asked the Home Secretary how many drivers prior to the passing of the recent Act who are driving on a road without a driving test have been caused to undergo a driving test, owing to their negligent driving, up to the most convenient date?

Figures are not available for the country as a whole, but I am informed that in the Metropolitan Police District since 1st June, 1935, 27 persons have, on conviction, been disqualified for holding or obtaining a driving licence until they had passed the prescribed test.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can state the present position with reference to the speed limit in both the county of Warwickshire and the city of Birmingham?

On the 17th July I announced my conclusions upon the inquiry held at Warwick on the 5th June and invited the county council to make an order giving effect to them. I have just received the inspector's report on Birmingham.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the possible difficulty in an emergency of obtaining supplies from overseas for the essential materials for the manufacture of gas masks, he will give instructions that so far as possible British materials only shall be used; and, where essential supplies are not now available in Great Britain, will he cause to be circulated among suitable British manufacturers the requirements of the War Office in this respect?

All manufactured articles used in the construction of gas masks are obtained from manufacturers in this country, and no difficulty is anticipated in obtaining those requirements in this country in an emergency.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many Departmental clerks employed in the Air Ministry on the scale rising to £252 for men are standing still at their maximum; and how many have been stationary for the following periods: one to two years, three to four years, five to seven years, eight to nine years, and 10 years and over?

The number of Departmental clerks employed under the Air Ministry on the scale rising to £252 for men who have reached their maximum salary is 98. Of this number 11 have been on their maximum for one to two years, 47 for three to four years, 18 for five to seven years, 14 for eight to nine years, and one for more than 10 years.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the average age on promotion of clerks, on the scale rising to £252 for men, in the Air Ministry promoted during the last five years to the grade above rising to £337?

The average age on promotion in the case of such clerks employed under the Air Ministry is 37 years.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will state the number of Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III departmental clerks employed in that section of his Department which is organised on the departmental class basis; and the number of "S" class clerks, clerk-typists and clerk-shorthand typists, writing assistants, temporary clerks, and other sub-clerical agents, employed in the same area?

The numbers employed under the Air Ministry in those sections which are organised on the departmental class basis are:

Department.						1931.	1932.	1933.	1934.	1935.	Total.
Admiralty	…	…	…	…	…	9	—	34	26	70	139
Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of					…	2	—	4	5	13	24
Agriculture for Scotland, Department of						5	—	—	8	13	26
Air Ministry		…	…	…	…	14	—	12	20	112	158
British Museum		…	…	…	…	—	—	—	1	—	1
British Museum (Natural History)					…	1	—	—	—	—	1
Broadmoor Asylum			…	…	…	—	—	1	1	—	2
Cabinet, Offices of			…	…	…	—	—	—	1	2	3
Civil Service Commission				…	…	1	—	—	—	2	3
Colonial Office		…	…	…	…	—	—	—	—	2	2
Commissioners of Crown Lands					…	—	—	—	1	2	3
Control, Board of			…	…	…	2	—	3	—	4	9
County Courts Branch			…	…	…	20	—	48	27	25	120
Customs and Excise Department					…	—	—	112	99	244	455
Ecclesiastical Commission				…	…	2	—	—	—	—	2
Education, Board of			…	…	…	—	—	11	9	17	37
Exchequer and Audit Department					…	—	—	1	—	4	5
Exchequer Office, Scotland				…	…	1	—	—	—	1	2
Export Credits Guarantee Department						—	—	—	—	6	6
Fishery Board for Scotland				…	…	—	—	1	1	—	2
Foreign Office		…	…	…	…	2	—	2	1	9	14
Friendly Societies Registry				…	…	1	—	—	—	—	1
H.M. General Register House, Edinburgh						—	—	—	5	3	8
General Register Office, England					…	1	—	—	—	3	4
Government Actuary's Department					…	—	—	—	2	—	2
Government Laboratory			…	…	…	—	—	2	—	2	4
Health, Ministry of			…	…	…	—	—	—	16	42	58
Health for Scotland, Department of					…	3	—	—	4	5	12
Home Office		…	…	…	…	—	—	—	2	16	18
Import Duties Advisory Committee					…	—	—	—	1	2	3
India Office		…	…	…	…	—	—	5	—	5	10
Inland Revenue Department				…	…	193	—	175	79	232	679
Labour, Ministry of			…	…	…	13	—	106	88	232	439
Land Registry		…	…	…	…	—	—	1	19	27	47
Mines Department			…	…	…	1	—	—	—	7	8
National Debt Office			…	…	…	—	—	1	—	—	1
National Insurance Audit Department					…	1	—	—	5	5	11

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what number of successful candidates were recruited from the open competition to the clerical classes of the Civil Service in each of the last five years; and what total number were posted to each Department in each of those five years?

