asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the United Steel Company, Limited, has decided to build a new iron and steel works at Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire; and whether anything has been done by the Government to try and have these works established at Jarrow where there are good sites and larger numbers of unemployed?

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave on the 3rd February to the hon. Members for Gateshead (Mr. Maquay) and for the Clayton Division (Mr. Jagger).

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total value of the export trade of Great Britain to the Dominions and Colonies and to Foreign countries in each year, respectively, from 1929 to 1936?

Year.				Produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom consigned to		Imported merchandise consigned to
				British Countries.	Foreign Countries.	British Countries.	Foreign Countries.
				£ million.	£ million.	£ million.	£ million.
1929	…	…	…	324·5	404·9	23·1	86·6
1930	…	…	…	248·3	322·4	20·5	66·4
1931	…	…	…	170·7	219·9	16·1	47·8
1932	…	…	…	165·5	199·5	11·5	39·5
1933	…	…	…	163·5	204·4	10·4	38·6
1934	…	…	…	185·6	210·4	11·1	40·2
1935	…	…	…	204·3	221·5	11·O	44·3
1936	…	…	…	216·9	223·8	10·8	49·6
NOTE.— The figures for 1936 are provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what proportion of children of school age attend school in Bechuanaland, Swaziland and Basutoland?

In 1935 there were approximately 77,000 children enrolled in schools in Basutoland, 9,500 in the Bechuanaland Protectorate, and 8,800 in Swaziland. The precise number of children of school-going age is not known, but on the assumption that they form one-fifth of the total population, the proportion attending school is about 68 per cent. in Basutoland, 18 per cent. in the Bechuanaland Protectorate and 3o per cent. in Swaziland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of houses built in Scotland by private enterprise and local authorities, respectively; and what was the approximate cost to the State, during the years 1930 to 1936, inclusive?

The numbers of working-class houses built in Scotland by pri-

The following statement shows the total value of the exports of merchandise from the United Kingdom consigned to (a) British countries and (b) Foreign countries during each of the years 1929 to 1936.vate enterprise and local authorities respectively during the years 1930 to 1936 inclusive were as follow:

	With State Assistance.	Without State Assistance.	Total.
By Private Enterprise.	18,624	28,556	47,180
By Local Authorities.	90,194	3,524	93,718
	108,818	32,080	140,898

The total amount of subsidy paid during the period referred to in respect of the 108,818 houses built with State assistance was approximately £3,226,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many juvenile first offenders were sentenced to be birched by Justice of Peace Courts in Scotland during 1936 without the option of a fine; whether such courts make a practice of advising the parents of the sentence before it is carried out; and whether an appeal was lodged against any of such sentences?

The number of juvenile first offenders in whose case whipping orders were made by Justice of the Peace Courts in Scotland in 1936 was three. As regards the second part of the question, the Children Acts provide that where a child or young person is charged with any offence or is for any reason brought before a Court, his parent or guardian may in any case, and shall, if he can be found and resides within a reasonable distance, be required to attend at the Court during all stages of the proceedings, unless the Court is satisfied that it would be unreasonable to require his attendance. As regards the last part, no appeal against the conviction was taken in any of the three cases referred to.

asked the Home Secretary what was the number of air raids which took place over London; the number of persons killed and injured, respectively; the estimated value of the property damaged, and/ or destroyed; and what proportion of the persons killed were resident in areas inhabited by the poorer sections of the people and what proportion in other areas?

The raids on the County of London numbered 25; 594 persons were killed and 1,708 were injured. The material damage was estimated at £2,000,000. The information asked for in the last part of the question is not available.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can state, in regard to the air raids which took place during the war, the number of cases in which damage was inflicted upon military objectives and those in which it was inflicted upon property Tenanted by working-class people; and in how many of the cases serious fires were caused?

Military objectives were damaged on six occasions. The information asked for in the second part of the question is not available. It is known that in London 793 buildings were destroyed of seriously damaged, but the records do not show how many of these buildings were occupied by working-class people. Throughout the whole country 57 cases are recorded of considerable damage by lire resulting from air attack.

asked the Home Secretary whether, for the instruction of those born during and since the war, he will arrange for the publication of a book of illustrations of damaged and/or destroyed property, and particulars as to the loss of life when that took place?

My right hon. Friend considers that information about the damage likely to be caused by air attack under present conditions and about the measures necessary to minimise loss of life and material damage can be more usefully given in other ways.

asked the Home Secretary what is the approximate number of Spanish refugees now resident in this country; what proportion of them has been brought to this country in British ships, and how many of them are without financial resources of any kind; and whether any arrangements are being, or are to be, made by the Government to provide for their maintenance in cases of necessity?

If my hon. Friend has in mind refugees from Spain who are of Spanish nationality, I am not aware that any such persons have been brought to the United Kingdom in His Majesty's ships. Among the ordinary passengers of non-British nationality who have been admitted to this country in the usual way as visitors during the last seven months, there have been a number of Spanish nationals, but it is not possible from the information furnished, by them on arrival at the ports to estimate how many of these could be classified as refugees. A record has, however, been kept of those who, after being admitted for some temporary purpose, have subsequently applied to the Home Office for extension of their stay in circumstances which indicate that they do not wish to return to Spain under present conditions. The number to whom extensions have been granted up to date is 157. No information has been received that any of these persons have become a public charge.