asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the imports of eggs in shell from Yugoslavia into the United Kingdom in the first quarter of 1935 and the first quarter of 1936, respectively?

The total quantity of eggs in shell imported into the United Kingdom and registered during the three months ended March, 1936, as consigned from Yugoslavia was 71,592 great hundreds, the corresponding figure for last year being 2,400 great hundreds.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a duty of 25 per cent, is being imposed on cotton bags from France made of cotton resembling leather, the duty on cotton manufactured goods being only 20 per cent. ad valorem; and if he

, pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 29th May, 1936, col. 2385, Vol. 312) supplied the following statement:will state what is the reason for the difference in duty on these two commodities?

Yes, Sir. In their first report, made in April, 1932, the Import Duties Advisory Committee recommended, among other things, that the total duty on manufactures of cotton in general should be 20 per cent. ad valorem, but that the total duty on trunks, bags, wallets, pouches and other receptacles, made wholly or partly of leather or material resembling leather, should be 25 per cent.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give the respective trade balances between this country and Russia for the period from 1st January to the most recent convenient date?

The total declared value of merchandise imported into the United Kingdom and registered during the period January to April, 1936, as consigned from the Soviet, Union was £3,197,000, and of exports to the Soviet Union £4,650,000, including re-exports valued at £3,573,000. Total exports thus exceeded imports by £1,453,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will consider, with a view to removing certain hardships, the introduction of amending legislation to the Old Age Pensions Acts so as to provide for an appreciable increase in the maximum allowance of earned and unearned income of £49 17s. 6d. in the assessment of the amount of pension to be paid to a claimant or pensioner, and to remove, owing to the present cheapness of money, the anomaly in the calculation of the means of the claimants under Section 4 whereby the yearly value of capital value of property is taken as high as 5 per cent. in respect of the first £400 and 10 per cent. in excess of this sum?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on the 14th May to the hon. Members for Leyton, West (Mr. Sorensen) and Sedge-field (Mr. Leslie).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether remission of Death Duties is allowed in the case of Goverment servants killed when flying in the course of duty?

No, Sir.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the total amount of State assistance given by means of subsidies and grants to the agricultural industry in Great Britain, in the last financial year for which full figures are available?

The final figures of payments from the Exchequer to the agricultural industry by means of subsidies and grants during the financial year 1935–36 are not yet available. In 1934–35, however, the total amount paid to the industry was £7,923,448 and in addition deficiency payments amounting to £6,813,830 were made under the Wheat Act, 1932, in respect of the cereal year ended 31st July, 1935. The corresponding figures for 1935–36 are estimated to be approximately £8,197,000 and £5,850,000 respectively.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the number of milk depots in England and Wales now owned by the Milk Marketing Board; and what is the average number of gallons handled per month at these depots?

I am informed by the Milk Marketing Board that they have five factories in operation in England and Wales for the manufacture of milk products and that the total average monthly quantity of milk handled is approximately one million gallons. In addition, they have three other factories which are not at present in operation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether there has been an increase in the rentals received for arable farms in England since the Wheat Act was passed and, if so, what the average increase per acre has been; and if it has been greater in the Eastern counties than in the rest of the country?

I regret that the information desired is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has considered the resolution passed by the Howden, Yorks, branch of the National Farmers' Union, asking that the Government shall, through local Employment Exchanges, forbid the employment of agricultural labourers on public works, because of the higher wages paid on such works; and what is the attitude of his Department on the issue stated?

My attention has not previously been called to the resolution to which the hon. Member refers. While I think it is undesirable to encourage the withdrawal to temporary work of men who are normally employed permanently in agriculture, I should not be prepared to ask my right hon. Friend to adopt the procedure referred to in the question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the nature of the research work begun in the United States, and continued in this country, on the dog permitted to be quarantined at the Royal Maternity and Women's Hospital, Glasgow, during the past year; by whom such research work was conducted; the time of its duration; and whether any pain or suffering was caused to the dog thereby?

I have been asked to reply. I find that no experiment has been made on the dog since its arrival in the United Kingdom, and, as the hon. Member is aware, I have no jurisdiction as regards experiments performed outside the United Kingdom.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will state the amount of grant paid from the Road Fund in respect of the provision and maintenance of motor vehicles used by the mobile police for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; and whether the personnel required has necessitated additions to the establishment of the forces?

The amount paid to police forces in England and Wales in 1935, based upon the motor patrol mileage ran in 1934, was £133,173. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the Home Secretary how many prison officers of the superior and subordinate ranks have been refused permission to engage or re-engage for service in the Territorial Army; if he is aware that some of the officers are willing to sacrifice their annual holidays for their yearly training as they have done previously; does the refusal to engage or re-engage apply to officers who are willing to sacrifice holidays for their annual training; and whether the Regulations apply to officers in, or applicants for, the Royal Fleet Reserve?

Since June, 1934, four subordinate officers have been refused permission to engage or re-engage in the Territorial Army. As has already been explained in reply to previous questions, it is not on account of the liability to annual training that it has been necessary to limit the number of prison officers with service obligations. At the present time so high a percentage of the prison staffs are reservists who are liable to recall to the colours in the event of a national emergency, that it is impracticable to allow more officers to undertake obligations which might result in their withdrawal for military duty at a time when they would be urgently needed in the prison service. Similar considerations apply to the Royal Fleet Reserve, but as a special concession 11 officers who would otherwise have suffered a serious financial loss were allowed to re-engage in 1934.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence whether he contemplates making any recommendations as to the control of the naval air service?

I am engaged in an examination of the matters mentioned in the reply which I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Epping (Mr. Churchill) on the 13th May. I am not yet in a position to make any recommendations on those matters.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence whether he has initiated any inquiry into the condition of the fishing fleet in relation to defence; and, if so, whether any general answer is yet in his hands?

No formal inquiry is considered necessary, but the value of the fishing fleet for defence purposes is well appreciated and Admiralty requirements are kept constantly under review.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has any records and can state the number of insured persons entitled to ordinary medical benefit under any of the National Health Insurance Schemes at the last convenient date; the number of insured persons entitled to additional benefit, dental, optical, or convalescent at the same date; and the amount paid by Approved Societies for dental benefit and for optical benefit, respectively, for the 12 months ended on the last convenient date?

It is estimated that at the end of 1936 there were in Great Britain 17,708,000 insured persons entitled to medical benefit. During 1935, the sum of £1,756,000 was expended in the provision of dental benefit by Approved Societies with a total membership of 11,112,000, £414,000 was expended on ophthalmic benefit by Approved Societies with a total membership of 10,646,000, and £110,000 was expended on convalescent home treatment benefit by Approved Societies with a total membership of 10,829,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs which of the principal Dominions have broadcasting stations of their own; and what is the approximate percentage of the population in each which is in possession of listening facilities?

Broadcasting organisations exist in all the Dominions. Approximate figures, based upon such official information as is available, indicating the proportion of licences for receiving sets to population, in Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa and the Irish Free State are as follow:

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will indicate the course of employment in the city of Leicester by industries, numbers, and percentages, respectively, for the months of April and May of this year?

The available figures relate to the area served by the Leicester Employment Exchange and Juvenile Employment Bureau. The following Table gives the information desired for this area:

asked the Minister of Labour the number of miners working who are 60 years of age and over?

I regret that statistics giving the information desired are not available.