3,059 successful candidates were assigned to the various Government Departments from the open competition for the Clerical Classes in the Civil Service during the years 1931–35 inclusive. The distribution by Departments is given in the following table:

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many departmental clerks employed by the Board of Trade, on the scale rising to £252 for men, are stationary at their maximum; and how many have been stationary for the following periods: one to two years, three to four years, five to seven years, eight to nine years, and 10 years and over?

Fifty-one departmental clerks employed by the Board of Trade, on the scale rising to £252 for men, are now at their maximum. Of these 15 have been stationary for one to two years, three for three to four years, two for five to seven years, two for eight to nine years and one for 10 years and over. The remaining 28 have been at their maximum for less than one year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of junior clerks, second-class clerks, and first-class clerks employed in the Bankruptcy and Companies (Winding-up) Department of the Board of Trade; and the number of "S" class clerks, clerk typists, and clerk-shorthand-typists, writing assistants, temporary clerks, and other sub-clerical agents employed in the same area?

The following statement gives the information desired:

Junior Clerks	100
Second-class Clerks	38
First-class Clerks	10
Total, Junior Clerks, etc	148

"S" Class Clerks	16
Clerk-Typists	23
Clerk-Shorthand-Typists	43
Writing Assistants	—
Temporary Clerks	4
Temporary Typists and Shorthand-Typists	11
"Other sub-clerical agents" (Paper Keepers and Messengers)	29
Total, "S" Class Clerks, etc.	126

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of Grade III, Grade II and Grade I clerks in the Survey Department of the Board of Trade; and the number of S-class clerks, clerk-typists and clerk - shorthand - typists, writing assistants, temporary clerks and other sub-clerical agents employed in the same area?

The information is as follows:—

Departmental Clerks—
Grade III	3
Grade II	16
Grade I	31
"S" Class Clerks	4
"P" Class Clerk	1
Temporary Male Clerks	2
Clerk-Typists and Clerk-Shorthand-Typists	Nil
Writing Assistants	Nil
Typists and Shorthand-Typists	27
Temporary Typists and Shorthand Typists	10

asked the President of the Board of Trade the average age on promotion of clerks in the Board of Trade on the scale rising to £252 for men, to posts on the scale rising to £337 promoted during the last five years?

The average age was 38 years 5 months.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the average age on promotion to second-grade clerkships (departmental) of third-grade clerks in the Admiralty promoted during the last five years?

The average age of promotion to second grade clerkships of third grade clerks in the Admiralty during the last five years was 42½ years.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has considered the terms of reference sent from the Civil Service Clerical Association in regard to the pay of departmental clerks employed in his Department; and whether he will see that there is no delay in the remission of these terms of reference to the Minister of Labour for adjudication by the industrial court?

Draft terms of reference to the Industrial Court have been received from the Civil Service Clerical Association concerning the pay of Third Grade Clerks and are at present under consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the number of Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III departmental clerks employed in that section of his Department which is organised on the Departmental class basis; and the number of S-class clerks, clerk-typists and clerk-shorthand-typists, writing assistants, temporary clerks, and other sub-clerical agents employed in the same area?

The numbers are as follow:

First Grade Clerks	131
Second Grade Clerks	331
Third Grade Clerks	1,030
"S" Class Clerks, etc,	588

The above figures do not include locally entered staffs abroad.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can give the average daily strength of the police forces in England and Wales during the 12 months ended to the last convenient date, giving separate figures for the Metropolitan Police Area?

For the year to 29th September, 1935, the average daily strength of the Metropolitan Police Force was 19,186 and of the remaining forces in England and Wales 38,129.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider amending the De-rating Act, 1928, so as to give to cold storage plants the benefit of the rating relief granted by the Act, from which they are at present excluded?

