asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed persons, males and females, respectively, registered during the month of March, 1936, or the latest available date, at each of the following exchanges: Ferndale, Porth, Tonypandy and Treorchy, stating separately the number in receipt of unemployment insurance benefit and the number in receipt of unemployment assistance; and, of those in receipt of unemployment assistance, the number entitled to the full scale under the regulations, the number receiving the full scale only on account of the standstill order, and the number receiving less than the full scale?

The following table shows, for each of the Employment Exchanges in question, the total numbers of unemployed persons on the registers at 22nd June, 1936, the numbers with claims admitted for insurance benefit, and the numbers with applications authorised for unemployment allowances:—

asked the Minister of of Labour whether he will indicate the course of employment in the city of Leicester by industries, percentages and numbers, respectively, for the month of June, 1936?

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 whether he is aware that certain investigators, acting on behalf of the Unemployment Assistance Board, in pursuit of evidence of a failure on the part of claimants for assistance to disclose all available information, call upon people other than those involved and use information thus elicited to the detriment of their neighbours; and will he consider the desirability of bringing this practice to an end?

If the hon. Member will be good enough to give particulars of the incidents to which he refers I will communicate with the board.

asked the Minister of Labour having regard to the number, particularly of young persons, from the Special Areas who find employment through their own effort's or that of friends, if he will consider the advisability of modifying existing regulations which confine assistance by way of travelling expenses and/or clothing to persons suited with employment through the exchanges?

I will consider the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for War the approximate number of persons to be engaged at the Government works at Bridgend; and whether special consideration has been given to the employment of local labour?

It is not possible at present to give any precise figures, but, it is not anticipated that the number of persons normally employed at the new factory will exceed a few hundreds, although considerably larger numbers will be required for its actual construction. As regards the second part of the question, one of the grounds for selecting Bridgend as a site for a factory was the provision of employment for local residents. It is contemplated that, in accordance with the usual practice, the labour which the War Department require to enrol will be obtained through the local Employment Exchange, which would give first consideration to local applicants.

asked the Secretary of State for War the nature and purpose of the structural operations which the Government is embarking upon at Bridgend?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 26th May last to a question on this subject by the hon. Member for East Woolwich (Mr. Hicks), a copy of which I am sending to him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that sections of the Egyptian Press are being used for propaganda designed to foment anti-Semitism on Moslem religious grounds, it being alleged that the Jewish national home in Palestine constitutes a danger to Moslem Holy Places; and whether, having regard to the disturbances and dangers there, he will consider the desirability of causing a declaration to be made showing that the Moslem Holy Places are fully protected by the spirit and the letter of the British mandate on Palestine and also by the Balfour declaration?

I am aware that allegations have from time to time been made suggesting that Moslem Holy Places in Palestine may be endangered by the establishment of the Jewish national home. The Balfour declaration contains the express proviso that nothing should be done which might prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine; and under Article 13 of the Mandate all responsibility is specifically assumed by the Mandatory Power in connection with the Holy Places and religious buildings or sites in Palestine, including that of preserving existing rights and of securing free access to the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites, and the free exercise of worship, while ensuring the requirements of public order and decorum. I am glad to have this opportunity of giving an assurance that His Majesty's Government have the fullest intention of fulfilling, in the spirit as well as in the letter, this solemn obligation in regard to all Holy Places Christian as well as Moslem.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that in the appeal of Mr. E. C. Bobieh Ansah, of Kumasi, in Ashanti, from the decision of the Chief Commissioner's court in Ashanti to the West African court of appeal in a criminal case begun in the Asantehene's court, the West African court of appeal disallowed the appeal on the ground that it has no jurisdiction under the Ashanti Native Courts Ordinance (No. 2) of 1935 to hear appeals in criminal cases from the native courts in Ashanti, with the result that Mr. Bobieh Ansah had no opportunity for lodging an appeal; and if he will consider amending the Ashanti Native Courts Ordinance (No. 2) of 1935 so as to provide a right of appeal in such cases?

I am aware of the facts of this case. The jurisdiction of the Native Courts in Ashanti is strictly limited under the Ordinance to which the hon. Members refers, and appeals in criminal cases lie from the Native Court to the District Commissioner's Court and thence to the Divisional Court. I do not consider it necessary to amend the Or- dinance so as to provide a right of appeal to the West African Court of Appeal.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the state of tension prevailing in the waters off Tientsin on the coast of Hopei, he will direct the admiral commanding the China squadron to cause this area to be patrolled forthwith in anticipation of the general visit of the Fleet at the end of this month?

I am not aware of any circumstances in the area in question such as would justify the special measures suggested by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the nature of the replies of the Italian Government to his representations concerning the broadcasts in Arabic from the Italian station at Bari?

