asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what arrangements he proposes to ensure that, in the absence on leave of a principal assistant secretary, the director of women establishments, an assistant secretary, and a principal clerk of the establishments division of the Treasury the work of the division shall still be enabled to proceed?

The hon. Member may rest assured that arrangements for leave are made with due regard to the efficient administration of Treasury business.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what arrangements he proposes to make to ensure that in the absence on leave of a principal assistant secretary, the director of women establishments, assistant secretary, and a principal clerk of the establishments division of the Treasury the work of the division shall still be enabled to proceed?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to-day to the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Kelly).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, in connection with the facilities in the use of exchange premises granted to those associations with official recognition, what percentage of the members in any grade must an association represent before recognition is granted in respect of that trade?

I have been asked to reply. There is no hard and fast rule. Recognition is granted if an association possesses the necessary representative capacity to do business.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, in certain Government Departments, every "S" class clerk has at some time been interviewed for promotion and that those who have not been promoted are given an opportunity of further review for the purpose of testing their suitability for promotion twice a year; and whether he is prepared to adopt a similar practice in his Department?

It has been the practice in my Department for some years to review the qualifications of every "S" class clerk annually. The last review was held as recently as May this year and another one is due to take place in February, 1937. In these circumstances no useful purpose would be served by more frequent reviews.

asked the Minister of Pensions, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether any arrangements have yet been made with the Board of Customs and Excise to have the temporary huts removed which have been on the Customs House Quay in Lower Thames Street since the War; and whether he will see that this riverside promenade, which is the only one available in the City of London and which was used by city workers as a public right, can now be restored to its original use?

Owing to the great increase in the work of the Board of Customs and Excise, which has followed upon the introduction of the general tariff, it is not yet possible to remove the temporary buildings from the Customs House Quay. So long as these buildings remain, my Noble Friend regrets that the quay must remain closed to the public.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many recommendations have been made by the Import Duties Advisory Committee since the Import Duties Act came into force; and how many of them have recommended increases and how many decreases?

297 recommendations have been made by the Import Duties Advisory Committee (excluding recommendations relating to the licensing of individual consignments of goods). 134 of them related to the increase of duties and 97 to the reduction of duties. Others, mainly concerning drawback, involved neither increase nor decrease of duties. It will be appreciated that some recommendations have related to a number of commodities.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the action of the Latvian Foreign Exchange Control Commission in manipulating the Latvian exchange in a way which is deleterious to Anglo-Latvian trade; and what steps he proposes to take to protect British interests in this respect?

I presume my hon. and gallant Friend refers to Latvian "export currency," the rate for which is, I understand, the open market rate. The effect of requiring imports from the United Kingdom into Latvia to be paid for by export currency is being watched.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the countries the trade agreements with which are, subject to notice, due to expire on or before 31st December, 1936, and in which cases the necessary notice has been or will be given?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answers given on the 11th February to the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Holdsworth), on the 22nd June to my hon. Friend himself, and on the 14th July to the hon. Members for Oldham (Mr. Dodd) and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North (Sir N. Grattan-Doyle), of which I am sending him copies. Notice of termination has not been given in any case.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the latest date up to which this country is not free, as a result of trade agreements, to increase the duty on dairy products?

The period of notice required to terminate the foreign trade agreements which affect the United Kingdom import duties on certain dairy products is four months in the case of Denmark and in the case of the other countries six months.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the possibility of the film quota provisions being evaded in consequence of the steps being taken by certain film distributors to arrange reciprocal distribution; and whether he will take steps to prevent this?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on the 27th July to the hon. Member for White-chapel and St. George's (Mr. J. H. Hall).

asked the Minister of Labour (1) what is the number of men in South Wales and Monmouthshire in receipt of transitional payments at the age of 60, 61, 62, 63 and 64 years, separately;(2) whether he will give the number of miners in South Wales and Monmouthshire at 60, 61, 62, 63 and 64 years of age, separately, in receipt of unemployment benefit and who are permanently unemployed?