The limits of derating, which carried with it a consequential liability on the Exchequer for grants to local authorities in lieu of rates, were decided on and after a very full consideration of the matter in all its aspects and my right hon. Friend can hold out no hope of amending legislation.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can give the returns of the infantile mortality rates in the rural, urban, borough, and city council administrative areas for the last five years, respectively; and also the respective percentages which die at birth, and up to one, two and three years of age?

I will send the hon. Member a reference to the volumes in which the tables giving the available information can be found.

asked the Minister of Health whether the regulations regarding vaccination which formerly applied to children in homes controlled by boards of guardians whereby, in the case of children whose parents were still living permission to vaccinate was obtained before that operation was performed, are being still applied in homes under the control of public assistance committees?

The rules referred to apply to institutions controlled by public assistance authorities in the same way as they formerly applied to institutions controlled by boards of guardians.

asked the Minister of Health the number of women doctors now employed as regional medical officers for national health insurance, and also by whom the regional medical officers are appointed and paid?

At present two of the doctors employed in the work of the regional medical staff are women. Regional medical officers are appointed by me and their emoluments are borne on the Ministry of Health Vote, but the bulk of the cost is recovered from the approved societies as an appropriation-in-aid.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what was the total production of ironstone, in tons, at Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, for the years 1914, 1924, 1934, and 1935, and the number of men employed in the respective years mentioned;(2) whether he will give the figures of the output of pig-iron at Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, for the years 1914, 1924, 1934, and 1935, respectively, and the number of men employed in its production for 1914, 1924, 1934, and 1935;(3) whether he will give the figures of the output of steel at Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, for the years 1914, 1924, 1934, and 1935, respectively; and the number of men employed in its production for the years 1914, 1924, 1934, and 1935?

The output of ironstone and the number of persons employed in its production in North Lincolnshire in the years specified were as follow:

Year.	Tons.	Persons. employed.
1914	2,083,616	1,273
1924	2,313,938	690
1934	2,472,514	526
1935	2,435,745	519

According to information published by the British Iron and Steel Federation, the following quantities of pig-iron and of steel ingots, and castings were produced in Lincolnshire in the undermentioned years:

Year.	Pig-iron.	Steel ingots and castings.
	Tons.	Tons.
1914	381,500	259,200
1924	656,700	466,100
1934	850,300	958,800
1935	861,900	1,085,500

I regret that particulars of employment are not available, nor can particulars be furnished for Scunthorpe alone.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the report of the committee on fixed trusts will be published?

I understand that the committee hope to present their report before the House rises. It will be published as soon as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether United Kingdom imports into Chile still enjoy most-favoured-nation treatment as a consequence of the Franco-Chilean Commercial Agreement of January, 1936?

By an exchange of notes dated 15th October, 1931, imports from the United Kingdom into Chile were accorded most-favoured-nation treatment for so long as the modus vivendi concluded between France and Chile in May, 1931, remained in force. A new treaty, recently negotiated between France and Chile, entered provisionally into force on 8th February, 1936, but has not yet been ratified. In the meantime, United Kingdom imports into Chile continue to receive most-favoured-nation treatment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the share of Great Britain's exports of the world's aggregate exports for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date, and to give comparable figures or percentages for the year 1913?

According to statistics compiled by the League of Nations, the United Kingdom's share of the export trade of the world was 13.9 per cent. in 1913 and 10.8 per cent. in 1935. These figures are however, not strictly comparable for the following reasons:

(1) The creation of the Irish Free State has resulted in a change in the statistical area covered by the term "United Kingdom."

(2) The creation of new States since the War has resulted in certain trade formerly internal being now recorded as foreign trade, thus making an apparent increase in the world total.

(3) The League of Nations total for 1913 did not include the trade of the Netherlands, since that country's ex port statistics then included a large un defined proportion of transit trade.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take to secure that the report of the departmental committee in favour of the Government securing power at the Brussels International Convention to promote legislation for the control of fee collecting societies, such as the Performing Rights Society, shall be implemented; and whether he will make representations that the postponed conference should be held in the early part of 1937, or whether, in view of the uncontrolled taxing rights of this society, he will give notice that from a fixed date the British Government reserves the right to promote legislation to control or regulate the demands of such societies?

