asked the President of the Board of Trade when the Rumanian Government, under the present clearing agreement, will release for discharge in full the obligations to exporters from this country; and whether he is aware that these obligations are in some cases due on account of exports of semi-raw materials purchased so long ago as the first quarter of 1934?

The Anglo-Rumanian Payments Agreements provide facilities for the payment of outstanding trade debts to the extent of not less than £400,000 during the year ending 9th June, 1937, and in addition for a further sum of approximately £300,000 to be used for that purpose. The amounts to be settled in subsequent years are to be fixed by a further agreement. The facilities available for the settlement of these debts include the purchase of sterling derived from Rumanian compensation trade exports to the United Kingdom and to other countries, and investment in Rumania. I regret that it is not possible to give an estimate of the time that may elapse before the outstanding trade debts will be settled in full. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, before concluding any new trade agreement with Norway, he will insist upon the principle of excluding Norwegian herring during the months of January and February, in the interests of winter herring fishing, from this country?

Representations on the subject of the importation of herring from Norway in the first two months of the year have been received from the Herring Industry Board and from a number of fishing towns. They will be borne in mind in connection with any negotiations which may be necessary in regard to the terms of the agreement with Norway relating to trade and commerce.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give any statistics to show what articles which are exported by Germany to this country are subsidised by the German Government; and what is the present balance of trade between this country and Germany?

I am not in a position to furnish the information requested in the first part of the question. As regards the second part of the question, the total declared value of merchandise imported into the United Kingdom and registered during the 12 months ended September, 1936, as consigned from Germany was £32,429,000 and of exports to Germany £25,429,000, including re-exports valued at £7,348,000. Imports thus exceeded total exports by £7,000,000.

asked the Home Secretary when the new Factories Bill will be in the hands of Members?

I would refer my right hon. Friend to the Prime Minister's statement in the Debate on the Address on 3rd November, to which I am unable to add anything at present.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will name the lighthouses outside Home territorial waters for whose work the Government accept responsibility and defray the cost, and those lighthouses to whose work the Government contribute in part?

The following statement gives the desired information so

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the recent report of the education committee of the Staffordshire County Council as to conditions on the hop fields in Herefordshire and Worcestershire; whether he will publish the names and addresses of the farmers mentioned in the report; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy the conditions which exist on these farms?

My right hon. Friend is in communication with the county council concerned on the matter and I may add that revised model bylaws are at present under active consideration.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the complaint that prisoners on remand awaiting trial are treated as if they were ordinary prisoners; and can he make arrangements whereby they receive more humane consideration until their guilt is established?

When persons are committed to prison on remand or while awaiting trial it is inevitable that they should be subjected to certain restrictions, but there is no foundation for the suggestion that they are treated as if they were convicted prisoners. On the contrary, they are treated under special prison rules, which are designed to secure that their detention shall be as little oppressive as is consistent with safe custody and with the due preservation of order and discipline in the prison.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give a list and the full names of those who have been convicted, remanded, or cautioned as a result of the recent disorders in the East End and any other disorders connected with Communist-Fascist activities from 4th October, inclusive?

The number of persons who have been charged with offences arising out of disorders in the East End and elsewhere in. the Metropolitan Police District from 4th October inclusive, and the manner in which they were disposed of by the courts are as follow:I do not think that any public purpose would be served by the publication of a nominal list of the individuals concerned.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons in Durham county who are in receipt of old age pensions under the Pensions Acts whose income has to be supplemented by grants from the county public assistance committee?

On the 1st January, 1936, the number of persons in the administrative county of Durham in receipt of old age pensions under the various Acts who were also in receipt of out-relief was 8,082.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is prepared to receive a deputation from the local authorities concerned in connection with the proposed Forth road-bridge?

I should not feel justified in putting local authorities to the expense and trouble of sending another deputation to discuss a matter on which His Majesty's Government have announced their decision.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can give comparative statistics showing in proportion to the population the number of road accidents, fatal and non-fatal, in this and other similar countries?

