asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the attack by Italian naval ratings on soldiers of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in Shanghai; and whether he has made or proposes to make representations to the Italian Government concerning the matter?

Yes, Sir, I have had a report to the effect that a dispute, which was the sequel to a quarrel on the previous night, took place in the cabaret district of the French Concession at Shanghai between soldiers of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and Italian naval ratings. Two British soldiers are in hospital with minor injuries but are expected to recover shortly. I understand that the incident has been amicably settled by the respective commanders. Italian sailors have visited the injured British soldiers in hospital with presents, and are inviting a party of British troops to an entertainment on board their gunboat. The last part of the question does not therefore appear to arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the League Committee on Raw Materials will meet; what policy His Majesty's Government proposes to adopt as to the scope of the inquiry; and whether his Department is preparing material to be submitted to the Committee?

As I stated in reply to the hon. Member for East Birkenhead (Mr. White) last Wednesday, the Committee will meet on 8th March. The scope of the inquiry was defined in the report of the Polish representative, which is available to hon. Members in the Library. Suitable material for examination by the Committee is being prepared by the Secretariat of the League of Nations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) what objections, if any, have been made to the present scheme for an international naval cordon now before the Non-Intervention Committee; by whom they have been made; and what is their nature;(2) what are the details of the scheme of the Non-Intervention Committee for an international naval cordon to check further intervention in Spain; what is the estimated total cost; and what is the cost for each Government which is cooperating?

The Non-Intervention Committee has agreed as from 20th February to adopt a system of supervision, which includes a plan for naval observation of the coasts of Spain and the Spanish Dependencies, subject to the final adjustment of outstanding questions connected therewith. One of these questions related to the number of Powers which will take part in this naval patrol. As stated in the communiqué issued by the Sub-Committee on 26th February the Soviet representative stated that his Government did not propose at present to exercise their right to take part in the naval patrol. The Portuguese representative stated that so long as the scheme was entrusted only to the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, his Government would not desire to participate. The representatives of the four Powers then agreed to submit to their respective Governments the scheme for supervision already prepared by the Technical Advisory Sub-Committee with a view to settling the technical problems involved in its application. The expenses incurred by each Navy will be met by the respective Governments. No detailed estimate of the individual or aggregate costs is at present available.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will state the number of inland cash-on-delivery parcels delivered during the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; and whether the Post Office have any new suggestions for popularising this system?

The number of inland cash-on-delivery parcels sent during the year ended 31st January, 1937, is in round figures, 2,586,000. The service has on the whole shown a steady increase since its introduction just over 10 years ago. The question of popularising this and other Post Office services is constantly kept in mind.

asked the Home Secretary whether the Air-raid Precautions Department can state by what test, in their opinion, ordinary people can detect the presence of mustard gas or lewisite without having to breathe it?

Mustard gas and lewisite can be detected by visual observation or by the sense of smell, which might suffice to give warning without any harmful effect. Arrangements will, however, be made for the detection of poison gas as part of the air-raid precautions organisation and if members of the public were in danger of inhaling poisonous vapours every effort would be made to warn them of the presence of gas before they had to ascertain it for themselves.

asked the Home Secretary what plans have been made by the Air-raid Precautions Department for the provision of gas-proof shelters for public use, equipped with filtration units and pumps?

It is proposed that, as far as possible, members of the public should remain indoors in a part of their home or place of work which has been adapted as a refuge in accordance with instructions which will be issued. The question of the provision of refuges for persons caught in the street when a raid is imminent is under consideration: but, while the equipment required in public refuges must depend on the nature of the premises employed for the purpose, it is considered that, if ordinary safeguards are employed, the installation of filtration plant will not be required.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give particulars regarding the first year of the three years' course for male students leading to recognition under Chapter VI of the regulations for the training of teachers of physical education as organised by the Glasgow Provincial Committee and commencing in September, 1936, stating the total number admitted to the first year of the course in September, 1936, the number of such applicants for admission from each individual city or county education area in Scotland, and the number of students accepted for training as above from each city or county education area in Scotland?

The total number admitted to the first year of the course referred to was 24. The figures asked for in the remaining parts of the question are as follow:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will furnish a list of the factors which are taken into account in assessing the candidates for admission to Glasgow provincial centre for the three years' course in physical education, giving these in the order of their importance; and if he will state the method adopted for establishing the consolidated mark covering these factors to decide the order of merit of the candidates for admission to training?

Candidates for admission to the three year course in physical education at Jordanhill Training Centre are required to furnish satisfactory evidence of a good general education. Their special fitness for training as teachers of physical education is then considered and reported upon by the Director of Studies, the Medical Officer and the Physical Training Staff of the Centre, who assign the candidates to various categories of fitness. From these reports the authorities of the Centre grade the candidates according to their general suitability for admission to the course.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he can give information concerning the road building in the Khaisora Valley; what is the total length of the roads built in Waziristan during the past five years; what has been the cost to date of the road construction; have the roads a commercial or only a strategical importance; what further road building is contemplated in the North-West Frontier Province; and whether the Government realise that the frequent armed encounters with the inhabitants of the Khaisora is due to their opposition to what they regard as an invasion of their territory?

During the recent operations a road was constructed from Mir Ali in the Tochi Valley to the Khaisora Valley; I regret that I have not the detailed information required for an answer to the second and third parts of the question; the roads on the North-West Frontier are of value in facilitating trade and improving the economic condition of the tribesmen, and it is the policy of the Government of India to extend them in agreement with the tribes concerned when finances permit. As regards the last part of the question, the hon. Member is misinformed; the origin of the operations in the Khaisora Valley was described in answers given to questions on 30th November.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what proportion of the increases to the staff of the Meteorological Office will be filled by recruits with a university training; and whether any of these new arrivals will be specially detailed for research work in any Department?

I have been asked to reply. With the exception of a small number of posts, mainly for clerical assistants and similar ancillary staff, recruitment to the Meteorological Office will be partly from candidates who have university degrees and partly from candidates who have passed the intermediate science degree examination or its equivalent. As regards the last part of the question, I cannot usefully make any addition to the information which I gave my hon. Friend last Wednesday.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether it is proposed to increase the numbers of assistant directors and superintendents at the Meteorological Office?

There is no proposal at present to increase the number of posts in the grade of assistant director in the Meteorological Office. The grade of superintendent has been obsolescent since the reorganisation of the Meteorological Office on 1st April, 1935, and no further appointments will be made in that grade. Certain additional appointments in the grade of senior technical officer are, however, in contemplation.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any alterations have been made in the 1936 new construction programme as presented to Parliament?

Apart from the asquisition of the Steamship "Majestic" referred to in the reply given to the hon. Member for Kincardine (Sir M. Barclay-Harvey) on nth February, the only modifications made in the 1936 programme have been to drop one "J" Class destroyer and one tug, and to add one motor torpedo boat.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether, during the previous 12 months, His Majesty's Government has guaranteed the credit of any foreign Government; and will he give particulars?

Guarantees have been granted by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in the ordinary course of its business during the past 12 months in connection with certain orders placed by foreign Governments; apart from this the answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The Department is pledged to treat in confidence all its transactions with individual exporters, and I am unable to make an exception in cases where a guarantee has been given in connection with orders placed by a foreign Government.