A proposal for the amendment of Article 11 of the Rome Copyright Convention, 1928, as recommended in paragraph 117 of the Report of the Departmental Committee on International Copyright, has been placed on the Agenda for the Brussells Conference of the Berne Copyright Union in the name of this country. Having regard to the opinion expressed by the Departmental Committee in paragraph 119 of their report, I see no necessity at the present time to take the further action suggested in the second and third parts of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs how much money has been paid from the British Treasury in interest to bondholders of Newfoundland stock since the establishment of the Government by commission; and whether any effort has been made by the commission to convert the stock to lower interest-bearing securities?

The payment of interest on Newfoundland Government Securities is of course made by the Newfoundland Government itself. Since the establishment of the Commission of Government in February, 1934, an annual grant has been made to the Newfoundland Government from the United Kingdom Exchequer in aid of the general expenses of administration including the service of the public debt. The total amount issued by way of grant-in-aid since that date is approximately £1,055,000. The debt charges of the Newfoundland Government during the same period amounted to approximately £1,800,000. As regards the second part of the question, almost the entire public debt was converted in 1934, under the arrangements authorised by the Newfoundland Act, 1933, into a new sterling stock guaranteed by the United Kingdom and bearing interest at 3 per cent., with a resulting reduction in interest charges of about £400,000 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is prepared to take immediate steps towards the reinstatement of the degraded rector of Lenzie Academy?

Under the provisions of Section 55 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1872, the right and duty to appoint the teachers in public schools is vested solely in the education authority. Accordingly it would not be competent for me to interfere with the discretion of the authority in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the potentialities of Loch Lomond and Arrochar, in Dumbartonshire, as centres of a progressive tourist industry if suitably developed by such schemes as road widening and the provision of proper water supplies; and what steps, if any, he intends taking to encourage such development by way of grant or otherwise?

I am aware of the advantages of the district referred to. As regards the second part of the question, I understand the county council are in communication with the Ministry of Transport with a view to a road improvement scheme in the neighbourhood. The Commissioner for the Special Areas has offered a grant towards a scheme for the provision of a water supply for Arrochar at a cost of £8,700, and a grant offered by the Department of Health will assist the provision of a water supply for areas at the south end of Loch Lomond.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent the milk-in-schools scheme, as adopted for certain areas in the city of Glasgow, has been taken advantage of?

The average daily number of children supplied with milk during the first 16 days of the operation of the scheme was 7,322. Excluding Sundays, the daily average was 8,033.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the total cost of the administration of the Unemployment Assistance Board for the year 1935 and the latest available date in 1936?

The total cost of administration of unemployment allowances for the calendar year 1935 and for the financial year ended 31st March, 1936, was about £4,250,000. This total is analysed in the reply of 11th February to a question by the hon. Member for Consett, of whch I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour whether an industrial worker who has a wife, but no available resources, will receive 26s. per week or 24s. under the draft Regulations; and whether the power to grant 26s. will be exercised after the expiration of 18 months from the date on which these Regulations come into force?

I would refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 45 to 47 of the Board's explanatory memorandum (Cmd 5229). Under the draft Regulations the allowance in the case mentioned by the hon. Member, if the applicant is the householder, will normally be 26s. Exceptions to this will arise only where adjustments are due on account of rent, or where such a worker lives in a rural area, or where there are special circumstances in his case. This provision is a permanent feature of the new Regulations.

asked the Minister of Pensions, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether, in view of the public interest in the recent opening out and excavations of London Wall by the Tower Hill improvement scheme, he will consider having an authoritative survey of the remaining portions not already done of this historic relic in order that there may be no further destruction of it; and also whether the wall can be taken over as an ancient monument?

The Office of Works has recently made a survey of the remains of that part of London Wall which runs across Tower Hill, and the results of an authoritative survey of the whole Wall have been recorded in the volume on Roman London published by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments in England. Suitable portions of London Wall are being considered for scheduling under the Ancient Monuments Acts, and the First Commissioner hopes that his Department will be able to assist in the preservation of part of the Wall on Tower Hill as an ancient monument.

asked the Minister of Pensions, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, (1) if, in any improvement in the arrangement for the ventilation of this Chamber and surrounding corridors, particular attention will be paid to the voting lobbies, with automatic regulation to meet the effect of the congestion arising at times of voting;(2) whether in any inquiry into the ventilation of the House, other rooms will be included, so that in all cases a fully up-to-date air-conditioned system is provided?

As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Markham) on 29th June, and to previous questions, the problem of the ventilation of the Chamber and its precincts has been under active review. I hope to make a statement on this question shortly.