asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the subsidy granted to shipowners under the Tramp Shipping Subsidy Act is confined to ships in commission or are there any instances where the subsidy is given to ships not in commission?

Tramp shipping subsidy is paid in respect of voyages made, not in respect of the ship itself. It is thus impossible for a ship while not in commission to qualify for the payment of subsidy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he proposes to consider the advisability of a revision of the Merchant Marine Shipping Act, with special reference to the regulation of the storage of grain cargoes?

I will consider the question of introducing amending legislation with regard to the stowage of grain cargoes when the Merchant Shipping Acts come under general review.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the new Anglo-Swedish load-line agreement, extending the rules of the 1930 international convention to vessels of under 150 tons, is a forerunner of similar agreements with the maritime nations trading with us; and whether he can state in that case what negotiations are in hand?

The agreement referred to is one for the mutual recognition of load-line certificates granted by the two Governments to certain classes of ships which are outside the scope of the International Load-Line Convention, 1930. An Order in Council will be necessary in accordance with the provisions of Section 59 (2) of the Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load-Line Conventions) Act, 1932, to give effect to this agreement. Similar agreements have been concluded with the Governments of Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. Negotiations for similar agreements are being conducted with the Governments of Belgium, Denmark and Norway. Some of these agreements are in replacement of previous agreements made effective under the powers granted by Section 445 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, which was repealed by Part II of the Fourth Schedule to the Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load-Line Conventions) Act, 1932.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that Tom Rennison, of 11, Priory Road, Lunswood, Barnsley, was in receipt of 34s. per week dole on 27th February; that his son then began working three days a week at Woolley Colliery at a wage of 7s. 10d., of which, after paying omnibus fares, he only took home 6s. 4d.; that Rennison's dole was then reviewed and reduced to 20s. weekly for himself, his wife, and three other children; and will he make inquiries into this case?

I am informed that the Unemployment Assistance Board are making inquiries. I will communicate with the hon. Member when the result is known.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total quantity and the percentage of British, Colonial, and foreign meat issued to the military forces in the United Kingdom; and what would be the extra cost, if any, entailed to issue home-produced meat in lieu of imported?

With my hon. and gallant Friend's permission I will give figures for the Army and the Royal Air Force together, since the purchase of meat for both Services is made by my Department. During the past financial year some 30,750,000 pounds of meat were purchased for supply to the Army and the Royal Air Force at home. Approximately one-seventh of this quantity was for the Royal Air Force. Of the total, 98½ per cent. was frozen meat of Dominion origin, ½per cent. was fresh meat, and the remaining 1 per cent. was frozen meat purchased by small stations where the origin is not recorded. The extra cost, excluding administrative charges arising from storage, handling and inspection, of supplying home-killed, but not necessarily home-produced, meat in lieu of imported meat, would be approximately £350,000 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, with a view to protecting London against the possibility of aerial attack, he will consider the advisability of forming a volunteer corps to be adequately trained in searchlight practice, decontamination of the air, and anti-aircraft guns?

The ground defences of London against air attack are already in the hands of a voluntary organisation, namely, the anti-aircraft gun and searchlight units of the Territorial Army in the London area, and provided recruiting improves to an extent which will bring those units up to establishment, I do not think there will be any need for an ancillary organisation of the kind suggested by my hon. Friend. Arrangements for decontamination of streets and buildings are, I understand, already in process of being organised by local authorities under the guidance of the Air Raids Precaution Department of the Home Office.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, what instruct- tions, if any, are given to the Commissioners' rangers with regard to the killing of roe deer?

In areas where roe deer cause damage to State plantations instructions are given to control the numbers by shooting or snaring, the new swivel snare being the most humane method.