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

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in connection with the recent Ministry of Labour instruction prohibiting the use of notice boards in Employment Exchanges for the exhibition of trade union circulars, other than notices of meetings and like formal matter, he will also prohibit the use of Employment Exchange premises for meetings at which addresses and statements are made which, if printed, would be prohibited from exhibition on notice boards?

No, Sir. It is not proposed to modify the existing instructions with regard to this matter.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what is the number of miners in South Wales and Monmouthshire, 60 years of age and over, in receipt of Poor Law relief;(2) the number of miners in receipt of an old age pension over the age of 65 years in South Wales and Monmouthshire;(3) what was the number of miners on the old age pension list in South Wales and Monmouthshire who died during 1926 and each year to date?

I regret that the information desired by the hon. Member is not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions the amount of new pensions granted in each of the last five years?

The approximate annual value of new pensions granted in each of the five years ended 31st March, 1932, to 31st March, 1936, were £185,800, £106,900, £92,288, £85,921 and £85,543.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will inquire into the circumstances of a service pension for Mr. H. Chamberlain, 54, Chandos Road, Stratford, E.15, No. 27,921 G.; and whether he will explain why this man's pension has been reduced by 4s. weekly?

Mr. Chamberlain is in receipt of a Special Campaign pension. These pensions are compassionate awards, variable according to the amount of other income of the recipient and his wife. When Mr. Chamberlain's wife was awarded the old age pension of 10s. a week in May last, his Army award was necessarily reduced by 4s. a week.

asked the Minister of Pensions, as representing the First Commissioner of Works (1) if he can state, in connection with the proposals of the King George V. Memorial Fund Committee, what approximate sum will be required for the clearance of the site and the erection thereon of the proposed statue before any surplus will be available for the provision of playing fields;

My Noble Friend is advised that the Memorial Fund Committee are not yet in a position to give a definite estimate of cost for the acquisition of all the properties on the site, and for the erection of the proposed statue. The sum must necessarily be a large one, but in view of the negotiations which will take place it is obviously undesirable to mention precise figures. The committee have already given assurances that not less than half the sum contributed by the public will be available for the provision of playing fields, and there is no intention of giving the statue a prior claim on the fund. As mentioned by Lord Macmillan in a statement broadcast on behalf of the committee on 22nd July, it depends on the amount of money received whether the complete scheme at Westminster can be carried out. There is no reason to anticipate at this stage that the proportion of the money available for the purpose will be inadequate, but, should this prove to be the case, it will be possible for the committee to consider whether they will proceed with a less complete but still dignified scheme at the same place.The Committee would welcome the co-operation of the Members of this House in bringing to the notice of their constituents an appeal which seeks to honour the memory of His late Majesty, both by so signal a national memorial at Westminster, and by the provision at the same time of centres of recreation and enjoyment throughout the country.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the Civil Service Clerical Association has been waiting for nearly two months for the commencement of negotiations on the position of machine operators, etc., employed in his Department; what is the reason for this delay; and when he anticipates that negotiations will be opened?

This question has been under active consideration, but it is a matter which requires detailed examination. It is hoped that negotiations will be opened without undue delay.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many Departmental class clerks on the scale rising to £252 are stationary at the maximum of the scale; 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 ten years and over?

As was stated in a reply to a similar question from the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Guy) on 11th December, 1935, no statistics of the kind required by the hon. Member are available and to prepare them would involve time and labour incommensurate with the value of the information. It is possible, however, that, in the course of the next few months, an analysis of the salaries of the Departmental Clerical Class, that may to some extent cover the information required, may be undertaken for official purposes, and I will let the hon. Member have any such information as may then be available.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give particulars of what arrangements are made in order that men of Territorial units, who may be in camp during the time a general election is held, can be registered as absent voters for the constituency in which they are on the voting register?

The normal procedure provides that members of the Territorial Army who are registered as parliamentary electors, and are absent at annual camp at the time of a general election, may either record their votes as absent voters, or obtain leave and vote in person. Those who wish to vote as absent voters are required to send in their applications on an appropriate form to the registration officer, and under this procedure they receive their ballot papers in camp and post them to the returning officer in the usual way. Complete instructions on the matter are issued to all units, and particular attention is drawn to the arrangements by means of posters displayed in drill halls.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that it is admitted that Rule of Procedure 21 (B) is still operative and that Lieut.-Colonel H. R. Sandford was dismissed the service by the finding of a general court martial, which included three officers junior in rank to himself; and, if so, will he take the necessary steps to have this sentence quashed?

