asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions the Housing Advisory Committee, appointed under the 1935 Act, has met since its formation; and what was the date of its last meeting?

The full committee has met on three occasions, the rural sub-committee on 23, and the urban sub-committee on three. The last meeting of the full committee was on 5th February last.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now in a position to make available, for the inspection of Members, plans and photographs relating to the proposed new model village of West Quarter, in Stirlingshire?

I am arranging for the layout plan and photographs of the proposed model village to be available for inspection in the Tea Room.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can give the cost of upkeep per steel house erected in Scotland; and whether such cost is higher than that of the same size of house built of other than steel materials?

The average cost of upkeep of the steel houses owned by the Second Scottish National Housing Company is estimated at £4 3s. per house per annum and is higher than the cost of upkeep of brick houses owned by the same company. This higher cost is due mainly to the necessity for outside painting, but by a special treatment of the walls which has recently been resorted to, it is hoped that it will be reduced.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in areas where the demand for juvenile labour is equal to, or in excess of, the supply it will he proposed that attendance at daytime classes shall be a condition of exemption?

I presume that the hon. Member is referring to action under Section 2 of the Education Act, 1936. Under that Section is will be for the local education authority to decide what undertaking, if any, it is necessary to require from the employer with regard to opportunities for further education.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of children who left the elementary schools of London in 1934, 1935, and 1936, respectively; and how many were placed in employment by the Employment Exchanges and the school authorities?

The answer to the first part of the question is given in the following table. I have no information as regards the second part of the question.Number of pupils who left Public Elementary Schools maintained by the London County Council.

asked the Secretary for Mines, in view of the Government assistance given to the hydrogenation experiment at Billingham and the urgent necessity of determining the success or otherwise of this process of producing oil from coal, how soon he can promise a statement on the subject?

I regret that I am not able to indicate when it will be possible to make a statement.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been drawn to a recent patent for miners' electric lamp bulbs, produced by A. G. Gulliford, of Conisborough, near Rotherham; and, in view of the increased safety produced for mineworkers, will he take steps to have these bulbs used in all electric lamps used in coal mines?

Yes, Sir. I am aware of this device which is a variation of a precaution already adopted in many types of electric safety lamps, namely, a device to cut off the current in the event of a lamp bulb being broken in such a way that a short circuit is produced. No standardized samples of Mr. Gulliford's device have yet been submitted to my Department for test and I am, therefore, not yet in a position to make any statement about it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has had any discussions with the Swedish Foreign Minister during his visit to this country regarding the possibility of His Majesty's Government taking part in negotiations for a low-tariff group in conjunction with the states represented at the recent Hague Conference?

The Swedish Foreign Minister mentioned in the course of his

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether there are any commodities upon which he could increase the French quota of imports in return for a French increase in the quota of cotton tissues exported from this country; and whether he is aware that the discontinuance of production in periods between the end of one export quota period and the inauguration of another is causing serious disturbance of business in this country and considerable hardship to the workers engaged in the production of cotton tissues?

Such import quotas as are in force in this country are based on principles of equitable and agreed allocation between supplying countries, which preclude their use in bargaining. The

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state in values the relative amounts of trade between Sweden and this country for each of the last three years?

The following table shows the total declared value of merchandise imported into and exported from the United Kingdom in trade with Sweden during each of the years 1934 to 1936:French quotas for cotton goods are allotted quarterly and there is no gap between quota periods: any difficulties in production would appear to be due to the smallness of the quotas.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will instruct the British Ambassador in Tokyo to inquire whether Mr. Sato's speech, on assuming office, indicates a readiness to discuss trade equality on the mainland of China, with due regard to China's sovereign rights?

Mr. Sato's speech encourages me to hope that friendly exchanges of views may take place on all subjects, but I cannot now undertake to make the special inquiry suggested.

asked the Minister of Health how many search officers are employed in the General Register Office, and of the total number how many are ex-service men; whether these search officers are entitled to consideration for promotion to the clerical class; and, if so, how many such promotions have been made since the class was instituted some 16 years ago?

The number of search officers employed in the General Register Office is 69, of whom 17 are graded first class and 52 second class. There are in addition four temporary search-officers employed at the present time. All of the above are ex-service men. Promotions from the grade of search officer to that of clerical officer are exceptional, but four such promotions have been made since the class of search officer was instituted. In addition, one search officer w as promoted to be office keeper.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the price of sugar has increased by nearly 2s. per hundredweight since the Government announced its intention of participating in the International Sugar Conference and that the cost to the consumer in this country of its sugar requirements is thereby increased at the rate of approximately £4,500,000 per annum; and whether he proposes to take any action to protect the consuming public?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the recent sharp rise in the price of sugar is attributable to speculation on the outcome of the International Sugar Conference; and whether he proposes to take any steps to safeguard the interests of consumers in this respect?

