said companies; and, if not, whether he proposes, in order to protect the statutory rights of the officers and servants concerned, to attach conditions to any consent by the Electricity Commissioners or to introduce legislation for the purpose?

The Electricity (Supply) Acts provide machinery for deciding whether particular cases are covered by the compensation provisions, and the Electricity Commissioners have no authority to deal with this matter in any consent which may be required from them. I am informed that the company has not dismissed any staff and does not at present anticipate that any dismissals will be necessary.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state for the six months periods from 26th March, 1935, to 26th September, 1935, and 27th September, 1935, to 27th March, 1936, the number of watched lights, un-watched lights and lighted buoys that have failed during these respective periods under the administration of Trinity House, Northern Lights and Irish Lights, respectively; and the name

Authority.		Period 26th March, 1935, to 26th September, 1935.			Period 27th September, 1935, to 27th March, 1936.
		Watched Lights.	Unwatched Lights.	Lighted Buoys.	Watched Lights.	Unwatched Lights.	Lighted Buoys.
Trinity House	…	6	3	36	16	6	42
Commissioners of Northern Light-houses.		—	5	6	—	11	4
Commissioners of Irish Lights.		—	4	10	1	5	33

The names of the lights which failed more than once during the periods mentioned, and the number of failures for each of these lights are as follows:

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make repre-

I am informed by the authorities concerned that the numbers of failures for the periods mentioned are as follow:sentations to the London Passenger Transport Board to abolish all first-class coaches on the Metropolitan (East London) Line?

The London Passenger Transport Board inform me that first-class accommodation on the trains on the Board's East London Line will be discontinued on and from Monday, 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister whether, on the conclusion of all treaties with Foreign Powers, he will submit the relevant instruments to Parliament for ratification?

As I stated in this House on 23rd July last, it is the practice of His Majesty's Government, in order to provide opportunity for Parliamentary consideration in ordinary cases, to lay treaty engagements for 21 Parliamentary days before ratification by His Majesty in all cases when the continuance of the Parliamentary session makes this course practicable. When it does not, or when considerations of urgency require ratification without this preliminary, action would be taken accordingly and Parliament would be notified as soon as may be afterwards.