asked the Minister of Transport what is the policy of his Department in regard to the publication of compensation figures in the case of the construction of by-pass or arterial roads; on what the publication or non-publication of such figures depends; and whether local authorities are given the right of deciding themselves what they will do in the matter?

The question of publication is a matter for the discretion of the individual authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has any statement to make in connection with a proposed new Edinburgh to Perth road, having particular regard to the route to be followed by it; whether any application has been made to his Department in connection therewith from any local authorities; and, if not, is he prepared favourably to consider application being made to him in connection therewith?

No application has been made to me.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider, when issuing monthly statistics relating to deaths and injuries caused by road accidents, publishing comparative figures of deaths and injuries caused by such accidents in foreign countries?

Divergencies of practice in the compilation of accident statistics and in the periods of their publication render the course suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend impracticable.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will follow his practice in regard to compulsory safety equipment for motor-cars by fixing a date after which no grants will be made in respect of road surfaces other than those which have been favourably reported upon by the Ministry after tests for resistance to skidding?

It is already my practice to make grants in respect of road surfacing only when, in the opinion of my technical officers, the materials to be used afford satisfactory resistance to skidding.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider the issue of an order to the effect that all road vehicles licensed to carry more than five persons shall have their speedometers fixed in a position which can be seen by passengers in such vehicle?

The Transport Advisory Council found themselves unable to recommend the compulsory fitting of a speedometer which would be visible to other parties, whether on or off the vehicle; but they desired to review the position in a year's time.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) how many A-contract licences have been cancelled, respectively, for contravention of the terms of such licence, at the request of the licensees, and on the receipt of information by the traffic commissioners that the contract has ceased to be operative;(2) how many A-contract licences have been issued during the period of the operation of the Road and Rail Traffic Act; and how many of these were granted to applicants not previously engaged in the haulage industry?

All available information is contained in the Annual Reports of the Licensing Authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will approach the Electricity Commissioners with a view to getting electric light supplied to the village of Coaley, Gloucestershire?

I have asked the Electricity Commissioners to take up this matter with the undertakers concerned.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that that part of a retired dockyardman's pension which is based upon the bonus cannot be increased if any increase in the bonus is made, while it is liable to be reduced if any reduction takes place in the bonus; and whether he will state the reason for this apparent anomaly, which acts to the detriment of the pensioner?

The position is not quite as stated by my hon. Friend. Under the Treasury Minute of 20th March, 1922, that portion of the pension which is in respect of industrial bonus is liable to variation at the end of any quarter in which there has been a change in the rate of bonus. Such variation can occur upwards as well as downwards, subject, however, in the former case to an overriding maximum yielded by the amount of bonus received at date of retirement. This limitation is necessary because, with the exception to which I refer below, there is no power under the Superannuation Acts to pension a Civil servant on an amount in excess of his emoluments at such date. Special provision was, however, made in Section 12 of the Superannuation Act, 1935, whereby the pensions of those officers in receipt of industrial bonus who retired during the emergency period between 1st October, 1931, and 3oth June, 1935, were increased to amounts appropriate to the pre-emergency rate of bonus.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can make any statement with regard to the accident at Whale Island on 23rd February in which a stoker received fatal injuries when a 12-pounder field gun overturned?

The accident to which my hon. Friend refers occurred during a practice of the field gun run for the Tournament to be held at Olympia. In part of this demonstration the gun, on its carriage, has to be run at speed up a ramp. Unfortunately on this occasion the gun did not run quite straight and one wheel slipped over the edge of the ramp with the result that the gun and carriage toppled over. In their fall they struck one member of the gun team, Robert H. Rumbelow, Stoker, 1st Class, of H.M.S. Excellent, who received injuries to the head from which, I regret to say, he died shortly after admission to hospital. The inquest was held on Friday, 26th February last, when the jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any instructions have been issued that all official visitors to this country in connection with the Coronation whose expenses are paid out of public funds shall travel by British and not by foreign ships; and, if not, will he take steps to ensure that this is done?

The passages of the Royal and official guests and the distinguished visitors from the Colonial Empire who are coming to the Coronation are not being defrayed by His Majesty's Government. So far as is known in virtually all cases these visitors are coming by British ships.

asked the Home Secretary whether the traffic regulations to be issued for the period of the Coronation celebrations will include a "keep to the left" rule for pedestrians?

The Commissioner of Police proposes to arrange for the erection of notices at a great number of points, giving special directions for the guidance of pedestrian traffic during the Coronation celebrations. A general "keep to the left" rule applicable at all points is not contemplated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any British Colonial Governments, apart from Malta, have within the last 12 months purchased any foreign coal; and, if so, under what circumstances?

No, Sir. I am not aware of any purchase of foreign coal having been made during the past year by any Colonial Government, apart from the case referred to by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the report of the Royal Commission on Palestine may be expected?

