asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that two Japanese destroyers have been sent to Chinese waters following the recent firing upon two Japanese ships by Chinese Customs cutters at Tsingtao and Chikou, and also of the attacks made upon Mr. A. Campbell, the British commissioner of Chinese Customs at the former place; and what steps are being taken to ensure the protection of the Customs service in this connection?

His Majesty's Government have received no information to confirm the Press reports of attacks upon the Commissioner of Customs at Tsingtao, though I understand that a Japanese mob unsuccessfully attacked the local Customs house on the night of 26th June. I understand that a Japanese ship of war is at present cruising off Tangku, but I have no knowledge of the reasons for its presence.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will seek the co-operation of the Government of the United, States of America in a combined effort to assist the Chinese Government to capture vessels engaged in smuggling goods into North China?

His Majesty's Government have been in touch with the United States Government in regard to the general problem of smuggling in North China?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information as to the nature of the representations made by the Government of the United States of America to the Japanese Government on the question of smuggling into North China and of the reply of the Japanese Government thereto?

I understand that the representations made by the United States Government were on similar lines to those made by His Majesty's Government; and that the reply returned was also similar to that received by His Majesty's Ambassador on 4th May, and outlined in the answer given on 20th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury (Mr. Chorlton) and the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Parker).

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any unit of His Majesty's China squadron is at present stationed in the Gulf of Pe-chi-li?

No, Sir, but several units of the China Fleet are at present at Wei-hai-wei in the vicinity of the Gulf of Pe-chi-li.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is proposed to allow any mining rights, hunting licences, or timber concessions to any private persons in the King George V National Park in Malaya?

Draft legislation in regard to the National Park is now under preparation in the three States concerned. I am not aware what provision is being made on the particular points raised in the question, but I will ask the High Commissioner for the Malay States for a report.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what restrictions operate against Dominion primary products entering the United Kingdom?

No quantitative restrictions are placed by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom on the admission of primary products from the Dominions, with which agreements were made at the Ottawa Conference, but voluntary arrangements have from time to time been made for a limitation of the total quantities of beef and veal, mutton and lamb, and frozen pork which are exported to the United Kingdom by the oversea Dominions principally concerned. In the case of the Irish Free State special restrictions apply.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that since it was announced that Russia had agreed to take steps to rectify the great differences between exports and re-exports from this country to Russia the position has become aggravated; what steps does he propose to take in the matter; and was it agreed when the Anglo-Russian agreement was made that re-exports would bulk so large in the total exports from this country?

I am aware of the recent increase in re-exports to Russia and the consequently increased disproportion between United Kingdom re-exports and exports to that country, and I can assure my hon. Friend that the question of correcting this unsatisfactory tendency is under review. As regards the last part of the question, the Temporary Commercial Agreement with the Soviet Government provided that payments of the U.S.S.R. in the United Kingdom should bear certain proportions to the proceeds of the U.S.S.R. in the United Kingdom and that in determining these proportions re-exports should be taken into account.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the total amount of British capital invested in Argentina, Brazil, and other South American countries, respectively, and the latest information as to the dividends paid on these investments?

I understand that Sir Robert Kindersley is engaged on a detailed investigation of the geographical distribution of British capital investments overseas, and that he hopes to publish the results later in the year. Pending the final results of this investigation, it is estimated that the nominal value of British investments in Brazil in 1935 was approximately £190 million, and in other South American countries, except the Argentine, £160 million, and that the dividends and interest remitted on these investments during that year amounted to approximately £3½ million and £3½ million, respectively. As regards the Argentine, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for Wycombe (Sir A. Knox) on 12th May.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what is the present approximate weekly number of passengers being carried by British air-transport companies on internal air routes; and how this number compares with the June average during each of the past three years?

As the Air Ministry is at present dependent upon statistics supplied voluntarily by operating companies, and complete statistics are not available, I am not in a position to supply the information desired by my how Friend. All I can say is that the total number of passengers by internal air routes for the complete years 1933, 1934 and 1935, in so far as the figures have been notified to the Department, were 22,000, 72,700 and 111,700 respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the addiditions to the gold reserve of the Bank of England since our departure from the gold standard are valued at the value of gold prior to that date or at the current market value of gold in terms of sterling?

Under Section 25 of the Finance Act, 1932, gold purchased by the Issue Department of the Bank of England is carried at the fixed value of 77s. 10½d. per standard ounce, the difference between the market price and the fixed value being adjusted in the Exchange Equalisation Account.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what privileges, if any, are given petrol and/or its derivatives when produced or refined within the British Empire?

I assume that my hon. Friend has the Customs tariff in mind. There is no preferential rate of duty for hydrocarbon oils produced or refined in the British Empire.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether it is still the policy of the Government to grant preference wherever possible to ex-service men in connection with all temporary posts in the Civil Service?

The policy of His Majesty's Government in this matter remains unchanged.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many civil servants, approximately, are members of the Territorial Army?

I regret that information on this matter is not available.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has received a report in connection with the collapse of the scaffolding at the Guildhall, London; whether he can state the number of persons injured; and whether the scaffolding was faulty in erection?

I understand that this accident, which occurred last Friday, had no connection with building operations and that no collapse of scaffolding was involved. A workman standing on a portico in connection with the erection of a canvas awning at one of the entrances to the Guildhall rested his hand on a piece of the ornamental stonework which gave way and fell with him to the ground. No other person was injured.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has received a report in connection with the scenic railway accident at the Kursaal, Southend-on-Sea; and whether he can state the number of persons injured and the cause of the accident?