In reply to representations made to them on this subject, the Italian Government indicated that they could not accept responsibility for broadcasts from Bari on the ground that this station was run by a private company; and that there was no preventive censorship of broadcasting in Italy. I understand, however, that they have enjoined greater caution in regard to the matter broadcast.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any steps have been taken to press for a reply to the British questionnaire to the German Government with regard to the peace proposals of the latter; and whether, in the event of no reply being received in the near future, steps will be taken to withdraw or revise this questionnaire?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to a question by the hon. Member for Kingswinford (Mr. A. Henderson) on Monday last.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the desirability of endeavouring to obtain powers from Parliament to secure grants to local authorities for the construction of undergrounds premises which could serve as anti-aircraft shelters in time of war, and at the same time be utilised for garages in normal times?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to a similar question by the hon. Member for Paisley (Mr. Maclay) on the 28th May last. In the circumstances there set out, the Government does not see its way to give grants to local authorities for this purpose.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will state the number of aerodromes licensed by the Government which are fitted with wireless and which have no means of communication with approaching aeroplanes, respectively?

Sixteen aerodromes licensed for public use are equipped with wireless and 42 are not. Aircraft using the latter aerodromes can, of course, obtain their position or other information by wireless from other stations.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the foggy nature of the British climate, he will take steps to see that all aerodromes are equipped with wireless?

My Noble Friend has no powers to require aerodrome owners to install wireless and the equipment of all aerodromes with aids against fog must necessarily be a matter of gradual development.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what is the average loss shown by the airports in Great Britain during each of the years 1933, 1934, and 1935?

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to aerodromes licensed for public use. Some of these are municipal aerodromes, others are in private ownership, and in neither case are accounts rendered to the Air Ministry. I regret, therefore, that I am not in a position to furnish him with the information which he requires.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many airports were opened in Great Britain during each of the years 1933, 1934, and 1935?

The number of aerodromes licensed for public use which were opened in Great Britain during the three years mentioned were 10, 9 and 8 respectively.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many airports in Great Britain are owned by municipal corporations and how many are owned by private enterprise?

Of the aerodromes in Great Britain now licensed for public use 29 are owned by municipal corporations and 25 are in private ownership. There are, in addition, three state-owned aerodromes licensed for public use.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will state the number of persons employed in his Department who are in receipt of salary and pension, apart from war or disability pension?

I regret this information could not be given without making extensive inquiries in regard to outstation employés involving the expenditure of more labour than could be justified.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the numerous cases of theft from British ships in Spanish ports following the decree of the Spanish Government that vessels in their ports must engage Spanish watchmen; and whether he will make representations with a view to the cancellation of this decree?

I have been asked to reply. The reply to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part, representations have already been made to the Spanish Government against the provisions of this decree.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether in view of recent experience, his Department is satisfied with existing types of hatch coverings; and whether he will consider the desirability of a uniform type of steel hatch covering for future tonnage?

I am advised that the existing types of hatch coverings, when in good condition, are satisfactory. While the Board of Trade examine the designs of steel hatch covers in order to decide whether covers of particular design may be used on British ships they are not prepared to insist that all hatch covers shall be of steel or that any particular type shall be used.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, for the purpose of ensuring greater safety at sea, he proposes to make angle cleats uniform in all existing vessels where cleats are in use?

This question is under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, arising out of the failure of the 50 nations of which the League is at present composed to apply economic and financial sanctions, he will consider the possibility of an invitation by the members of the League to the world to meet and consider on what principles it might be possible to establish a world chamber of commerce to develop the trade of the world, in order to try to re-establish once again peaceful trading conditions throughout the world?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on the 14th May to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton (Mr. Craven-Ellis).

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to provide that the analysis now being made by his Department of the causes of road accidents shall include inquiries as to the age of drivers responsible for such accidents?

The new investigation now being undertaken into the circumstances of all accidents involving personal injury will include details of the ages of all drivers involved in such accidents.

asked the Minister of Transport in what percentage of road accidents in the year 1935 and in the first three months of 1936 vehicles drawing trailers were involved?

Information in respect of the year 1935 is confined to fatal accidents, in which 8,730 vehicles were involved. Of these 152, or 1·74 per cent., were drawing trailers. Figures for the first three months of 1936 are not available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the congestion in the hospitals in the Rochester, Canterbury and Maidstone districts owing to motor accidents; and whether he can give any statistics as to the number of accidents which have occurred in Kent in the last month and the number of persons who, as a result, have been treated, or are being treated, in the local hospitals?

Statistics of the number of victims of road accidents who receive treatment in hospitals are not furnished to my Department.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the number of persons employed in his Department who are in receipt of salary and pension, apart from war or disability pension?

Thirty-three.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the acreage of onions in Hampshire in 1913, 1931, and 1935, separately; and the total imports of onions from abroad during each of these years?

The particulars required are given in the following statement:

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the acreage of barley in Hampshire in 1913, 1931, and 1935; and the total imports of barley from abroad during each of these years?

The particulars desired are given in the following statement:

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can make a statement as to the progress of any efforts he is making to exterminate warble fly?

The period of treatment of cattle infested with the warble fly prescribed by the Warble Fly (Dressing of Cattle) Order expires annually on 30th June. Reports are being obtained as to the action taken this year by local authorities to enforce the Order in their respective counties. Until these reports are available it will not be possible to make any statement as to the progress made.