I have no exact information regarding the date of presentation of the report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the instructions to Sir Frank Stockdale, who is visiting East Africa on behalf of the Government, include that of examining the problem of overstocking and soil erosion?

As I informed the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Mathers) on 3rd February, my Agricultural Adviser, Sir Frank Stockdale, is visiting East Africa in the normal course of his duties. He is not on a mission on behalf of Government and he has not been given any formal instructions. During his visit he proposes to confer with the various Governments on any subjects affecting agriculture, which will of course include the two very important problems mentioned by the hon. Member.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many civil servants have applied to be retained in the Civil Service after marriage since the passing of the Order in Council of 12th June, 1934, on this subject, and the numbers and ages and Departments of those whose applications have been granted and refused?

Nine established women civil servants (including in the case of scientific staff persons under the Federated Superannuation Scheme for Universities) have made formal application for retention on marriage since the passing of the Order in Council of 12th June, 1934. Of these applications four have been granted and five refused. The women whose applications were granted were serving in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (two

			1934.		1935.	1936.
Air Ministry	…	…	None	…	Nine cases, acreage varying from 245 to 496.	18 cases, acreage varying from eight to 735.
War Office	…	…	None	…	one case, acreage 460	Six cases, acreage varying from one to 272.

In regard to the second and third parts of the question it has been judicially decided that the Lords Lieutenant or the Deputy Lieutenants under Section 23 of the Defence Act, 1842, have had placed upon them not a judicial function but an executive or administrative function, intended to secure that the powers of the Act are not recklessly exercised. These officers have to be reasonably satisfied by the evidence that the Department may put before them that the case is one where necessity or expediency requires the taking of the land. The owner of the land has no right to be heard on this question; it cannot be supposed that it was the intention that a question of policy, possibly vital to the defence of the

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases in the last three years, and for what acreage in each case, certificates have been issued by the Treasury that the taking of land by the War Department and Air Force, respectively, under Section 23 of 5 and 6 Vic., c. 94, was necessary; whether he is satisfied that the certificate of the Lord Lieutenant required by the same section was in every case given after full inquiry as to the necessity after hearing all parties; and whether in practice the justices under Section 19 act ministerially or use discretion to decline to give possession of lands covered by such certificates?

The answer to the first part of the question is as follows:Kingdom, should be debated before a tribunal at the instance of an individual whose land the State seeks to acquire in the general interests and for the protection of the State.I am advised that the Justices under Section 19 exercise a ministerial duty in putting the acquiring authority into possession, and that they have no discretion to decline to put the Department into possession where the statutory procedure has been followed.

asked the Home Secretary whether any means are employed to prevent the possibility of error in the figures given by licensees for the annual return of experiments on living animals?

I can assure the lion. Member that great care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the Returns of Experiments rendered to the Secretary of State by licensees in accordance with the terms of the Licences granted under the Act 39 and 4o Vic. cap. 77.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give a list of

Trade agreements with foreign countries which affect the import of beef, pork, eggs, poultry, butter and other dairy produce.
		Date of coming into force.	When terminable.	Products specifically affected.
Denmark*	…	20.6.33	After four months' notice	Bacon and hams, butter, eggs, cream (hermetically sealed).
		20.6.36
Estonia	…	8.9.34	After six months' notice	Bacon and hams, butter, eggs in shell, cream (hermetically sealed), milk powder, condensed milk, cheese, poultry.
Finland	…	23.11.33	After six months' notice	Bacon and hams, butter, eggs in shell, cheese, poultry.
Latvia	…	12.10.34	After six months' notice	Bacon and hams, butter, eggs in shell, cheese, poultry.
Lithuania	…	12.8.34	After six months' notice	Bacon and hams, butter, eggs in shell.
Norway	…	7.7.34	After six months' notice	Bacon and hams, butter, eggs in shell, cheese, poultry.
Poland	…	14.3.35	After six months' notice	Bacon and hams, butter, eggs in shell, live geese, dead guinea fowls.
Sweden	…	7.7.33	After six months' notice	Bacon and hams, butter, eggs in shell.
Uruguay	…	3.2.36	After three months' notice	Beef, eggs, poultry, dairy produce.
Argentina	…	20.11.36 (provisionally pending exchange of ratifications.)	31.12.39 or thereafter on six months' notice.	Beef and pork (not preserved in airtight containers).
* The Aggreement of 1936 maintains in force the Agreement of 1933 subject to certain modifications.

Imports of these products from the Dominions are also affected by the Ottawa Agreements with Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Newfoundland and Southern Rhodesia (all in force from the 10th August, 1932; now terminable

I have been asked to reply. The Trade Agreements with foreign countries which contain specific provisions affecting the import facilities to be accorded in the United Kingdom to the products mentioned in the question are as follow:after six months' notice), and by the new Trade Agreement with Canada, which was signed on the 23rd February, 1937 (terminable with effect from the 20th August, 1940, or thereafter on six months' notice).