World prices of sugar began to rise towards the end of last year before the decision to convene an International Conference was reached. The announcement of the Conference has no doubt affected the market, but there are several other factors. I can assure the hon. Gentlemen that the interests of consumers in relation to the forthcoming Conference will not be overlooked.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the latest published index and list of aliens granted certificates of naturalisation does not extend beyond 31st December, 1930; and whether he will publish a further index up to 3rst December, 1935?

A Return of aliens to whom certificates of naturalisation have been issued is published annually. An index of the names of those contained in the Returns for the five years ended 3rst December, 1935, is in course of preparation and will be ready in about four weeks' time.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the death of Thomas Haller, aged 15, on 3rd March, as a result of an accident caused by a defective and unsafe lift on non-factory premises; and whether he can state when the committee of the British Standards Association on specifications for safety in passenger and other lifts will make their report and recommendations?

Yes, Sir; my attention was drawn to this distressing accident and I have seen a report of the inquest. As regards the second part of the question, I understand that the Committee of the British Standards Institution, which is considering a standard specification for lifts, has made considerable progress, but they have a difficult task and I cannot say when they will make their report.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consider giving instructions to all diplomatic, Consular and commercial representatives in large countries to make extensive use of flying facilities?

The existing regulations, which have been sanctioned by the Treasury, permit of British diplomatic and Consular officers and members of the Commercial Diplomatic Service travelling by air if they desire to do so without special reference to the Foreign Office, provided that the aircraft in which they travel is operated by a company registered in the British Empire and provided that the cost of the journey by air is not greater than the cost by other available means of transport. If the cost of travel by air is greater, the Foreign Office have power to sanction travel by air if the urgency of the business justifies the extra cost entailed. Journeys by foreign aircraft may be permitted by the Foreign Office in exceptional circumstances, and in certain foreign countries general permission to travel by foreign aircraft has already been given. It is not considered desirable to extend the scope of these regulations.

asked the Minister of Labour how many ex-service men in receipt of disability pensions were registered as unemployed on 31st August, 1936, 30th November, 1936, and 28th February, 1937; how many ex-service men in receipt of disability pensions were placed in employment during each of the six months ended 28th February, 1937; and how many ex-service men were placed in employment through the King's National Roll scheme during each of the six months ended 28th February, 1937?

The nearest dates to those mentioned in the question for which information is available are 6th July, 1936, 5th October, 1936, and 4th January, 1937. The numbers of disabled ex-service men registered at Employment Exchanges as unemployed on these dates were 31,198, 30,968 and 32,311 respectively. The numbers of individual disabled ex-service men placed in employment during the quarters ended 5th October, 1936, and 4th January, 1937, are not known, but 3,90o and 4,521 vacancies notified to the Employment Exchanges were filled by disabled ex-service men during these quarters respectively. With regard to the last part of the question, the numbers of disabled ex-service men engaged by members of the King's National Roll during the period in question are not known, but the total numbers employed by them on the 6th July, 1936, and 4th January, 1937, were 316,33o and 317,534 respectively.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence whether, in view of the spread of irresponsible labour troubles at factories engaged on defence work, he will take steps to ensure that future orders are placed in those factories where there is higher regard for national requirements?

Provided a firm satisfies the normal conditions of contract, such as the fair wages clause, it would be inequitable to penalise it on account of labour disturbances over which it has no control.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will reconsider his decision not to make a special grant to the Ouse Catchment Board apart altogether from the 75 per cent. arrangement, which means that any expenditure must be limited to a sum for which the catchment board can find 25 per cent., a proportion which it is often difficult to raise by rates in this thinly populated area?

Seventy-five per cent. is an exceptionally high rate of grant—indeed the highest rate given to any catchment board—and is only justified by the exceptional circumstances of this area. I am afraid that I cannot contemplate any higher percentage.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give particulars of the prevailing prices of feeding-stuffs and of the products of the poultry industry in January, February, and March, 1935, 1936, and 1937, respectively; and whether he can give any indication of Government policy as the result of his active consideration of the plight of poultry farmers?

As regards the first part of the question, the information required is given in the following table. As regards the second part, I am not in a position to make a statement.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will appoint a Select Committee to consider the adequacy or otherwise of Civil List pensions?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement which I made on 17th March, 1937, Col. 2113, on this subject, in the Debate on the Motion to appoint a Select Committee on the Civil List, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the numbers of British officers (sailors) now serving in the Colombian Navy?

I understand that there are at present 10 or 12 British subjects serving as officers in the Colombian Navy. A few of these formerly belonged to the merchant service.