asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the total number of cottages that have been reconditioned by each of the rural district councils in the county of Gloucester since the passing of the Housing (Rural Workers) Act?

In part of Gloucester shire the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts are administered by the county council. The number of cottages for which the various local authorities in the county had undertaken to grant assistance under the Acts up to the 30th September last was:

asked the Home Secretary how many foreigners are there in this country appearing with performing animals; if there is any supervision of the training of performing animals and if the promoters of animal shows are asked to give any undertaking that there is no cruelty in the training or performance of animals?

Fifty-one aliens to whom certificates of registration have been issued under the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act, 1925, are at present in this country. I would refer the hon. Member to the provisions of Section 3 of the Act which confers powers of entry and inspection of premises where animals are trained or exhibited or kept for training or exhibition, and of inspection of any performing animals thereon. As regards the last part of the question, the Act does not require the giving of undertakings. If cruelty should occur the courts have power to prohibit the registered person against whom a complaint of cruelty is lodged from training or exhibiting performing animals or to impose conditions with regard thereto.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has any information as to the hours of labour of agents employed by industrial insurance companies; and whether, when considering a shorter working week, he will bear in mind this class of wage-earner.

I am not in possession of information showing the hours of labour of these workers. I shall be glad, however, to consider any information the hon. Member may care to give me.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will state the average weekly wage paid in the coal industry in each of the last 10 years, including 1936?

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary for Mines (1) the number of persons employed in the coal industry in Lancashire and Cheshire during each of the last 10 years, including 1936;(2) the total output of coal in Lancashire and Cheshire during each of the last 10 years, including 1936;

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the rapid advance of television in this country since the Ullswater Committee on Broadcasting took evidence and reported and the extensive advances in prospect during the ten-year period of the charter to be granted to the British Broadcasting Corporation, he can now give an assurance that safeguards will be incorporated both in the charter and the licence to protect those entertainment interests which may be adversely affected by the monopoly of visual as well as sound broadcasting which the Corporation will enjoy in the country?

The text of the new charter and licence, will be before the House in draft within the next few days. Meanwhile it would not be proper for me to make any statement about the provisions of the draft, charter and licence.