I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend on this question on 19th May last.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the total value of the orders placed in the Special Area of West Cumberland during the 12 months ended June, 1936?

The records of contracts and sub-contracts for the period in question are not in such a form as to enable the desired information to be readily available, and I regret that it would not be possible to obtain it without a disproportionate expenditure of time and of labour. Arrangements are, however, being made for such information to be available as regards future contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his Department will welcome the enrolment in the national defence companies of the Territorial Army, either in the constituencies or elsewhere of those Members of the House between the ages of 45 and 60 who have had war service?

Certainly, Sir.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence whether, in view of the decision to move certain factories of strategical importance to situations remote from the London area, any consideration has been given to the evolution of arrangements for removing from London in the event of an emergency the essential strategical sections of the Admiralty, War Office, and Air Ministry?

Yes, Sir. It is the duty of the Committee of Imperial Defence to have plans in readiness for maintaining the machinery of Government in an emergency.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Brighton Corporation propose to build two collier ships for the transport of coal for their electricity power station; whether he is aware that such action will undermine confidence among British coastal owners who for years have been maintaining British coastal shipping under great difficulties; and whether he will take steps to discourage the proposal, particularly in view of the fact that the action of the corporation is of doubtful legality?

Yes, Sir. My right hon. Friend is informed that the Brighton Corporation propose to purchase two collier ships for the purposes of their electricity undertaking, but that the management of the ships will be delegated to a firm of shipowners. My right hon. Friend is not aware of any grounds for discouraging this proposal.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the increasing use in this country of tinned food, he will cause an authoritative inquiry to be made into the dietetic value of each particular tinned product as compared with the fresh article?

A considerable amount of research on this subject has already been carried out and more is in progress. Having regard to the results already obtained and to the claims of other branches of research, my right hon. Friend would not feel justified in initiating such a comprehensive inquiry as that suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will set up a committee of inquiry consisting of an equal number of medical and lay men, to inquire into the efficacy of the Fingard inhalation treatment for diseases of the respiratory organs, such as the common cold, bronchial catarrh, nasal catarrh, bronchitis, asthma, and tuberculosis?

No, Sir. My right hon. Friend is not aware of any sufficient reason for instituting a special inquiry into this method of treatment.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the pollution of many rivers in Kent, including both the Medway and the Len; and whether he will take action to improve the purity of the waters in question?

My right hon. Friend is aware that the condition of the Eden, which is a tributary of the Medway, has given rise to complaints. He has no other information affecting the Medway, and none affecting the Len. Draft proposals directed to remedying pollution of the Eden by replacing the existing sewage disposal works at Eden-bridge have been submitted to my right hon. Friend. The enforcement of the Rivers Pollution Prevention Act has been entrusted to the county council and the sanitary authorities, and no doubt my hon. and gallant Friend may desire to bring the information which has reached him to their attention.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can state the names of any local authorities in England and Wales who have provided community centres or buildings of a similar type on their housing estates; and whether he is prepared to give approval to applications for loans for this purpose?

Following is the answer:Community centres, public halls or similar buildings in connection with housing schemes, have been or are being built by the following local authorities:County Boroughs:

asked the Minister of Health whether it is his intention that Circular 1388 shall be interpreted by local authorities as meaning that in considering tenders for public works the lowest tendered price must always be accepted, without regard to any other factors?

No, Sir. Other things being equal, acceptance of the lowest tender is a natural corollary of the system in use. But other things are not necessarily equal, and my right hon. Friend fully recognises that regard must be paid to other criteria than tendered price. In his view it is important that the questions of efficiency and running cost, the durability of materials, freedom from the necessity for repair and attention, and suitability for the purpose in view, should be considered in addition to tendered price. Further, the technical qualifications and financial standing of the contractor are factors which should receive due weight.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been directed to the indiscriminate apportionment by local authorities according to frontage of the cost of construction of roads flanking premises of property owners whether deriving advantage or the reverse therefrom, such practice being likewise affirmed, regardless of the merits, by justices to whom an appeal under the Private Street Works Act, 1892, rests; and whether he proposes to take any and what steps to abate the injustice occasioned?