A committee of the League of Nations is, it is understood, endeavouring to secure standardisation in the recording of road accidents, in which case comparable statistics of such accidents may become available. Until then the divergencies of practice in the compilation of figures make reliable comparison impossible.

asked the Minister of Transport how many Cross-Now road signs there are in London and in the provinces; whether they are found to be satisfactory; and, if so, whether he will consider installing them on every possible electric traffic light for the benefit of pedestrians?

I cannot accurately say how many of these signs there are in London and the provinces, but I hope they will be installed by Highway Authorities wherever traffic conditions allow of a simultaneous stoppage of all lines of traffic. Paragraph 96 of the Highway Code reads as follows:

"Unless there are 'Cross Now' signals do not rely on light signals when you are crossing the road. Pay attention to the movements of traffic, and particularly of turning traffic."

asked the Minister of Transport what experiments are being made in order to discover the best surface for motor roads; and is he able to state any conclusions that have been reached up to the present time?

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of "Experimental Work on Roads, 1935—36."

asked the Secretary of State for War how many men have been promoted from the other ranks in the Army to become officers in each of the last three years; and what percentage of the total new officers they were in each of these three years?

During the last three financial years the numbers of men promoted from the ranks to become officers were 76, 92 and 117 respectively. The percentages these figures bear to the total number of new officers appointed are 13, 15.5 and 15.5.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fate of many of the higher-paid employés in industry who tall into unemployment through amalgamations, rationalisations, or other causes over which they have no control, he will take steps to bring all wage-earners or salaried individuals,- no matter how high their earnings may be, within the scope of the Unemployment Insurance Acts, with leave, if they so desire, to contribute on a higher scale so as to secure longer or higher benefits, and also permit anyone, provided he or she pay both contributions, to join up under these Acts?

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the report by the Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee on the Remuneration Limit for Insurance of Non-Manual Workers. The committee state in paragraph 31 of that report that voluntary insurance against unemployment would mean a disastrous selection of bad risks against the Unemployment Fund.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give the total number of resolutions received from all sources in South Wales during the last four months protesting against the new unemployment regulations?

During the last four months I have received 220 such resolutions from local authorities and other organisations in South Wales, including Monmouth.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of resolutions received from Conservative clubs in South Wales during the past three months protesting against the new unemployment regulations?

During the past three months two such resolutions have been received from Conservative associations and clubs in South Wales.

asked the Minister of Labour what additional offices for Ministry of Labour business are being established or are about to be established in the Isle of Wight?

A Local Agency has been established at Shorwell. Local Offices are already in existence at Cowes, Freshwater, Newport, Ryde, Sandown and Ventnor.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether arrangements have yet been completed for the compensation of British interests adversely affected by the recent institution of an oil monopoly in Manchukuo; and, if so, whether he will state the nature of these arrangements?

Discussions on this subject have, I understand, not yet terminated, and I am therefore not in a position to make a statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider introducing legislation to amend the Old Age Pensions Act of 1936 to increase the maximum allowance of earned and unearned income of £49 17s. 6d. in the assessment of the amount of pension to be paid to a claimant or pensioner, since many persons are suffering hardship by this restriction?

No, Sir. The Government cannot see their way to in troduce legislation to increase the means limit for old age pension purposes.

asked the Prime Minister what Government employés enjoy the privilege of a holiday with pay on the King's birthday, stating the grades, technical, industrial, and clerical?

I have been asked to reply. Administrative, clerical and technical staffs and associated subordinate ranks employed in Government Departments are normally allowed a holiday with pay on the day appointed to be kept in the Civil Service as His Majesty's Birthday. The manipulative staffs in the Post Office are not included in this arrangement. Industrial staffs in Government establishments (in addition to an annual leave allowance of six days) are normally allowed five public holidays with pay a year, in some establishments the king's Birthday is one of the holidays selected for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Pensions the approximate number of persons in receipt of pensions granted for disablement or death resulting from war service prior to the 4th August, 1914, and the annual value of these pensions?

The number of persons in receipt of pensions granted for disablement or death resulting from war service prior to the 4th August, 1914, is approximately 6,250, and the annual value of these pensions is about £320,000 per annum.