asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of convictions for trespassing on land in Scotland for 1934 and 1935, respectively?

Trespassing on land does not by itself constitute an offence according to the law of Scotland. There are numerous offences, both at Common Law and under various statutes, which are associated with Trespass on land, and if the hon. Member will communicate with me indicating the type or types of offence he has in mind, I shall endeavour to procure the desired information.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the numbers of half-apartment and one-apartment houses in Glasgow?

The report on overcrowding recently prepared by the Corporation shows that there are 34,947 houses of one apartment in the city, and that at the time of the survey 23 single apartments were each occupied by two families.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now able to make any report regarding the young lad who was convicted and sentenced in the recent art galleries case in Glasgow?

I called for a medical report in this case which shows that there is no evidence of mental disorder, and that the prisoner's physical condition is sound. Since his admission to prison his weight has increased.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can furnish an estimate of the increased revenue which could be obtained by raising the general ad valorem duty imposed under the Import Duties Act from 10 per cent. to 15 per cent.?

I regret that I am unable to furnish the estimate which my hon. Friend desires.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give information as to the orders placed during the last three months with Continental manufacturers for large quantities of rivets to be used in the construction of a number of vessels building or about to be built for British owners under the Government scrap-and-build scheme; if he is aware that two of the seven rivet works on the North-East Coast are closed down; and will he take action to prevent this state of affairs?

With regard to the first part of the question, I have no official information. As regards the second and third parts, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North (Sir N. Grattan-Doyle) on 23rd April.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he will provide that in future all ships laid down under the scrap-and-build scheme must be built wholly of British materials by British workmen in British works; (2) whether he will insist that the specifications for ships enjoying benefits from the scrap-and-build scheme will require in future the use of only British material and British craftsmanship?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North (Sir N. Grattan-Doyle) on 23rd April.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the use of public money to finance the scrap-and-build scheme, he will consider making amendments to it to provide that all ships laid down thereunder must be built wholly of British materials by British workmen in British works; whether he will state what will be the added difference in price if British rivets are used in the construction of a 9,000-ton ship; and whether he will give any reasons why restrictive conditions on the importation of foreign rivets would tend to defeat the objects of this scheme?

As regards the first part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North (Sir N. Grattan-Doyle) on 23rd April. I have no official information with regard to the second part. As regards the third part, I can see no justification for treating rivets differently from other materials used in building ships.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the unfavourable trade balance between this country and Denmark has been reduced as the result of the operation of the trade agreement between that country and Great Britain; and what has been the amount of such adverse balance for each of the past five years?

The Commercial Agreement with Denmark came into force on 20th June, 1933, and comparisons for the full three-year period of its validity cannot therefore yet be made. United Kingdom statistics indicate, however, that in the five-year period, to which my hon. Friend refers, the adverse balance of trade between the United Kingdom and Denmark was reduced from approximately £37.5 million in 1931 to approximately £17.5 million in 1935.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state, according to the latest trade returns of the Soviet Union, the three countries to which exports from Russia were greatest in value for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date, and the countries during the same period from which imports were of the greatest value?

During the year 1935, the three largest export markets of the Soviet Union were the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States; the three principal countries from which she derived her imports were the same, but in the following order, United Kingdom, United States, Germany.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in future, he will allow units to hire transport for tactical exercises, etc., privately instead of through the Royal Army Service Corps, owing to the waste of money which the latter method entails?

Perhaps my hon. and gallant Friend would give details of any particular case he has in mind, so that I may identify it and investigate his allegations.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the recommendation by various chief constables that the police should take finger-prints of juvenile offenders; and what is the view of his Department on the subject?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 2nd April to the hon. Member for Newton (Sir R. Young).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of persons in receipt of non-contributory old age pensions, the number in receipt of the full pension and the reduced amounts, respectively, as determined by their personal means?

