asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the average rate of interest charged on the debt of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, and the rate charged on sums borrowed during the last six months?

The average rate of interest payable on the debt of the Unemployment Fund for the current half year is about £3 16s. per cent, and, as from 1938, the rate will be 3⅛ per cent. No sums were borrowed during the last six months.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the statement by his divisional controller that in the heavy engineering trades people who in the North were recognised as skilled workers were not sufficiently trained to take up engineering work in the South, he can give the reasons for this inadequate training; and how it is proposed to overcome it in the future?

The statement made by the divisional controller was to the effect that men registered for skilled engineering employment and remaining unemployed are frequently found on investigation to be incapable of undertaking highly skilled work in which there are vacancies. There is nothing surprising in this position and in general my right hon. Friend regards it as the responsibility of the industry itself to make arrangements for securing a sufficient supply of skilled operatives. There are, however, a certain number of cases of men of engineering experience in areas of heavy unemployment who would probably be enabled to re-enter skilled employment if they were given what may be described as a "refresher course" in one of the Government training centres. The experiment is therefore being made of admitting a small number of such men to courses of this kind, and the progress of this experiment will be carefully watched.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that experiments have been recently performed without a licence on dogs at the London Central Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital; and whether, in view of the provisions of the Act 39 and 40 Vic, c. 77, he will say what steps are being taken in the matter?

The attention of my right hon. Friend had not previously been called to this matter. The inspector under the Act has made inquiries and reports that the animals when under complete anaesthesia were employed for the purpose of instructing medical practi- tioners in the use of the bronchoscope and otoscope. My right hon. Friend is advised that this procedure is not calculated to cause pain and does not come under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, and therefore he does not propose to take any action.