asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that a pedal cyclist who recently rode away after knocking down and fatally injuring a pedestrian, was only charged with riding a pedal cycle so as to endanger life or limb; and why he was not charged with manslaughter, as a motorist would have been under similar circumstances?

If my hon. and gallant Friend will be good enough to let me have particulars of the place and date of the accident referred to, I will make inquiry and communicate with him.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has yet received the report of the Departmental Committee on the Employment of Young Persons in Unregulated Occupations; and, if so, when it will be presented to Parliament?

My right hon. Friend has now received the report, which will be presented to Parliament and published shortly.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give the names of the 20 local authorities in England and Wales showing the highest rate of infantile mortality for the last two quinquennial periods for which figures are available, showing also the national figures for the same period?

I regret that these figures are not available. It has not been the practice to calculate infant mortality rates for quinquennia for individual local government areas.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether, having regard to the fact that the principal news bulletins of the British Broadcasting Corporation are broadcast during the sitting of this House, he will cause a receiving set to be installed in some convenient place within the precincts, so that Members may have an opportunity of hearing this presentation of news?

(for the First Commissioner of Works): My hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion has received careful consideration on more than one occasion: apart from the fact that it was opposed by practically all sections of the House, it would be a matter of great difficulty to give effect to the hon. and gallant Member's wishes.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the present position in regard to the new boys' training establishment at Rosyth, for commencing which provision was made in the first Navy Supplementary Estimates, 1936?

Plans for the new training establishment at Rosyth have been received and are now under examination by the Admiralty. The new establishment will not be ready for occupation before the end of 1940, and in the meantime it is necessary to provide accommodation for the increased entries of boys and artificer apprentices for whom the existing training facilities are inadequate. To this end, the Admiralty have acquired the former Cunard White Star Liner "Majestic," which was about to be scrapped. This vessel, which has been re-named His Majesty's Ship "Caledonia," is now being fitted out at Southampton for her new duties, and will shortly be transferred to Rosyth, where she will serve as an accommodation ship for boys and artificer apprentices until the new establishment on shore is ready for occupation. The vessel will then, in accordance with present anticipations, be disposed of.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the number of war pensioners who are in receipt of relief through public assistance committees, and the proportion that they bear to the total number of persons in receipt of war pensions?

I have been asked to reply. I regret that the statistical returns in my possession do not distinguish holders of disability pensions from other recipients of poor relief, and I do not think that I should be justified in putting local authorities to the trouble and expense which the extraction of this information would involve.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps will be taken by the League Council to keep continuous control of the situation in Danzig; when the new High Commissioner will take up his duties; and when he will be expected to issue his first report?

With regard to the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the full statement on the subject of Danzig made by my right hon. Friend on 1st February. With regard to the second part, the new High Commissioner will take up his duties as soon as possible after he has been appointed. With regard to the third part, the report adopted by the Council on 27th January contained the following passage:

"The new High Commissioner will see on the spot what the situation is, and, as soon as he has been able to form a definite opinion, he will certainly wish to let the Council know under what practical conditions he thinks he can carry out his functions, taking the present report into account."

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the number of customs and excise senior chief clerks, chief clerks, officers with reserved rights blocking departmental higher clerical officer posts, departmental higher clerical officers (men), departmental higher clerical officers (women), departmental clerical officers (men), departmental clerical officers (women), "S" class clerks, "P" class clerks, temporary clerks (men), temporary clerks (women, showing respective grades), casual clerks, writing assistants and members of the typing grade, established and unestablished, respectively, employed in the Customs and Excise Department as at the most convenient latest date; and the allocation of such officers to each office or sub-office and differentiating between outdoor and indoor staffs in London and the provinces?

I am sending the particulars requested direct to the hon. Member.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will give the amount paid in duty on imported cinematograph films for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

Approximately £178,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the new silver coinage will be ready for distribution before the Coronation, as there will be a demand by many public bodies for distribution of this coinage in commemoration of His Majesty's Coronation?

I understand that, subject to the issue of the necessary proclamation, the Royal Mint will begin to strike some at least of the denominations of the new coinage immediately after Faster. Limited supplies should therefore be available before 12th May.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to maintain the monetary policy approved at Ottawa, and reaffirmed by all the delegations of the British Commonwealth on 27th July, 1933, including a rise in the price level to ensure an economic return to producers of primary commodities, the stabilisation of the position thus attained, low rates of interest, and abundance of short-term money;(2) whether, in view of the fact that the delegations of the British Commonwealth, in their statement of monetary policy made on 27th July, 1933, agreed to assist the rise in wholesale prices until there was evidence that equilibrium had been reached and thereupon to stabilise the position, any steps are being taken to obtain evidence whether the recent rise in prices has approached equilibrium and as to the methods to be used for stabilisation when equilibrium is attained?

Vaccinal condition of recruits passed fit for service.
				Numbers for each 1,000 recruits.
Year ended				Vaccination Marks.	Small-Pox Marks.	Neither Vaccination nor Small-Pox Marks.
30th September—
1925	…	…	…	857·42	·10	142·48
1926	…	…	…	827·16	8·50	164·34
1927	…	…	…	801·29	·33	198·38
1928	…	…	…	775·58	1·92	222·50
1929	…	…	…	762·67	1·71	235·62
1930	…	…	…	729·91	—	270·09
1931	…	…	…	710·34	·02	289·64
1932	…	…	…	706·68	·47	292·85
1933	…	…	…	701·85	·11	298·04
1934	…	…	…	692·82	·10	307·08
1935	…	…	…	688·10	·03	311·87
1936	…	…	…	681·01	·07	318·92

asked the Secretary of State for War the total weekly cost, per head, involved in the recent experiment to bring recruits, previously declared unfit, up to military physical standards?