The numbers of non-contributory old age pensions, including blind pensions, payable at the various rates on the last Friday in March, 1936, were as follow:

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many men and women, approximately, are entitled to dental benefit at the rate of 50 per cent., more than 50 per cent., less than 100 per cent., and 100 per cent. of the cost of treatment, respectively; and how many men and women so entitled in each category actually received treatment during 1934; (2) whether he is aware that the amount spent on dental benefit under the National Health Insurance Acts has fallen steadily from £2,425,000 in 1930 to £1,791,000 in 1934, whereas the sum of £2,437,000 was available in that year for dental benefit; and whether, in view of the need for an extension of dental benefit to all insured persons, he will initiate special inquiry into the position; (3) whether he is aware that, out of an insured population of 12,000,000 men and 6,000,000 women, only 9,000,000 men and 2,000,000 women are at present entitled to dental benefit, and of the 11,000,000 persons thus eligible only 700,000 received treatment of any kind during 1934; and whether, in view of this evidence that the dental benefit scheme is not meeting the needs of insured persons, he will initiate a special inquiry into the position?

The figures given by my hon. and gallant Friend are approximately correct. As he is aware, however, dental benefit can be provided under the National Health Insurance Act only by an approved society which has a disposable surplus on valuation and which elects to include it in its scheme of additional benefits. It is estimated that about two-thirds of the insured persons entitled to dental benefit are covered by schemes which provide for the payment of 50 per cent. of the cost of treatment. The proportion of the total entitled to receive the full cost of dental treatment is very small. No particulars are available as to the numbers of men and women in the various categories referred to, and to obtain this information it would be necessary to ask for a return from each of the 5,000 societies and branches which provide the benefit. The Royal Commission on National Health Insurance in 1926 reported that the provision of dental benefit as a statutory benefit available to all insured persons could be met only by an increase in the contributions, and nothing has since arisen to alter that conclusion. I am not therefore prepared to institute a special inquiry as suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Minister of Health the number of maternal deaths that occurred in all institutions, including nursing homes, for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; and whether he has any separate figures for the borough of Southwark?

The latest available figures, namely, those for the year 1934, are as follow:

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give further consideration to the recommendation that Dovedale, Derbyshire, be preserved for the nation; and will he consider meeting a deputation representing the local authorities in the area in question who are anxious to make certain recommendations?

On both sides of the River Dove planning schemes under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1932, are being prepared, one of the objects of which is the preservation of Dovedale and other beauty spots. Pending the submission of these schemes for my approval action on my part in the sense suggested would be premature. If a statement in writing of the recommendations which it is desired to make is submitted to me, I shall be glad to consider them and if necessary to arrange for a deputation to be heard.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will call the attention of local authorities to the desirability of issuing stock for refunding purposes, wherever it is possible, in view of the cheapness of money?

A number of local authorities have adopted the course suggested by my hon. Friend and I have no reason to suppose that local authorities generally are not fully alive to the situation.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of schools still On the black list, giving the numbers that are in Divisions A, B and C of the list?

The number of public elementary schools still on the Board's list of schools with defective premises is 1,076, of which 175 are in category A, 710 in category B, and 191 in category C.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that the Hull Corporation and other public bodies agreed to pay a higher price for coal conditionally upon the increase going en-

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, the coalowners gave assurances that the whole of the voluntary increases in prices would be passed on to the mine workers.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can give the figures of unemployment in the boot and shoe industry for the whole country and for the city of Leicester, respectively, for each of the 12 months ended 25th March, 1936, or the latest convenient date?

The table below shows the numbers of insured persons in the boot, shoe, etc., industry, recorded as unemployed (a) in Great Britain and (b) at Leicester, at one date in each month since March, 1935. The figures cover boot, shoe, slipper and clog manufacture and repairing. Separate statistics are not available for boot and shoe manufacture.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of persons registered for employment in the hosiery and underwear trades who were, respectively, wholly and partially unemployed at the end of March, 1936, and the corresponding figures for each of the last three years at similar dates?

The following table shows the numbers of insured persons in

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in connection with the increased duty on imported foreign lager beer, any undertaking is to be obtained from the brewers

I do not consider that any further undertaking is necessary in this connection.