My right hon. Friend hopes as soon as practicable to introduce a Bill to amend the law of private streets. The particular matter to which my hon. Friend refers will be borne in mind in the preparation of the Bill.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can give the figures over a convenient period showing the incidence of mastitis in maternity cases; and what steps are being taken by his Department to locate the cause or causes?

I regret that the figures desired by the hon. Member are not available. When the occurrence of a series of cases of mastitis among maternity patients is reported to my Department, with a request for assistance or advice, special investigations directed to the possible causes of the outbreak are carried out by my medical officers, and recommendations are made as to the action to be taken to prevent the spread of infection, and, as far as practicable, to avoid future outbreaks.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the total number of persons drawing public assistance within the whole of the county of Lancashire on the last available date and the corresponding date for the previous year?

The number of persons in receipt of poor relief (excluding rate-aided patients in mental hospitals and persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only) in the Administrative County of Lancaster and the 17 Associated County Boroughs on Saturday, 4th July, 1936, was 240,138. The number on the corresponding day in the previous year was 248,317.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can state the death rate per million persons living aged one to five years in the year 1935 for smallpox, measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria and croup, whooping-cough, and diarrhoea and dysentery; or, if not available for 1935, then for 1934?

The figures in question are given in the following table:England and Wales, 1935.Mortality from causes shown of population over one and under five years of age.

	Rate per 1,000,000.
Smallpox	—
Measles	392
Scarlet Fever	94
Diphtheria and Croup	531
Whooping-cough	307
Diarrhoea and Dysentary	204

asked the Minister of Health how much of the salaries of the two London medical officers of health who have been appointed as vaccination officers has been apportioned in respect of their work as vaccination officers?

The amount of salary apportioned to the duties of vaccination officer is in each case £10 a year.

asked the Minister of Health the number of casuals in this country on the last available date and on the corresponding dates of the previous five years?

The number of casuals in receipt of poor relief in England and Wales on 4th July, 1936, was 7,895. The numbers on the corresponding days in the previous five years were 8,756 in 1935, 9,543 in 1934, 12,041 in 1933, 12,950 in 1932 and 9,731 in 1931.

asked the Minister of Health what was the number of miners who became eligible for old age pension for the years 1926 to date?

I regret that the information desired by the hon. Member is not available.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to amend the present situation in which chemists' dispensing fees under the National Health Insurance Act are dependent upon the funds which he has available and any deficit in the sums available has to be borne by the chemists?

The present arrangements for the payment of insurance chemists are governed by an agreement made as recently as December last with their representative body, the National Pharmaceutical Union. This agreement, which is more favourable to the chemists than the agreement previously in force, contains a provision that it is not to be terminated before the end of 1938. The question of the revision of the terms does not therefore arise at the present time.

asked the Minister of Health the number of cases brought to the notice of his Department in the last 12 months of failure on the part of employers to give effect to the law affecting payment of national health insurance contributions; and what action, if any, has been taken in such cases?

There is a regular system of inspection by the Department's inspectors to ensure that employers generally are complying with the law. In addition, some cases of failure to comply with the regulations come in various other ways to the notice of my Department, in all of which investigations are made and steps taken to obtain payment of contributions. Figures of the total number of cases during the past 12 months are not available. Where circumstances make it necessary, legal proceedings are instituted against defaulting employers, and during the year 1935 there were 1,439 such prosecutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government intend to take any steps as regards the Nazi usurpations in Danzig or to protect the non-Nazi population?

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the statement on the subject of Danzig made by my right hon. Friend in the course of yesterday's Debate, to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will take steps to secure that the commission of inquiry which is investigating abuses in the collection of taxes in Kenya Colony will inquire into the discontent among Native taxpayers because certain chiefs, responsible for recommending exemptions from taxation, take bribes for doing so, and particularly into the reprisals by the Kikuyu chief Njiri against taxpayers who gave evidence against him before the commission when sitting at Fort Hall?