The rise in prices which has occurred since 1933 has gone far to restore prosperity in and to increase the purchasing power of countries interested in the production of primary commodities. The policy consistently advocated by the representatives of the members of the British Commonwealth has therefore been justified. I fear that I cannot deal with the numerous other points raised in my hon. Friend's questions beyond saying that the attitude of His Majesty's Government towards the price level depends on the state of trade and employment at home and in the rest of the Commonwealth and that they have these matters constantly under review.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can give figures

Year.		Maintenance Repair and Minor Improvement.		Major Improvements (Widenings, etc.).		New Construction.
		Gross Expenditure by Local Authorities.	Charged against Road Fund Grants.	Gross Expenditure by Local Authorities.	Charged against Road Fund Grants.	Gross Expenditure by Local Authorities.	Charged against Road Fund Grants.
		£'000.	£'000.	£'000.	£'000.	£'000.	£'000.
1930–31	…	36,036	9,345	14,335	6,294	5,053	2,451
1931–32	…	34,764	9,061	15,122	6,560	7,346	3,913
1932–33	…	31,646	7,644	6,960	3,119	4,454	2,576
1933–34	…	31,416	7,878	5,457	1,918	3,137	1,863
1934–35	…	31,869	8,171	6,177	2,050	2,329	1,258
1935–36*	…	32,124	8,323	8,580	2,825	2,114	943
* Partly estimated.

The number of units of electricity generated and sold by authorised undertakers during these years is shown below:

Year.			Units Generated.	Units sold to consumers.
			Millions	Millions
1930	…	…	10,917	9,030
1931	…	…	11,417	9,387
1932	…	…	12,248	10,097
1933	…	…	13,558	11,106
1934	…	…	15,462	12,782
1935	…	…	17,569	14,550
1936	…	…	20,220	not yet available

Units generated at railway or tramway generating stations or at private generating stations belonging to industrial or commercial undertakings are not included.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the total amount of money expended out of the Road Fund and by local authorities on maintenance and on new roads in Great Britain, respectively, during the years 1930 to 1936 inclusive?

The information required, as given in appendices to annual reports on the Road Fund, is as follows:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what were the original sentences passed on Iqbal Singh and Somnath Lahiri on 10th January, 1936; whether the money found in the house of the accused has been forfeited; and whether the prisoners were or are in B or C class; and whether they are still in gaol?

Iqbal Singh and Somnath Lahiri each received three sentences on the 4th June, 1936, of six months, two years and six months rigorous imprisonment respectively under the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1908 and the Indian Press (Emergency Powers) Act. The sentences were to run concurrently. They are, no doubt, still serving these sentences in gaol, but I have no information as to their classification. The Government of Bombay gave notice of intention to forfeit the money found in the possession of Iqbal Singh, but, as the result of a petition filed by Iqbal Singh heard on the 25th November, the Chief Judge of the Small Causes Court, Bombay, ruled that this money was not liable to forfeiture.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any legal provision is made in any African dependency for the payment of workmen's compensation to Native labourers injured in mining or other industrial activity; and, if not, whether he will take steps to secure the enactment of the necessary legislation at an early date?

Provision is contained in the Mining legislation of most of the East and West African Dependencies for the payment of compensation to workmen. The legislation is of a simple kind and in some cases is of a limited scope, i.e., the compensation payable is limited to injuries arising out of defects in machinery or plant, etc., or negligence on the part of the employer or his agents.Recently consideration has been given to the question of the application to Colonial Dependencies generally of the broad principles which in the United Kingdom govern the provision made for the payment of compensation to workmen injured in the course of their employment, and in 1935 a draft model Workmen's Compensation Ordinance was prepared and circulated to the Governments of all the Dependencies in East and West Africa for their preliminary consideration, and also to various bodies in this country, which are closely acquainted with African conditions. The comments of those bodies on the model Ordinance are now being examined. Considerable progress has been made with the revision of the model Ordinance and I hope to be in a position in the near future to forward the revised version to the Governments of the East and West African Dependencies for their consideration and action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any decision has been reached in Kenya Colony upon the question of Income Tax; whether there has been any compromise agreed on which treats the Moyne formula as the recognised limit of expenditure on native services; and whether any official approval has been given to the formula or to the interpretation that it should be regarded as the maximum of expenditure?

It has been decided to introduce Income Tax in Kenya, and I understand that the necessary legislation is now being considered. As regards the second and third parts of the question I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to a question by the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Benson) on 1st February.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that 33 countries have now ratified the international convention on the marking of weight on heavy packages, in spite of the slight difference in its application by certain States, he will state the reason why His Majesty's Government have so long put off ratifying this international convention and so caused unnecessary danger to dockers and others?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 19th March, 1936, to the hon. Member for East Wolverhampton (Mr. Mander). At the session of the governing body of the International Labour Office held last week it was agreed that the office should make inquiries of the Governments concerned with regard to the divergence of application of the convention by different countries referred to in that reply.