A report has been obtained from the chief constable. A breakage in the friction rail of the track, on which three cars were running at intervals, caused the rail to foul the friction rail of one of the cars, thus bringing it to a standstill. Whilst stationary, this car was run into by the car following it. Seven persons, all of whom were in the overtaking car—the passengers in the stationary car having alighted—were injured. Six of these were able to leave after treatment on the spot.

asked the Home Secretary what was the average number of illegitimate births per 1,000 of the population for England, Wales, and Scotland during the decades, respectively, 1905, 1915, 1925, and 1935?

I have been asked to reply. I regret that information is not available in the form desired, and would refer the hon. Member to Tables C and E in Part II of the Registrar-General's Annual Statistical Reviews. For the Scottish figures I have to refer him to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

asked the Minister of Health whether any local authorities, and, if so, how many, delegate part of their maternity and child-welfare duties under Section 101 of the Local Government Act to voluntary associations; and whether any, or all, of such authorities provide for contributions to voluntary associations undertaking these duties?

Section 101 of the Local Government Act, 1929, does not provide for any delegation of duties but requires the council of every county (except London) and every county borough and, in certain circumstances, other local authorities who have established maternity and child welfare committees, to prepare and submit to the Minister for his approval, before the beginning of each fixed grant period wider the Act, a scheme for securing the payment by the council of annual contributions towards the expenses of voluntary associations providing maternity and child welfare services in or for the benefit of their area. Such schemes are at present in operation in the case of 61 county councils, 68 county borough councils and 34 other local authorities who have established maternity and child welfare committees. As regards the County of London, Section 101 provides for a similar scheme to be made by the Minister after consultation with the local authorities concerned. The scheme at present in operation provides for contributions to be made to certain voluntary associations by the London County Council and to certain other voluntary associations by 25 metropolitan borough councils.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will intervene to prevent the development of the site in Poynders Road, Clapham Park, in the manner now proposed by the London County Council, by the erection of blocks of flats, in view of the fact that the site was primarily scheduled in their Town Planning Scheme No. 7 for building houses with a limit of six houses to the acre, and that the county council themselves refused permission to build flats on the opposite side of Poynders Road, which refusal was confirmed by the Ministry on appeal?

I am aware that the London County Council are proposing to erect a block of flats in Poynders Road, Clapham Park and, as I understand the land is being acquired by agreement, my approval is not required. A preliminary statement of proposals for a planning scheme was approved in 1931, but no scheme has yet been submitted to me, and the final scheduling of the area has still to be determined. I have no jurisdiction to intervene in respect of proposals for development which are approved by the County Council as the Interim Development Authority.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that approximately half the money expended by the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire County Councils is derived from Government grants, he will, in the interests of the general taxpayer, cause an inquiry to be made as to whether this public money is being effectively and wisely spent?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answers which I have already given him on this subject.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will reconsider the question of narrowing certain roads in the island of Lewis to 10 feet, and, instead of narrowing them, widen them in view of the increasing traffic on those roads?

The position is that the Government is making a free grant of 100 per cent. to provide a metalled carriageway of 10 feet and passing places 16 feet wide to bring the roads in the Island of Lewis up to the necessary traffic requirements.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give the estimated number of working days lost owing to unemployment by persons registered at Employment Exchanges in Great Britain for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date, and comparable figures for the previous corresponding 12 months?

it is estimated that the total number of working days lost, owing to unemployment, by insured persons, aged 16 to 64 years, recorded as unemployed in Great Britain was approximately 570 million during the 12 months ended May, 1936, and 635 million during the 12 months ended May, 1935, out of a total possible working time, for the whole insured population, aged 16 to 64 years, of roughly 3,900 million days during each of those periods.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of persons for whom work was found and the number to whom employment was offered, respectively, by the officers of the Borough (Walworth Road) Employment Exchange for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date and the number who were compelled to refuse such offers of employment?

The number of persons for whom employment was found through the Borough Employment Exchange for the 12 months ended May, 1936, was 19,785. I regret that the other details asked for by the hon. Member are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to the state of affairs at Cockenzie and Port Seton where, by a unanimous decision, the seine-net fishermen have agreed to lay up their boats since, owing to the limitations of the area allotted to them, they can no longer carry on their fishing with profit; and what steps to alleviate the situation he contemplates taking?

I am aware that the fishermen referred to have decided to cease for the time being seine-net fishing in the area mentioned. The position is that seine-net fishing is generally prohibited within the Scottish exclusive fishery limits but that small boats are permitted by by-laws to engage in seining for white fish in certain areas, including an area off the South shore of the Firth of Forth. An application for an extension of that area has been submitted to the Fishery Board for Scotland and is now under consideration by the board who have to take into account not only the interests of the particular fishermen, but also the effect on the stock of fish of any further extension in inshore waters of this method of fishing. The question will be dealt with as expeditiously as possible but I may point out that even if the Fishery Board should decide to make a by-law extending the area an opportunity would have to be given for the consideration of objections in accordance with the statutory procedure before any by-law could be confirmed by me and brought into operation.

asked the Minister of Pensions, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he will agree to exhibit in the Tea Room for the benefit of Members plans of the proposed Tyne-Solway Canal?

I have made inquiries and I find that there are no plans for such a canal which are suitable to be placed in the Tea Room.