I have no doubt that the Commission will deal with the allegations as to the acceptance of bribes by Chiefs. I do not know whether the Commission has completed its inquiry, but I am communicating a copy of the hon. Member's question to the Governor, with the request that, if the alleged reprisals by Chief Njiri are not dealt with by the Commission, he will arrange for the matter to be specifically inquired into separately.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give the names of those chosen for the Royal Commission on Palestinian Government?

As I indicated in reply to a question last week, I hope to give this information to the House tomorrow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of Arab officials in the first division of the Palestinian public service having submitted a memorial condemning the policy of the Palestinian Government, Jewish officials will be given facilities for presenting a memorial expressing their views; and whether no more severe discipliniary action will be taken against Jewish than against Arab officials in respect of such memorials or expressions of opinion?

The question of the propriety of the presentation of a memorial by Jewish members of the Palestine Civil Service is one for the consideration of the High Commissioner. Any such memorial that the High Commissioner may see fit to forward to me will, of course, receive my careful consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any evidence of the contributions by Arab government officials to strike funds; if so, what is the amount of such contributions; and if any disciplinary action is contemplated against the officials in question?

The reply to the first part is in the negative. The other parts therefore do not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs at what age native subjects and European subjects, respectively, in Southern Rhodesia become liable for poll tax or income tax; and at what rates such taxation is levied?

Native tax at the rate of £1 per annum, with an additional tax of 10s. per annum for every wife in excess of one, is payable, subject to certain exemptions, by every adult male native. The Southern Rhodesia Native Tax Act does not define the expression "adult male native," but I understand that in South Africa a native is generally regarded as an adult when he reaches the age of 18. Income tax commencing at the rate of 6d. in the pound and rising to a maximum of 3s. in the pound is payable on the taxable amount of the income of any person irrespective of age.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether, under Section 14 (3) of the Native Registration Enactment in Southern Rhodesia, licensed concubines are specifically allowed freedom of choice; whether they can be subjected to compulsion or punishment by superintendents of locations for refusal through disinclination or ill-health to discharge their licensed functions; if so, what is the nature of the compulsion or punishment; and whether a pension system has been or will be established for these women?

The hon. Member's question is based upon a misapprehension. The main object of the particular sub-section of the Natives' Registration Act to which he refers is to enable certain native women who have formed voluntary unions and who are living with native men in the locations, to stay in the locations. Though these couples are not legally married, they have come to be regarded by the natives as man and wife. There is no element of compulsion, and no part of this question, therefore, arises.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what number of emigrants from this country was admitted into each self-governing Dominion during 1935 and for the first half-year of 1936, respectively, and the number of returning emigrants from the same during these periods; whether the subject of the migration of British subjects within the Empire will be discussed at the next Imperial Conference; and what is the present general policy thereon?

As regards the last two parts of the question, I would refer to the replies which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor (Mr. A. Somerville) and to the hon. Member for Camberwell, North (Mr. Ammon) on 23rd June.The numbers of British subjects who were recorded in the passenger lists furnished to the Board of Trade as leaving permanent residence (by which is understood residence for a year or more) in the United Kingdom to take up permanent residence in the undermentioned Dominions, and the numbers of such persons who were recorded as leaving permanent residence in those countries to take up permanent residence in the United Kingdom during the year 1935 are as follow:

—	Emigrants from the United Kingdom (British subjects only).	Immigrants into the United Kingdom (British subjects only).
British North America.	2,175	9,712
Australia	4,552	5,228
New Zealand	1,440	2,206
South Africa (Union, Southern Rhodesia, etc.).	4,994	3,752
Total 12 months, 1935.	13,161	20,898

The corresponding figures for the whole of the first half year of 1936 are not available but the figures for the first three months of this year are as follow:—

—	Emigrants from the United Kingdom (British subjects only).	Immigrants into the United Kingdom (British subjects only).
British North America.	279	961
Australia	919	990
New Zealand	254	337
South Africa (Union, Southern Rhodesia, etc).	1,228	845
Total 3 months, 1936.	2,680	3,133