asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence the total value of orders given by the Service Departments during the past year and also the value of the orders given to firms operating in the Special Areas; and will he give the value of such orders placed in each of the Special Areas, separately?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, South (Mr. W. John Stewart) on 1st February. I regret that it is not possible without undue labour to give figures for the Special Areas separately.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will give particulars of how many schemes and/or proposals he has made during the 12 months ended to the last convenient date for the purpose of eliminating level crossings and freeing toll bridges; and the number of cases that are before the responsible highway authorities or his Department at the present time?

I have no means of knowing how many cases are at present under consideration by highway authorities, but during the 12 months ended 31st December, 1936, grants have been made towards the construction of bridges to avoid five level crossings and a grant has been promised to a further scheme. In the same period grants have been made, or offered, for freeing five toll bridges, and a further bridge is being reconstructed with assistance from the Road Fund on condition that tolls will be abolished when the reconstructed bridge is opened to traffic.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the Government intends to introduce during this Session any legislation based on the McGowan Report on the distribution of electricity?

I will send my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the answer given by the Prime Minister on this subject on the 9th November, 1936.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can state the number of tons of coal purchased by all the electricity undertakings in Great Britain for the years 1935 and 1936?

During the year ending 31st December, 1935, the quantity of coal consumed in the generating stations of authorised electricity undertakers was 11,279,142 tons. In addition, 168,437 tons of coke breeze was used. Figures for the year 1936 are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can state the combined

asked the Minister of Health whether any successful method of treating cancer which is not recognised by the medical profession has been brought to the notice of his Department; and whether any has proved sufficiently efficacious to call for action in its support by the Ministry?

I am not aware of any such method.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount of tea on which duty has been paid in the current financial year to the latest current date, and the corresponding figure for last year?

The quantity of tea entered for home consumption on payment of duty in the nine months 1st April to 31st December, 1936, was 329,110,000 lbs. and in the corresponding period of 1935 the quantity was 335,876,000 lbs.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what consideration had, prior to the reception of representations from various quarters, been given by his Department to the subject of insurance of property against war risks on land; and how soon it may be anticipated that the active consideration it is now receiving will permit of an informative statement being made?

Prior to the receipt of the representations to which the hon. Member refers, the Government's consideration of the problem had been directed to the action which might have to be taken after an emergency arose, since until recently insurance against war risks in time of peace could be effected on the open market. As regards the second part of the question, I cannot at present add to the answer given on the 25th January to the hon. Member for North Tottenham.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that a recent Admiralty order required casual workers in His Majesty's dockyards to report sick if suffering from influenza; that if a casual worker goes sick he is automatically discharged from his employment; and whether he will reconsider these regulations with a view to preventing hardship?

No such order has been issued by the Admiralty. It is true that when a workman who has been entered for casual employment falls sick his employment terminates, owing to the fact that there can be no certainty of work being available for him on his recovery. Though, however, no guarantee of reemployment can be given, men so discharged may, of course, apply for further employment when certified fit for work again, and the chances of re-employment are at present good. Moreover, an order has recently been issued that casual employé with three months' continuous service or more may be granted unpaid leave at the rate of not more than two days in any calendar month up to a limit of fourteen days in a year, and such leave may be used to cover short absences through sickness.